The mysterious beggarThe world of legends
An unknown beggar from foreign parts once came to Andermatt. The weather was so vile that you wouldn’t have chased a dog out of the house; the eerie night was lurking in the narrow streets. The beggar had knocked on many a door, asking for shelter for the night, but nowhere had his request been answered. Turned away by the wealthy, he approached the house of a poor family. Would he find softer hearts and a humble bed there?
And indeed, the kindly poor family offered him their hospitality. “We can’t put you in one of our two beds,” the father of the family said to him. “But if you’re satisfied with the bench next to the stove, you can sleep in our house and eat and drink with us.” The tired wayfarer was satisfied.
For three days, the icy north wind whipped wisps of grey mist and torrents of rain through the narrow valley. Yet the good people did not send their guest away. They faithfully shared their food and drink with him, and the bench by the stove served as a place for him to rest.
On the fourth day, the sky cleared and the stranger went on his way. As he took his leave, he said to those who had welcomed him so kindly, “I can’t give you any money, but I will leave you something as a reward for your hospitality.”
He took out his pocket knife and cut a whole row of letters into the lintel, the meaning of which no one has guessed to this day. Then he added: “This dwelling will be in great danger, but no harm will come to it.” Indeed, as the people say, one half of the house later burnt down, but the other half, where the beggar had been sheltered, was spared from the hungry flames.
Speaker: Myriam Planzer
Sound recording: Florian Arnold
