Dwarves used to live in the rocks of the Bernese Alps. They helped the alpine herdsmen with the haymaking and did many other good deeds for both people and animals. In gratitude, the herdsmen set out a little milk and cream for the dwarves.

One summer, however, had been cold; there was little hay, and by autumn the cows were so thin that you could count their ribs. At that time, one of the dwarves came to the alpine hut and asked: ‘Will you give me a cow for the winter? I’ll bring her back to you in the spring.’

The herdsman thought for a while and then thought: ‘Who knows, perhaps the dwarf can bring the cow through the winter better than I can, with as little hay as I have for her,’ and he agreed. Soon the little man disappeared off towards the rocks with the cow.

When it was time to go up to the mountain pasture the following year, the little man was already waiting at the top. He led the cow across the steep rocks on a rope; she was plump, her coat shone and her udder was full of milk. The herdsman was delighted, and he asked: ‘How did you manage to keep your cow so healthy and plump, whilst mine is so thin after that terrible winter?’

To this, the dwarf replied: 

‘I fed her Muttnere and Adelgras, 

The very best for a cow, in the proper measure.’

Then he gave the herdsman a small cheese and said: ‘Take good care of this little cheese and never cut more than to the cross in the middle, then it will last you a long time.’ With that, the little man vanished. The herdsman marvelled at the gift. He was even more astonished when, whenever he cut off a piece of the little cheese, it became whole again.

One day, however, some people came to help the herdsman with the haymaking. As is the custom, the herdsman prepared a mid-morning snack of bread and cheese for his helpers. But he forgot to tell them not to cut too much off the little cheese, and so it came to pass: the hungry men cut off piece after piece, and soon there was nothing left of the wondrous little cheese.