Mutabor Märchenstiftung

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The Erdwybli in the Marmilchloch

Land: Schweiz
Kanton: Basel
Kategorie: Sage

There is a cave near the Thürner Fluh. It is known as the Erdwybli Cave, or the Marmilchloch. In the past, little, friendly Erdwybli lived there. It is said that they had several rooms within the cliff and a secret passage leading all the way to Gelterkinden. But no one has ever found the passage. They often came down from the cliff and helped the people with their work. The strange thing, however, was that they hid their feet. They wore skirts so long that their feet were concealed beneath them. Once they were helping the miller’s wife in Gelterkinden. She was very curious and would have liked to know why the Erdwybli never showed their feet. So one day she scattered flour on the steps by the mill. No sooner had the Erdwybli walked over them than the miller’s wife went to look, and what did she see? Little footprints everywhere, but not human feet – no, the Erdwybli had duck feet. The little Erdwybli, however, had realised that the miller’s wife had outwitted them. From that day on, they never came back, and it is said that they moved to another area.