A long time ago, a wealthy bailiff had the Bärhegenhubel cleared of trees and a large castle built. The peasants were forced to perform many hours of forced labour for the bailiff, even in the middle of harvest time. Among them was a poor tenant farmer.

When the building was finally finished, the bailiff summoned him and said: ‘I want a shady path leading to my castle. Bring me large trees and plant them on both sides of the path to my castle!’

‘But sir, how am I to get the trees all the way up to the castle?’

‘That is of no concern to me. But if you do not do it, I shall drive you and your family away.’

The poor man was terrified. He had a wife at home, and they were expecting their first child.

So he soon loaded the first large trees onto the cart and harnessed his scrawny horse to it. The path to Bärhegenhubel was steep, and as the farmer drove towards the castle with the heavy trees on the cart, the horse collapsed under the weight. In despair, the man looked towards the castle when suddenly a stranger appeared and said: “I can help you; I will plant the trees. I want nothing in return but your unborn child.”

In his desperation, the poor man agreed, and by the next day a hundred mighty trees stood along the path to the castle.

From then on, the bailiff rode proudly to the castle beneath his mighty avenue. But at night he was plagued by terrible nightmares.

The poor man, however, returned home and spoke to no one about his bargain, yet his conscience tormented him day after day.

As the birth drew nearer, the stranger was already standing at the door. But no sooner was the child born than the midwife took it in her arms and spoke a blessing.

Then the stranger flung open the door and shouted: ‘You shall pay for this – that child belonged to me!’

He struck the midwife across the cheek and vanished. Not long after, a black swelling appeared on the midwife’s face. It grew larger and larger, and the poor woman grew ever weaker. When she died, a black spider crawled out of her body.

The spider went from house to house like the plague, and wherever it went, people died, whether rich or poor. Even the proud bailiff lost his life. Only a few people survived, including the poor tenant farmer with his wife and child.

When the spider came to his house too, he was well prepared. He bored a hole in one of the house posts, grabbed the spider, trapped it inside and sealed it tightly with a plug.

At last the danger was averted, the terrible disease was over, and no one had to die again.

Some said: ‘The evil bailiff was to blame – he brought the misfortune upon us!’

But much time has passed since then. Nothing remains to be seen of the castle on Bärhegenhubel; the forest covers the hill with great trees, and only the story remains.

Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach verschiedenen Versionen in: M. Sooder, Sagen aus Rohrbach, Huttwil 1929. Übersetzung Lysander Jaenike © Mutabor