In a mountain village lived an old, eccentric woman. Her little cottage stood a little way off, nestled between a boulder and a scruffy fir tree. She had a single cow, which she let graze by the wayside or on the stony meadow. The strange thing was that she got as much cream from this one animal as she would from a whole barn full of cattle. That is why people far and wide simply called her the Nidelgret, and some claimed she was practising wicked witchcraft. Eventually, a young herdsman from the neighbourhood could no longer bear his curiosity. Of course, he did not dare to ask. A few times in the evening he wandered round the little cottage, but heard only indistinct muttering. So he waited for a favourable opportunity and slipped into the cramped barn. As soon as he heard footsteps outside, he crawled under the manger. Now the Nidelgret entered. She placed a large tub in front of her and a small jug of cream beside it. Then she waved her hand slowly back and forth, murmuring:

Witch’s goods and herdsman’s toll,

Two spoonfuls from every cow.

No sooner had the spell been spoken than the tub brimmed to the very edge with the finest cream. She hoisted the full vessel onto her shoulder and disappeared into the kitchen next door. The herdsman, however, slipped out into the open with a few leaps. He kept repeating the words he had heard. As soon as he reached his own barn, he tried out the spell, and lo and behold, his tub was filled to the brim with cream.

But the herdsman was a man who could never get enough. The following evening, he set out a large cauldron, altered the spell and said:

Witch’s goods and herdsman’s toll,

two mugs full from every cow.

At once the cream rose, swelled and foamed in the blink of an eye right up to the rim of the cauldron. Delighted with his himself, the dairyman clapped his hands and hopped from one foot to the other.

He really ought to have been satisfied, but now an even greater greed took hold of him. When another day had passed, he dragged over every vessel he could find in the house. Then he climbed onto a stool, raised his hands and shouted:

Witch’s goods and herdsman toll,

two tubs full from every cow.

No sooner had he spoken than the cream poured across the entire barn floor, rising higher and higher until the walls began to sway. Beams and windows were covered, and the herdsman was a hair’s breadth away from drowning miserably. At the last moment, completely bathed in cream, he managed to flee through a small door into the courtyard. There he suddenly saw Nidlgret sitting on the roof of her hut and heard her cheer in a loud voice:

Witch’s goods and Nidle’s flow,

he who wants too much ends up with nothing!

People and animals, especially the cats and dogs, ran over to lap up the lovely cream. And if they haven’t finished yet, well, they’re certainly still lapping and licking it up today.