Lays and Legends of Various Nations/Germany Part 3/Legends of Rubezahl/Rubezahl Transforms Himself into an Ass

by Johannes Praetorius, edited by Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching

For other English-language translations of this work, see Rübezahl verwandelt sich in einen Esel.

40.—LEGENDS OF RUBEZAHL; OR, NUMBER-NIP.

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RUBEZAHL TRANSFORMS HIMSELF INTO AN ASS.—[A]

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Once upon a time a glazier who was travelling across the mountains, feeling very tired from the heavy load of glass which he was carrying, began to look about for a place where he might rest it. Rubezahl, who had been watching for some time, no sooner saw this, than he changed himself into a round heap, which the glazier not long afterwards found by the road side, and on which, well pleased with the discovery, he proposed to seat himself. But his joy was not of long continuance, for he had not sat there many minutes, before the heap vanished from under him so rapidly, that the poor glazier fell to the ground with his glass, which was by the fall smashed into a thousand pieces.

The poor fellow arose from the ground, looked around him, but the mound of earth on which he had before seated himself, was no longer visible. Then he began bitterly to lament, and to sigh with heartfelt sorrow over his untoward fate; and started forth once more on his journey. Upon this, Rubezahl, assuming the appearance of a traveller, accosted him, and enquired ‘Why he so lamented, and what was the great sorrow with which he was afflicted?’ Upon this the glazier related to him the whole affair; how, that being weary, he had seated himself on a mound by the road-side, how this had suddenly overthrown him, and broken to pieces his whole stock of glass, which was well worth eight dollars; and how, in short, the mound itself had entirely disappeared—he knew not in the least how to recover his loss, and bring the business to a good ending. The compassionate mountain-sprite comforted him, told him who he was, and that he himself had played him the trick; and at the same time bade him be of good cheer, for his losses should be made good to him.

Upon this, Rubezahl transformed himself into an ass, and directed the glazier to sell him at the mill which lay at the foot of the mountain, and to be sure to make off with the purchase-money as quickly as possible. The glazier accordingly immediately bestrode the transformed mountain-sprite, and rode upon him down the mountain to the mill, where he offered him for sale to the miller at the price of ten dollars; the miller offered nine, and the glezier, without further haggling, took the money and went his way with it.

When he was gone, the miller sent his newly purchased beast to the stable, and the boy who had the charge of him immediately filled his rack with hay. Upon this Rubezahl exclaimed—“I don’t eat hay; I eat nothing but roasted and boiled, and that of the best!” The boy’s hair stood on end; he flew to his master, and related to him this wondrous tale; who no sooner heard it than he hastened to the stable, and there found nothing, for the ass and his nine dollars were alike vanished.

But the miller was rightly served, for he had cheated in his time many poor people. Therefore Rubezahl punished in this manner the injustice of which he had been guilty.

Note.—From Busching’s Volksagen—where it is quoted from a work by Prætorius, specially dedicated to the exploits of this well-known mountain-spirit, and entitled Dæmonologia Rubinzulii Silesii., 3rd edition, 12mo., Leipzig 1668.

The foregoing narrative is taken from Theil 1. s. 232—7.

 

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