10. The Guggi Shoemaker

Older people from Kippel still remember that there were many labourers in the village who worked on the "Stör". Three shoemakers once travelled together from house to house offering their services. They were always cheerful as they worked and told each other the most amazing ghost stories. One evening, it was Quatember day, one of the shoemakers suddenly asked if anyone could go up to the Guggialp today and mend a pair of shoes in the "Trimmernazi" hut. It was said to be a bit of a haunted place - a "Bozu", a ghost, had often been seen there on such days. After some thought, the second man said: "Whoever leaves today will get the most beautiful drinking cow in the valley. I'll make sure of that." The bravest of them all said: "Fine, I'll go! But you must bring me a saddled horse, a sharp sabre and a consecrated candle!"

The requested items were brought and soon afterwards he was on his way. Everything went well as far as Tennmatten. Here a branch suddenly hit him in the face and the horse also stopped. The shoemaker had the impression that something was creeping around in the thorny bush. He grabbed the sabre and struck the thorns with force. Then it shouted threateningly from the bush: "If you don't get riissends and blissends, gwichts and gwachsts, I'll tear you to shreds. But if you do go to the "Chluischteinen", I'll learn to spin you clean!" The ride continued past Ried and Blatten, and without meeting anyone else, horse and rider came to the "Chluischteinen". On both stones, between which the path to the Guggistafel passes, stood a fiery figure, which grew larger and more hideous the closer the cobbler rode.

The horse didn't want to go any further, but the shoemaker made the sign of the cross and said loudly: "Emal dr lebändig Tiifel wirscht äs deichen nid siin!" - and the ghost let him through. He tied up the horse in front of the Trummernazi's hut and entered. When he opened the parlour door, he was a little spooked and lit the candle, made a fire on the "Trächa" and started shoeing. As he was hard at work, he heard a noise outside and thought: "Now he's here, the ghost!" There was a knock at the window, the sash was pushed away, and then a face peered in like a pig's grind and the eyes flashed like fire. The shoemaker didn't let himself be disturbed and hammered in nail after nail. Soon the ghost was sitting next to him on the bench and began to rummage in his toolbox. Around each instrument, he asked the shoemaker: "What is this? And this? And this thing?" The cobbler gradually got too fed up and hit the ghost's cheeky paws with the cobbler's wood. As soon as the last nail was stuck in the soles, the cobbler got up and went to the fireplace with his provisions.The horse didn't want to go any further, but the shoemaker made the sign of the cross and said loudly: "Emal dr lebändig Tiifel wirscht äs deichen nid siin!" - and the ghost let him through. He tied up the horse in front of the Trummernazi's hut and entered. When he opened the parlour door, he was a little spooked and lit the candle, made a fire on the "Trächa" and started shoeing. As he was hard at work, he heard a noise outside and thought: "Now he's here, the ghost!" There was a knock at the window, the sash was pushed away, and then a face peered in like a pig's grind and the eyes flashed like fire. The shoemaker didn't let himself be disturbed and hammered in nail after nail. Soon the ghost was sitting next to him on the bench and began to rummage in his toolbox. Around each instrument, he asked the shoemaker: "What is this? And this? And this thing?" The cobbler gradually got too fed up and hit the ghost's cheeky paws with the cobbler's wood. As soon as the last nail was stuck in the soles, the cobbler got up and went to the fireplace with his provisions.

He roasted the cheese on the embers because he needed to fortify himself for the journey home. The parlour door was open, and out came the grimacing journeyman and sat down at the "Trächa". Just as the cobbler had done with the cheese, Bozu began to roast his heel on the fire. And just as the cobbler cut off the cheese, the strange ghost cut off his heel with the long cobbler's knife and said: "Do you want some?" - The cobbler replied emphatically: "I eat it and you eat it, everyone eats cheese! " When the ghost offered more of his fried heel, the cobbler ripped the knife out of his paw and stabbed him hard in the heel. An eerie howl and scream rumbled through the hut and the cobbler lost all desire to eat. He quickly packed up, jumped on his horse and galloped down the valley towards Kippel. For a long time he heard the cursing and howling of the Guggibozu, but he didn't look back and was soon back with his mates, who were already worried.

The goori gets down to business: You can win a lot with a healthy dose of courage ...