Pumphut

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Geographic Coordinates: 51° 47' 59.00" N, 14° 18' 10.00" E

1. Pumphut, who was a miller and a carpenter, once entered the employment of a miller as a journeyman. But he was treated so badly by the miller that he decided to do him harm. Thus, he used his magic so that a millstone which the miller had commissioned for his mill was too short by three feet. (from Sielow.)

2. Once, Pumphut walked back and forth in front of a mill. The miller finally noticed him and asked what he wanted. Then Pumphut asked him for work. But the miller refused him, and laughed at him. Pumphut grew angry over this and walked away. But he had not been gone for long when the journeyman approached the master and told him that the shaft had suddenly shrunk, and that he was unable to mill any more. Immediately, the miller suspected a prank from Pumphut, and ordered the journeyman to run after him and ask him to come back. The journeyman did so, and Pumphut returned. Then the master asked him to undo the damage which he had caused. Pumphut finally let himself be talked into doing so, took an axe, and struck against the shaft. Immediately, it had the same length as before. (From Branitz.)

3. Once, Pumphut met with a forester, and used his magic to cause a lot of hares to jump around the forester. No matter how often the forester aimed and shot at the hares, he never hit one of them. Then he realized that Pumphut had played this prank on him. But the forester was also versed in the magical arts, and thus he repaid Pumphut in the same manner. For when Pumphut had returned to his mill and wanted to grind flour, it occurred that a huge number of squirrels poured out of the opening of the millstones instead of flour. (From Sielow.)

4. Once, Pumphut was fishing at a lake, but it was prohibited to catch fish there. When the people in the next village noticed his activities, they forbade him to do so. And when he did not listen to the prohibition, the farmers wanted to capture him. However, when the farmers approached him, he walked across the water as if he was on firm land. As soon as he had reached the other side of the lake in this manner, he started to fish anew.

Then the farmers became angry, and decided to shoot him down. They fetched one of their best marksmen. He had to load his rifle, aim at Pumphut, and shoot. But as soon as the bullet flew, Pumphut merely lifted his leg, and the bullet passed beneath it. Then the farmers believed that lead would be unable to harm him, and thus wanted to try it with a silver bullet. This was done, but this bull was likewise unable to harm him, for Pumphut caught it with his hat. Then, he mocked the farmers and shouted: “Go on, shoot some more, for I could use these things!”

Now the farmers saw that they would be unable to harm Pumphut. Thus, they invited him to visit them. Pumphut indeed accepted this invitation. The farmers now gave him a lot to eat and asked him to teach them his tricks as well. But he did not do so, ate until he was satiated, and then moved on. (From Branitz.)

5. In truth, Pumphut is a large nixie. However, he does not like to live in the water, and mostly stays on land. (From Sielow.)

6. Pumphut was the greatest of all mages. It is because of him that the humans have become as depraved as they are. (From Branitz.)

7. Pumphut threw a hatchet at the tower in Mockrehna, where it is still visible. He then spoke: “The hatchet will remain up there as long as I live and am called Pumphut.” (From Branitz.)

Source: Veckenstedt - Wendische Sagen, Märchen und abergläubige Gebräuche, p. 86ff