The Baker's Boy in the Karlsberg Hill
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| Geographic Coordinates: 49° 28' 47.65" N, 10° 59' 47.11" E |
One evening a baker’s boy from Fürth, who sold bread rolls in the area, approached the Kaiser-Karls-Berg hill. Beautiful singing of unknown voices emerged from the hill. The boy stopped to listen. Suddenly, a little, ancient man appeared who spoke with the boy in a friendly manner. The boy told him of his troubles, for he was unable to sell much and thus his earnings were pitifully small. The old one said: “Listen well, young one, bring me a basket full of bread right here into the mountain every morning. You will be able to see the entrance here at this spot, and can enter without fear.” The next morning the boy told his mistress that a large basket of bread had been ordered, took it, and carried it to the hill. And indeed he saw an opening through which he entered. Soon the little man walked towards him with a light and led him into a wide chamber, which was lit by a chandelier and where many armor-clad men sat around sleeping. Here, the boy put down the bread. The little man paid him with new coins and even gave him sixpence with the words: “You will be given this every day. But, if you talk of this to anyone, your life will be forfeit!”
On the second day the same occurred, and on the third as well. But on the fourth his mistress asked him who was getting the basket full of bread and paid with all this beautiful new coin. The boy spoke: “Be happy for getting the money, and do not ask any further.” But the mistress was not satisfied with this. She sneaked after the boy and saw him vanish into the hill. When he returned home, she said: “I know that you are carrying the bread into the Karlsberg hill. If you don’t immediately confess everything, you will be chased out of your service in disgrace!” The boy took fright and told how everything had occurred. The next morning he once again left with the bread rolls, but he did not return home and was never seen again. But, his clothes were found scattered here and there on the road towards the hill. Late-night wanderers have since heard wailing and weeping coming out of the mountain.
Source: Aufsberg - Sagen und Geschichten aus Mittelfranken, p. 28f