The Curious Man
The following legend was shared with me in Ischgl, the stately metropolis of the Paznaun valley.
An inhabitant of the same village had often heard of the processions of the Night Folk and their beautiful music. Perhaps he did not believe such reports, or perhaps he was merely curious. But once, during a late evening hour, he positioned himself to the left of the road of which he heard that it was frequented by the Night Folk, and waited for the things to come.
After a good while, he heard a great racket in the distance, accompanied by beautiful music. And soon, the procession of the Night Folk appeared: Ahead, there was a black man carrying a big sack on his back. Then a second man followed with a fiddle. Behind them, a heavily creaking wagon rolled, on which several black figures were standing. Finally, a bent, hunchbacked little man followed who also had a large sack on his back.
When the spectator had to laugh about this comical figure, the latter quickly hopped towards him, hit him on his shoulder joint with his flat hand, and spoke: “Here is a tree trunk, and I must strike my hatchet into this trunk!”, whereupon the hunchback quickly limped after the others.
But the man immediately experienced a violent pain in his shoulder joint. And no one, not even the best physician, knew a remedy for this. Finally, the poor man turned to the priest, bemoaned his situation, and also explained the incident to him during which he had received it. The latter advised him that he should return to the same road in the following year and at the same hour. However, he should position himself on the right side of the path, and in this manner he ought to be able to get rid of his pains.
The man did as the priest had advised him. And, like the first time, the Night Folk passed by under great din, and the little man making strange faces limped after them. Immediately, he ran towards the observer, hit him on the shoulder joint with the words: “Last year I struck my hatchet into this trunk, and this year I must take it with me again!”, and ran away. In an instant, the man’s pain in the shoulder joint was gone as if it had never been there, and he was able to return home healthy and happy.(*)
(*) Compare Vonbun-Sander, p. 36ff., Zingerle, Nr 15, 142.
Source: Hauser - Sagen aus dem Paznaun und dessen Nachbarschaft, p. 3f