The Forging of the Emergency Hook
Once, an old man lived in Herkenrath near Bensberg who wanted to craft a Nothaken (“emergency hook”). This was an S-shaped, crooked hook, which the carters used to utilize in order to temporarily fix torn chains. If such a hook was hung beneath the cart, it was possible to transport the heaviest of loads. But this hook needed to be smithed from a piece of iron which someone used to hang themselves. While crafting it, the smith must not utter a single word, and fashion it “in one heat”. Whoever owned the emergency hook could not get rid of it. If they threw it away or gifted it to someone else, it would always return to its original owner.
The above-mentioned old man was busy at work when he looked up. Above himself, he noticed a huge millstone suspended by a thin thread. Afraid for his life, he hurried out of the smithy and no longer intended to proceed with this enterprise.
Source: Schell - Bergische Sagen, p. 302