The golden carriage

A little below the Bürglalm in Dienten lies the Bürglloch. An ancient tunnel leads far into the heart of the mountain. And there - somewhere deep inside the mountain - golden treasures of inestimable value are said to lie. The people who lived near the Bürglloch have observed how sometimes, when the full moon was bright and round in the night sky, small mountain spirits appeared. Under groans and moans they pulled a golden cart to the entrance of the tunnel. The moonlight broke on the most beautiful and expensive treasures that the mountain spirits had piled on the wagon. Whoever can seize this desirable treasure from the people, they said, will be rich and happy all his life.

This legend came to the ears of two poor shepherd boys from Dienten. Quietly they crept up from the village towards the Bürglloch on a full moon night. The soft moss cushions muffled their steps as they slipped out among the dark fir trees. Somewhere a crow croaked. So they lay in ambush and waited. And indeed - when the full moon was directly above them, they heard it clattering and rumbling deep inside the mountain. When they finally heard the clatter of many small feet and the grinding sound of a heavy vehicle, they were convinced: Today the mountain spirits would come with their golden chariot! Then the one shepherd said to the other: "If it is God's will, then we will get this treasure! But the second made a derogatory gesture and said laughing, "Whether it is God's will or not - the chariot is already ours!
But no sooner had he finished his speech than a sharp bang came from his mouth. And faster than the shepherd boys could react, the drawbar of the wagon broke in two and he rattled back into the depths of the mountain with the gold. Under the squeaking and rattling, the boys thought they could hear the sneering laughter of the mountain spirits. For a long time the poor shepherd boys stood before the Bürglloch and looked into the impenetrable blackness of the tunnel. The mountain spirits with their golden chariot, but no one ever saw them again.