Christian Chüng had to go up again to the alpine pasture from Weisstannen, a few days after the leaving, to look for a milking stool that he had forgotten. The Austrian wanted to go back home again, but the weather was so bad that he had to spend the night there. It all went to pot and he had to stay in a hut. The thing was, it got too boring for him so he closed the door and went up the ladder to the hayloft, and was going to pray the Lord’s Prayer but was so tired he fell asleep.

At midnight he didn’t know what was going on in the hut. He looked out and saw a couple of mighty men coming to the door. They slipped in, made a little noise, threw a heap of wood into the fireplace, lit the fire, hung the kettle over it and started to melt cheese, because there wasn’t a drop of milk in the cellar. Christian made no sound in the hayloft and none of the men threw a glance upwards.

When they were ready with their cheeses, they put a bowl full of whey on the table, and one of them looked up from the table and said: “Come on, Christian, and eat your whey with us!”

Christian was soaking wet with fear sweat and did not wipe it away. He climbed down the ladder. The man told the poor Christian: “If you didn’t pray the Lord’s Prayer before you went to sleep, you won’t need the Milking Stool!”

In one word, the reality blurred. Christian groped his way back to where he had been and then he fell asleep.

The next day, he woke, came down from the hayloft but had no sense of the whole strange business: no ghosts in the ground, no cheese nor whey and the door was left open, which he could have done himself last night. When he had recovered, he set off on his way home with his milking stool.

But he couldn’t appear again back in Weisstannen; that night he had become a grey shadow.

Albrecht, Memories

This translation can definitely be improved.

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259. Der vergessene Melkstuhl

Der Christa Chüng vu Wyssdannä ist eimol ä paar Tag nou der Abfahrt us der Alp wider uffi, na gschwing ä vergässnä Mälchstuel ge houle. Wiener der glich Oubet wider ahä will, chunt-a-fürchtigs Wätter, asser dijoub hät müesse-n-übernachtä. Es ist alls gsieh we usgstorbä und müslistill in der Hüttä. Das Ding ist em gli z’langwilig wordä; er verrigglet d’Tür und gout dur ds’ Leiterli uffi uf d’ Tril ins Heulager, bättet-n-Vaterunser und schlouft denandernou i; er ist müed gsi. Gage Mitternacht köürt er nämmes in der Hütte nidä. Er schielet ahi und gsieht ä paar mächtig Manä zur Tür ihä chu. Sie schlund Für, machend Liächt, wärfend ä Hufä Holz in d’ Fürgrueb, zündens a, hinggen ds’ Chessi über und fangend a cheisä, wewoll, kei Tröpfli Milch mei im Chäller gsi ist. Der Christa hat kei Schnüfti tuä uf der Tril, as me nä nit merggi. Es häl aber keinä kei Bligg uffi gworfä. We si grä gsi sind mit Cheise, stellen si ä Muttlä voll Schottä-n’uffä Tisch, und eine lueget gäget Tril uffi und rüeft: “Se, chum jetz ahä, Christä, und iss mitis Schottä!” Der Christä-n-ist bachnass gsi vu Angstschweiss und hät si nit verbräut. Duä köürt er einä dur ds’ Leiterli ufächu. Där gglaret di armä Christä-n-a wenä gstochnä Bogg und seit: “Winn du vorem Ischloufe kei Vaterunser bättet hettist, bruchtist der Mälchstuel nümmä!” Uf eimoul ist Für und Liächt we usblousä. Si tappend wider ussi, we si chu sind, und der Christä-n-ist vor lutter Müedi wider igschloufä. We der Tag afout lütterlä, erwachet er, stigt ahä vu der Tril und hat kei Spürli vum ganze Spedaggel meih gsieh, kei Gneistli Für in der Grueb, kei Chessi, weder Muttlä na Schotiä und d’Tür iwindig verrigglet, wes är nächtig selber gmacht ka hät. Wiener si affä-n-ä chlei erhoult ka hät vu dem Schreggä, macht er si ufe Heiwäg mit sim Mälchstuel. Z’Wyssdannä nid hindse schiär nimmä bschinnt; si Hour sind di sälb Nacht chatzgrau wordä.
Albrecht, Erinnerungen