In the old castle – but not in the one where all the walls and keep are now; inside the very old one, there is now the four-cornered tower under the castle – there was once a wicked tyrant. I don’t know what his name was. When the sun was shining, he would go to the Lady’s Garden, beneath the castle, and watch to see if the peasants were working hard. If he found someone who wasn’t working, he wouldn’t stop scolding until he was nearly out of breath. Then he would climb up to the castle, and the peasants already knew what awaited them. They simply tied him to a walnut tree that stood in the middle of the garden and beat him until blood ran down. The strict lord would watch and laugh, enjoying the peasant’s struggles and wailing. It’s no wonder the people were relieved when the wicked lord died.

Afterwards, people used to enjoy walking in the castle and garden, but now and then they realized that not everything was well. At noon, precisely at twelve o’clock, a man regularly sat on the same walnut tree and laughed and sneered, bringing up what he had in his throat. The garden became overgrown because nobody wanted to work there anymore. About twenty years ago, the walnut tree was cut down, and when it fell, people heard a whisper: “Thank you, for finally releasing me from this place. For I had to wander by that tree until it was cut down, even if it took a hundred or more years.”

Such stories are not easily explained by the elderly. Some even say that there is a lot of money hidden if someone has the courage to dig under the walnut tree stump, but they don’t want to try it; but they don’t want to; because if you put it in a stick instead of a hardwood, then you’re finished.

Sutermeister, Swiss German.

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Better translations needed!- original Swiss-German:

295.Schloss Gräplang

Im alte Schloss – abr nit in dinem, wo jetz na all Mürä und Gwölbr sind; dinn vum ganz altä stoht nu meh dr säb viereckig Durä untrem Schloß – sei ämol ä bösä, stringä Zwinghärr gsi. We-n er gheissä hat, weiß mä nümä. Dar sei, wenn d’Sunne schü gschinä hei, in ‘s Fraugärtli chu, det untrem Schloss zuä, und hei gluagät, eb b’ Burä wagger schaffen. Hei ‘r dinn einä gsiä, dar nit gwärchät hat, bis ‘r fast umkeit ist, sa hei är ä uf ‘s Schloss bschiggt, und denn hei dr Bur schu gwüsst was Lands. Ma hat nä halt eifach an ä Nussbaum bundä, wo zmitts im Gartä gsi ist, und det usklopfet, bis ‘s Bluät über nä abigrunä ist. Dr Zwinghärr hei zuagluagät allimol und hei wagger mügi lachä, winn dr Bur äso zapplet und gwifflet hei, ‘S ist drum kei Wundr gsi, winn d’ Lüt ä fürchtigi Fröhni gsi sind, wo dr Zwinghärr gstorbä ist.

Nohi hat mä öbbe gära im Schloss und Gärtli gspaziert, aber no-u-nou hat mä gmerkt, dass do na nit alls subr ist; dinn z’Mittag ani Zwölsi sei regelmessig allimol ä Ma ufem fäbä Nussbaum gsi und Hai glachat und pfnüzerät, was er usm Hals usä brocht hei. ‘s Gärtli ist no-u-nou verwildät, wil niemäd meh hat wellä det härä gä schaffä. Vor öbbä zwinzg Iohra ist dr Nussbaum ghauä wordä, und wo-n ‘r gfallä sei, hei mä ä Gwitzg kört, und es hei nämär grüeft: “Vergelt’Z Gott, dass ‘r mi indli erlöst hind. Dinn i het müassä wandlä bi dem Baum, bis ‘r ghauä mordä wer, und winn’s au na hundert oder na meh Iohr duret hett.”

Aso altä Lütä chünnt mä diä Sag gär nit usredä; ja si sägn sogar na, es tet einä viel Gäld sindä, winn ‘r dr Muät het, dr säb nutzbäumi Stock uszgrabe; abr si möchten nit; dinn wümm mä-n an einzigs Mol statt in Härd in Stock schlu tet mit ‘m Wärchzüg, fä wer mä fertig.

Photo by Editor of Gräpplang Castle, 2021