This is one of the most curious ghost stories. Once, the schoolmaster in Flums heard a peculiar murmur on the street around midnight, like a prayer from a mighty crowd of people. He got up, still in his nightshirt, and jumped to the window. What did he see? A long, long procession of deceased Flums residents, here and there one of the still living among them! The murmur came from the painful rosary that the entire procession was reciting. Among the front, he recognized many old acquaintances. The further back in the procession, the stranger and more unfamiliar they became. At the front, he saw the old, black Flums flag, the cross, the little ghost, and next to the sexton himself, still in his nightshirt and with the window latch around his neck. Everyone was praying without looking around. From the prayer, he understood nothing but: ‘… And deliver us from evil, Amen!’ The one who saw it soon fell ill and died like the others who were among the still living.

Albrecht, Memories.

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340. ‘s Nachtvolch

Das ist eini vu dä korjousiste Geistergschichtä. Es hät ämoul der Schuelmeister z’ Flums gäge Mitternacht e sou ä-n-eigetümlis Gmurmel köürt uf der Gass nidä wienä Gibätt vunerä mächtigä Schar Lüt. Är uuf, schläft nu in des ei Housebei, springt ans Pfister, und was gsieht er? Ä langi, langi Prozäsiu vu gstorbnä Flumserä, dou und döt einä vu dä na Läbenda derunder! Das Gmurmel ist vum schmärzhafte Rousekranz chu, wou der ganz Lichäzug hättet hät. Under de vorderä hat er vil alti Bikannti ussägfunda. Je witer hindert im Zug, desto fründer und ubikannter sins’ em wordä. Vorne hät er der alt, schwarz Flumserfahnä gsieh, ds Chrüz, der Geischtli und näbet dem Messmer ihnä sälber, nu im einä Housebei und ds Pfisterläuferli am Hals. Alls hät bättet uhni ummi-z’luegä. Verstandä heigmä vum Gibätt nüt as: „. . . Und erlöusis vor em Übel, ammä!” Där, wous gsieh hät, ist gli druf erchrangget und gstorbä wiä die anderä-n-au, wou vu dä noch Läbendä derunder gsi sind.

Albrecht, Erinnerungen.

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