The Three Brothers of Zellerfeld.
There once lived three brothers in Zellerfeld who were hunters. They went together one day hunting to the Schalk, when the youngest saw three partridges, and shot at one of them.
He thought he had struck the bird, but it flew away, and he followed it to the top of the mountain where it disappeared.
The young hunter searched the spot carefully where the bird had vanished, and found an opening, which he marked, and then went back and called his two brothers.
All three entered the opening, and came soon to a large room containing a well-served meal on the table, and chairs placed ready.
The three seated themselves, ate, drank, and found all excellent.
After they had partaken of the repast, three beautiful ladies in rich attire entered, and told the brothers they were accursed and doomed to remain for ever under the earth. But if they would remain there three years without seeing the light of day, they would be released.
The ladies promised them the best table during the time, and conducted them to see their treasures, and pointing out three casks filled with gold, promised each one.
They also told them they must now become black, and would only visit them once a year, exhorted the brothers to firmness, and left them.
At the end of the first year they returned; they were become somewhat whiter.
At the next visit, at the end of the second year, they were grown still whiter. They exhorted the brothers earnestly to perseverance and again left them.
The first half of the third year passed happily, but in the last half the eldest brother grew impatient, and asked: "Why should we remain here any longer?"
But the younger reminded them of their promise. At last the second brother became undecided and restless, and finally the two resolved to remain no longer.
They threatened to murder the youngest if he would not accompany them, and to save his life he yielded to their entreaties.
At the proposal of the eldest, they took as much of the gold as they could carry with them.
They reached Zellerfield with their wealth, agreed to keep all a secret, and began to live in luxury, each taking to himself a wife.
The two elder brothers soon squandered all, but the youngest avoided their extravagance.
The two elder, having lost all, determined to return to the treasure in the mountains, and compelled the youngest to go with them.
They entered the familiar chamber with the table and chairs, but all was changed.
Every object was draped in black, and on the table stood three mourning lamps.
The three ladies entered, now coal-black, and silent, and sad; they were followed by three men, who cried, pointing to the eldest brother, "Thou perjured rascal!" seized him, quartered him, and packed him in a barrel, likewise the second.
The youngest looked on in terror; but the ladies exclaimed, "Thou art a true friend, and innocent. Take what thou wilt and go home. But we must remain here until we find three rescuers."