Lays and Legends of Various Nations/Germany Part 3/Legends of Rubezahl/Rubezahl Changes Himself into a Spear

by Johannes Praetorius, edited by Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching

RUBEZAHL CHANGES HIMSELF INTO A SPEAR. [G]

It once happened, that a messenger vexed or put some trick upon Rubezahl, who thereupon revenged himself, in the following manner, and so whetted out the notch.^[1]

The messenger, in one of his journeys over the mountains, entered a hotel to refresh himself, and placed his spear as usual behind the door: no sooner had he done so, however, before the roguish sprite carried off the spear and transformed himself into a similar one, and took its place.

When the messenger, after taking his rest, set forth again with his spear, and had got some little way on his journey, it began slipping forward every now and then, in such wise that the messenger kept pitching forward into the most intolerable filth, and getting himself sadly befouled. For indeed so often did it happen, that the churl at last could not tell for the soul of him, what had come to the spear, or why he kept slipping forward with it, instead of seizing fast hold of the ground.

He looked at it longways and sideways, from above, from underneath, but in spite of all his attempts, no change could he discover.

In the meanwhile, he went forward a little way, when suddenly he was once more plunged into the morass, to cry, ‘woe is me, and wala wa,’ at his spear, which led him to such scrapes, but did nothing to release him from them. At length, he got himself once more to rights, and then turned the spear the wrong way upwards. But no sooner had he done so, than he was driven backwards instead of forwards, into the mud, and so got into a worse plight than ever.

After this, the silly fellow took the spear across his shoulder like a pikeman, when he found it was of no use to trail it upon the earth, and in this fashion he started forth like a true knight. But still the merry knave Rubezahl continued his vexatious tricks, by pressing on the messenger, as though he had got a pair of heavy yokes upon his back, and throwing his troublesome burden first on one shoulder and then on the other, until at last, the poor fellow, from very weariness, threw away the bewitched weapon, in the name of the Evil One, and went his way without it.

But he had not ridden above a quarter of a mile thus unspeared, when looking carelessly about him, lo and behold, there lay his spear beside him; sadly he was frightened at the sight, and little did he know what to make of it. At last he boldly ventured to lay hands upon it; he did so, and lifted up the spear, though he knew not how to carry it. To rest it on the earth, he had no longer any desire; the thoughts of carrying it on his shoulders, made him shudder; nothing therefore remained but to hold it in his hand, so that it would drag after him along the ground.

But, fresh troubles here arose; it weighed so heavily that he could not stir a foot from the spot, and though he tried first one hand and then the other, he found no difference, it still kept up the same tune. At last, he bethought him of another fashion, that is to say, to ride upon it, as a child bestrides a stick; and in this manner it went on as if it had been greased, that is to say, he ran away with all speed, felt no sense of weariness, and thought no otherwise than that he had a good fleet horse under him. Thus mounted he rode forth without ceasing, until he descended from the mountain into the city, and excited the wonder, delight, and laughter of the worthy burghers.

Although the messenger had endured some trouble in the early part of his journey, he was at all events at the close amply compensated, and then he even comforted himself still more, by making up his mind that in all future journeys, which he was destined to perform, he would for the better performance bestride his nimble spear.

But his good intentions were frustrated, for Rubezahl had played his game, and had all the amusement he intended with the poor knave; accordingly he scampered away, brought unnoticed in his place the real spear, which never played any more tricks, but after the old fashion of other spears, accompanied its master in a becoming and orderly style.

Note.—This wild and ludicrous adventure is likewise from Prætorius. The broomsticks of all true witches, here find their counterpart.

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1. Die scharte auswetzen—to whet out the notch, is a phrase corresponding with the English, ‘to wipe out the score.’