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Many ruined castles are to be found in Vosges du Nord, especially in the area around Niederbronn and Lembach. Two particularly interesting castles, those of Old and New Windstein, can be seen in Jägerthal, the Valley of the Hunters. One day, the son of a poor shepherd was playing near the ruins of Windstein Castle, throwing stones at the nearby rocks. Suddenly a fine young lad appeared whom the boy had never seen before; dressed in a magnificent velvet period costume, his handsome face was framed in curly blond hair and. Smiling to him, the lad said, "If you would like to play with me, come to the Castle." The young boy, delighted to have such a good-looking playmate, followed him into the ruins, and when they reached the top of the walls, the strange lad produced two ninepins and a bowling ball. He carefully placed the ninepins and taking the ball launched it against them knocking them down with a metallic ring. He turned to the shepherd boy. "It is your turn now." The boy took the ball, but it was so heavy he could hardly lift it. When he went to place the ninepins, he tried to pick up the first, but it slipped from his fingers and fell off the wall, rolling down the hill below. At the sound of the ninepin hitting the ground, the stranger disappeared. The shepherd boy searched for the ninepin he had dropped and found it lying in the grass. In spite of its weight he managed to carry it home. When he showed it to his parents, his father was amazed and delighted to discover its was made entirely of gold. The boy told them what had happened and the father immediately went to the castle with his son to try to find the other ninepin and the ball. They searched everywhere to no avail, but thanks to the precious gift, the lucky shepherd could now feed his numerous children and live a less arduous life. |
