The legend of Blümlisalp
Many years ago, there used to be rich pastures on the Blümlisalp
instead of the present potholes and glaciers. In those days, the
cows could be milked three times a day. This beautiful, flower-strewn
pasture belonged to a young dairyman who, together with his hersmen,
used to bring a large herd there every summer. He then took a wife
who led him astray. So she didn't have to walk on the sharp stones,
he built a staircase of heavy, golden cheese from the hut to the
cheese store, paved it with butter and washed it down every day
with milk. His old mother back down in the valley heard of this
arrogant behaviour and one day set off up the mountain to give her
son a piece of her mind. When she got there, she was exhausted and
thirsty and asked him for a drink of milk. While his wife looked
on and laughed, the wicked son offered his mother a basin full of
sour milk sprinkled with refuse. The horrified mother rose and put
a terrible curse on him: "May the mountain be covered with
ice, and may you, your Catherine and your herds be buried under
it!" No sooner had she left the alp than a large section of
the glacier broke away from the summit of the mountain, crashing
down on the lush meadows and burying the people, livestock and huts
in ice and eternal snow. Peoplesay you can still hear
back
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