The Legend of the Discovery of the Springs of Soultzbach [Soultzbach-les-Bains / Haut-Rhin / France]

A shepherd was grazing his flock on a slope of the Oberfeldwald, not far from the place where the village of Sulzbach was later built. His cattle were in excellent condition, but above all there was one cow of fine build and a clean, shining coat that was especially dear to him for that reason. He noticed that whenever the other cows had lain down after grazing, this favorite still went off into the forest, then after a short while came back in lively leaps to lie down with the others. One day he followed her and saw her drinking eagerly from a little stream that sprang from a rock whose crumbling stone was coated with a brownish-yellow rust color. He too drew a drink from the spring, whose water seemed tart but very strengthening. News of this refreshing spring soon spread through the whole valley. It was then enclosed in a basin, and thus arose the baths of Sulzbach, especially much frequented in the last century and, for some years now, once again well visited.