Late one evening, three inhabitants of Koerich were still sitting in an inn at Luxembourg. Two of them urged that they should leave before the city gates were closed. At last the third said:
“Just leave it to me. My wife is just now beginning to milk the black cow; before she’s finished, we’ll be home.”

The other two were delighted at this, emptied their glasses, and set off with him.

When they reached the glacis of the fortress, the third man said:
“Now put your walking sticks between your legs and repeat after me: ‘Over hedges and brushwood!’”

They did so. At once they rose as if on wings and rode on their sticks through the air with the speed of the wind.
On the way, one of them grew afraid of this uncanny ride, and as they were rushing past the church tower at Kehlen, he quickly grabbed hold of the cross—whereupon his stick shot away from under him.

There he hung, on the top of the tower, and the astonished inhabitants of Kehlen had to have him brought down the next morning over the slate roof.

Reported by schoolmaster Reyland of Koerich.