The mountain spirit who ruled over the silver mines of Markirch once had much dealings with human beings and showed them kindness and generosity, but in return he reaped nothing but ingratitude.
One day, after seeing the beautiful daughter of a miner, he asked for her love; but she rejected him, and from that day on he withdrew into the heart of the mountain and caused all the shafts to collapse, so that the mines ceased to operate.
He appeared only one single time thereafter: he gave the girl a rose delicately fashioned in silver and then vanished forever.
This silver rose, which is said to remain to this day in the possession of the girl’s descendants, though kept by them as a secret and shown to no one, opens whenever good fortune is about to come to the family and closes whenever misfortune is about to befall them. It is further said that the spirit may still often be heard hammering in the mountain, and that one day he will reopen the rich silver veins.
