Rübezahl - German

High up in the big mountains, where the clouds looked like soft pillows, lived a mountain spirit. The wind whispered secrets through the tall, green trees. The spirit's name was Rübezahl. He was the guardian of the mountains. Rübezahl watched over the fuzzy squirrels and the little birds. He watched over the tall trees and the pretty flowers. This is the story of Rübezahl.

Rübezahl could change how he looked. Poof. He could be anything. Sometimes, he looked like a kind old man with a long, white beard. If someone was lost, Rübezahl would help them. He would leave shiny stones on the path to show the way. Go this way, go this way. A friendly deer might pop out from behind a tree. The deer would lead them home. But Rübezahl did not like mean people. If someone was greedy and took too many things from the mountain, he would play a little trick. He might turn their shiny coins into crunchy, dry leaves. He did this to teach them a lesson. Be kind to the mountain. Be kind to the animals.

For a long, long time, families have told stories about Rübezahl. They tell the stories by the warm, glowing fire. The stories remind everyone to be kind. Be kind to the big green forests. Be kind to all the little animals. The story of Rübezahl teaches us that the mountains are a magical place. We must take care of our world. If you go to the mountains and feel the wind whisper, whoosh, whoosh... maybe it's Rübezahl saying a happy hello to you.