The Hermit at the Sciliar Brook
...We don't know whether Franz was sad to have to leave his family. In any event, he had to obey his father. And so, he packed up all of his belongings and marched to Völs (Fiè) in the company of some market vendors from that village. At the farm, the boy – whom everyone now called by the nickname "Migg" – had to work hard in the stalls, in the fields, and in the woods. If he was ever scolded, Migg just smiled a little and said "Ya, ya!" and tried to do better next time.
During World War II, Migg had no choice but to leave Völs and emigrate to Austria. His simple but pleasant life on the farm was now over! In Austria, Franz worked as a farmhand and even helped out in some workshops, but he never overcame his homesickness. As soon as the terrible war was over, his first thought was to return home, so he found a traveling companion and made his way back home through the Brenner Pass. Upon arriving in Atzwang, Franz found out that his parents no longer lived there, so he continue to Völs, which is where he wanted to go, anyway. At the wayside shrine below the parish church, Franz – who was now a young man – gave thanks to the Almighty Father that he had been able to return home in one piece.
With the little bit of money left in his purse, Franz bought a few large buns at a bakery called the "Bäckn-Moidl" and a few dumpling sausages from the "Turmwirts" butcher shop and stuffed it all into his backpack. So now that he was well-stocked with provisions, he continued his march to Obervöls and from there to the Völser Weiher (a large pond.) From there, he plodded on to the "Tuff" meadow, where he was able to get some goat's milk to still his thirst. Because he couldn't spend the night there, Migg went on until he was right under the mighty Schlern Massive, finally arriving at the so-called "Wolf's Den." Franz still remembered from when he used to live here that there was a cave under a giant boulder. Franz was exhausted from the long march, and was eager to get some rest. So he gathered some twigs and moss and made a cozy little sleeping place for himself in the "Schlern Blood Cave." He lied down and tried to get some sleep. This is where Migg wanted to settle down for a while.
But after a few days, he had used up all of his provisions. So, whether he liked it or not, Franz would have to leave his nice little camping spot and go look for some food. He went to some nearby farms and begged for some food. And because of his friendly yet respectful manner towards the farmers, they always gave him some bread, eggs, and bacon. Sometimes, they even invited Migg to share a cup of wine with them. And Migg was always happy to oblige them!
Now and then, his friends Paul Foerster, Tony Rumpler, and Hans Hochnroaner and others would supply him with a little brandy, with sweets, or with a little snuff. So Migg passed his time quite pleasantly there, and the people in the area and the animals in the forest liked the small but solidly-built man with the cheerful face, the merry eyes, and the owl-like nose. Migg's clothing gradually became more and more worn and raggedy. He usually wore a long, black coat, wide trousers, and the same shirt, but his "trademark" that everyone always recognized was a broad-brimmed hat with a rooster feather stuck in it. And if someone asked for help with the hay harvest, lazy-bones Migg always answered: "Fa-la-la-la, I'm feeling poorly today."
As winter approached, Franz had to look for a suitable place to spend the coming cold months, and he found one a little farther down the valley in a low cave underneath a giant boulder in the Schlern Brook. In this cave – the so-called "Goat's Church" – Migg set up house. In the summertime, he usually fetched his lunch from the forest. He collected mushrooms and cooked them with bacon. For a salad, he ate water cress that grew wild on the banks of the brook. So Franz lived comfortably there for many years – until one day, something terrible happened.
One day, Migg had laid down for a little afternoon snooze. Suddenly, he was torn from his sleep by loud thunder. A terrific thunderstorm was rolling down over Völs and Schlern Mountain, and soon, hailstones began to pelt the ground. Water together with rocks and mud began gushing down the steep mountain. Poor Migg found himself trapped in his cave by the sliding masses. He trembled with fear. As the thunderstorm was finally over and the brook calmed down, the poor, frightened man grabbed his backpack, scrambled out of the cave, and fled towards the village of Ums (Umes). There, he looked for a place to stay on one of the farms, because he never wanted to return to the "Goat's Church." The end of the story about this peculiar fellow is quickly told. For a short time, he lived in a simple mountain refuge called the "Falzun Hut," but he soon grew sick and spent the remaining years of his life in good care at the old folks' home in Völs. The hermit of the Schlern Brook died at the age of 79 years on July 17, 1977.
During World War II, Migg had no choice but to leave Völs and emigrate to Austria. His simple but pleasant life on the farm was now over! In Austria, Franz worked as a farmhand and even helped out in some workshops, but he never overcame his homesickness. As soon as the terrible war was over, his first thought was to return home, so he found a traveling companion and made his way back home through the Brenner Pass. Upon arriving in Atzwang, Franz found out that his parents no longer lived there, so he continue to Völs, which is where he wanted to go, anyway. At the wayside shrine below the parish church, Franz – who was now a young man – gave thanks to the Almighty Father that he had been able to return home in one piece.
With the little bit of money left in his purse, Franz bought a few large buns at a bakery called the "Bäckn-Moidl" and a few dumpling sausages from the "Turmwirts" butcher shop and stuffed it all into his backpack. So now that he was well-stocked with provisions, he continued his march to Obervöls and from there to the Völser Weiher (a large pond.) From there, he plodded on to the "Tuff" meadow, where he was able to get some goat's milk to still his thirst. Because he couldn't spend the night there, Migg went on until he was right under the mighty Schlern Massive, finally arriving at the so-called "Wolf's Den." Franz still remembered from when he used to live here that there was a cave under a giant boulder. Franz was exhausted from the long march, and was eager to get some rest. So he gathered some twigs and moss and made a cozy little sleeping place for himself in the "Schlern Blood Cave." He lied down and tried to get some sleep. This is where Migg wanted to settle down for a while.
But after a few days, he had used up all of his provisions. So, whether he liked it or not, Franz would have to leave his nice little camping spot and go look for some food. He went to some nearby farms and begged for some food. And because of his friendly yet respectful manner towards the farmers, they always gave him some bread, eggs, and bacon. Sometimes, they even invited Migg to share a cup of wine with them. And Migg was always happy to oblige them!
Now and then, his friends Paul Foerster, Tony Rumpler, and Hans Hochnroaner and others would supply him with a little brandy, with sweets, or with a little snuff. So Migg passed his time quite pleasantly there, and the people in the area and the animals in the forest liked the small but solidly-built man with the cheerful face, the merry eyes, and the owl-like nose. Migg's clothing gradually became more and more worn and raggedy. He usually wore a long, black coat, wide trousers, and the same shirt, but his "trademark" that everyone always recognized was a broad-brimmed hat with a rooster feather stuck in it. And if someone asked for help with the hay harvest, lazy-bones Migg always answered: "Fa-la-la-la, I'm feeling poorly today."
As winter approached, Franz had to look for a suitable place to spend the coming cold months, and he found one a little farther down the valley in a low cave underneath a giant boulder in the Schlern Brook. In this cave – the so-called "Goat's Church" – Migg set up house. In the summertime, he usually fetched his lunch from the forest. He collected mushrooms and cooked them with bacon. For a salad, he ate water cress that grew wild on the banks of the brook. So Franz lived comfortably there for many years – until one day, something terrible happened.
One day, Migg had laid down for a little afternoon snooze. Suddenly, he was torn from his sleep by loud thunder. A terrific thunderstorm was rolling down over Völs and Schlern Mountain, and soon, hailstones began to pelt the ground. Water together with rocks and mud began gushing down the steep mountain. Poor Migg found himself trapped in his cave by the sliding masses. He trembled with fear. As the thunderstorm was finally over and the brook calmed down, the poor, frightened man grabbed his backpack, scrambled out of the cave, and fled towards the village of Ums (Umes). There, he looked for a place to stay on one of the farms, because he never wanted to return to the "Goat's Church." The end of the story about this peculiar fellow is quickly told. For a short time, he lived in a simple mountain refuge called the "Falzun Hut," but he soon grew sick and spent the remaining years of his life in good care at the old folks' home in Völs. The hermit of the Schlern Brook died at the age of 79 years on July 17, 1977.
