The Little Men and the Alpenhorn
The Herdsman Hans
Many moons ago, nestled in the towering mountains of the Swiss Alps, there lived a herdsman named Hans. Hans spent his days tending to his cows, leading them to lush pastures, and ensuring they never strayed off and got harmed.
Once dusk fell, he would make his way to a big rock behind his chalet that overlooked the next mountain. He’d signal his beloved, Frieda, ensuring she was in good spirits. Hans would then retreat into his dreams, longing for the day when he and Frieda would have enough wealth to become man and wife. At times, he wished to voice his feelings to Frieda, but the deep valley that stood between them and the time it took to cross the mountain made it tough.
The Mysterious Visitors
One fateful night, Hans awoke to a peculiar sound originating from the room below his little wooden chalet. Pricking up his ears, he identified it to be voices—several men engaging in an animated conversation. Braving his fear of robbers, Hans crept down the stairs to identify the source of these mysterious noises.
Nearing the room, his eyes widened to witness a roaring fire with three strangely small men huddled around it. The men, dressed in long brown cloaks with white beards that touched their chests, were deep in their tasks. One stirred a big pot over the fire, another added what seemed like milk to the pot, and the third kept the fire blazing.
The Magic of the Alpenhorn
Hans was spellbound when he saw one of the little men draw a bottle from his pocket and pour its contents into the boiling milk. Another man picked up a long pipe-like object, an instrument larger than the man himself. Hans watched in awe as the little man put the horn to his lips, and a simple, rich, deep tune echoed around the mountain.
Hans was certain this was magic as he saw his cows gather at the doorway, seemingly answering the hypnotic music. He saw the first tiny man pour the boiling milk into three separate pails, each changing its color. One turned red, another green, while the milk in the third pail remained white.
A Life-Changing Decision
One of the little men, as if sensing Hans’s presence, beckoned him over and gave him a momentous choice. Each color signified a different outcome: green wealth, red strength, and white the ability to create mesmerizing music with the Alpenhorn. Hans, however, yearned to replicate the beautiful music that had resonated through the mountain valley. He followed his heart, choosing the white pail, and drank the magical milk.
The little man applauded Hans’s choice, revealing that neither wealth nor strength would bring him happiness, but the Alpenhorn would. The horn, he declared, would become a legendary communicative device for generations of Swiss mountain people.
Legacy of the Alpenhorn
Soon after, the three little men and the colored liquids vanished, leaving behind only the soft mooing of cattle. There stood the Alpenhorn by Hans’s door, waiting for him. Hans discovered he could play the mystic instrument flawlessly, filling his heart with joy and satisfaction.
News of Hans’s magical horn spread like wildfire. His cows responded to the horn’s melodies, always rushing to his call, thereby preventing them from getting lost. His beloved Frieda even had her signature tune to let him know when she urgently needed to see him.
The splendid idea of communicating with music soon caught on. Many followed in Hans’s footsteps, creating their own horns, and the beautiful melodies traveled from mountain to mountain, bridging the distance between people who could seldom meet.
Today, Swiss herders still use their Alpenhorn as an ages-old form of communication. The hauntingly beautiful melodies calling the scattered cattle back to the pasture continue to echo through the Swiss mountains, ensuring they never stray too far.