Legend of the Stauffen
Between Baden and the Rhine the ruins of the Castle Stauffen, or the Stauffenberg, furnish one of the traditions of the Black Forest. The Lord of Stauffen Castle, like other lords of his day, found diversion in hunting. One day, returning from the chase, he alighted at a spring of limpid water by the wayside, and found a beautiful maiden sitting on its brink. He entered into conversation with her, and soon fell violently in love. He engaged to meet her again at the fountain, and it is needless to say how many times the lord of the castle visited the spring, or the conversation that ensued.
When he finally summoned courage to seize her hand and confess his devotion, the maiden fixed her tender eyes upon him, and said with seriousness, "I am not of the race of humankind. I am a child of the waves. I belong to beings who never give their hands without their hearts. If you wed me, your fidelity must be as pure as the water of this fountain and as strong as the steel of your sword. A single breach of constancy will inevitably cause your speedy death and my eternal sorrow, for our loves and our sorrows are everlasting."
The lord of the castle hesitated not a moment to promise all that was required of him, and the wedding was fixed for the morrow. On the morning of his wedding day Lord Stauffen was amazed to find in the salon of his castle three superb vases--one filled with gold, another with silver, a third with diamonds.
Soon after appeared his lovely bride in magnificent attire; the vases were her dower.
Taking her lover aside, she again cautioned him to reflect upon what he was about to do: "Remember that if you are not constant in your affection my person will become invisible to you, except one foot, as a reminder of your crime, and no power upon earth can save you from a speedy death." He only embraced her with renewed vows of constancy and devotion. They were married days and months rolled on into years without any diminution of their happiness; but war broke out with France, and the lord hastened to defend, with others, the boundaries of the Rhine. Lord Stauffen soon distinguished himself by his bravery, and at one time saved the life of the Duke of Baden, who in gratitude offered him his daughter in marriage. He was flattered with the honor of an alliance with so illustrious a house, but felt obliged to relate the history of his marriage. The Duke forbade him, as a Christian, to hold any further converse with fairies, who were too often but demons in disguise. Lord Stauffen was persuaded, and the marriage was to be celebrated in a fortnight. On the evening of the last day, while at dinner in the Duke's country house, his eyes were suddenly riveted to the wall, where a beautiful shoeless foot protruded itself. Then a messenger arrived in haste to tell Lord Stauffen of the disappearance of his beautiful wife. Seized with horror, remembering her words, he left the table, ordered his horse, and plunged into the Rhine en route for his castle; but before he was half across a sudden storm arose, and the horse plunged and threw his rider, who was never seen or heard of again. But it is said that on the ruins of the Stauffen the beautiful foot never fails to appear on every anniversary of their marriage day.