One stormy autumn night, a few years after the death of Charles XII., a
ship containing a valuable cargo was wrecked on the island of Tjorn,
one of the group of islands on the coast of Bohuslän. Among other
things of value in the ship’s cargo were many articles of costly
jewelry, belonging to King Frederick I., which were being brought to
him from Hessia. The most costly, however, was a jewel inclosed in a
cradle made of pure gold and richly embellished with pearls and
precious stones, sent by a German princess to the king’s spouse.
The islanders, as was not unusual in those days, murdered the ship’s
crew, and, after it had been plundered of its cargo, scuttled and sunk
her, so that she was safely out of sight.
Among the priests upon the island was one named Michael Koch, pastor in
Klofvedal. He had a hint of the great crime that had been committed,
but, fearing the half-barbarous inhabitants, did not dare betray the
secret.
Some time after the ship had disappeared a fisherman came one day to
the parsonage and presented to the priest a walking stick of great
beauty of workmanship and value, which was a part of the cargo of the
plundered vessel. Koch accepted the gift, and whether he did not know
or did not care where it came from, took it with him, often displaying
it upon the streets. When, two years later, he went to Stockholm, as
representative to the Diet, King Frederick one day accidentally saw and
recognized it as his property. The priest, however, asserted that it
was his, and rightfully acquired. But the king could not be deceived,
and opening a heretofore concealed hollow in the cane, took therefrom a
roll of gold coins. This action attracted attention and aroused
suspicion anew that the ship had been plundered. It was not thought
that Koch had a hand in it, but, on the assumption that he knew
something about it which he ought to have revealed, and that he was
trying to conceal the deed, he was escorted from Stockholm.
Meantime further discoveries were made, until they led to finding that
the gold cradle was in possession of a peasant in Stordal. At the
king’s command, soldiers were at once dispatched to Tjorn to arrest the
criminals and, possibly, find the jewel. But the command was not kept
so secret that the peasant did not get an intimation of what was
coming, whereupon he hastened to bury the cradle in Stordal Heath.
Under guidance of a police officer the search was prosecuted in all
directions, but when the soldiers could not discover the object of
their search, they left the island and the offenders escaped.
Some years later the possessor of the cradle became sick. When he found
that his case was serious he sent for the priest, and confided to him
the whereabouts of his booty, and requested that as soon as he was dead
the priest should dig the cradle up and restore it to the king. Hardly
had the priest taken his departure when the sick man regretted his
simplicity. Gathering his little remaining strength, he rose from his
bed, and, with unsteady steps, crept out into the field and concealed
his buried treasure in another place. As soon as the man was dead, the
priest set out about fulfilling his commission. His digging was in
vain, the hidden treasure was not to be found. In his dying hour the
peasant had, apparently, endeavored to reveal the new hiding place, but
his strength was so near exhausted that his utterances could not be
understood.
To this day many of the dwellers on the island are fully persuaded that
Queen Elenor’s golden cradle may be found somewhere in the Stordal cow
pastures, and many have wasted much time and labor in the hope of
bringing it to light.