On the estate of Säby, in the parish of Hassle, lived, in former days,
a gentleman so rich that he could have purchased half of the territory
of Vestergötland, but so miserly that he could not find it in his heart
to spend money for necessary food.
When he became aged, and knew that his life was drawing to a close, he
began to ponder what he should do with his wealth to prevent its
falling into the hands of people not akin to him, and finally he
arrived at what he thought a wise determination.
One Sunday, when the people of the house were all in church, he loaded
his gold and silver upon a golden wagon and drew it down to Säby Creek,
where he sank it in the deepest hole he could find. Reaching home
again, he felt more than usually content, and laid himself down upon
his bed, where he was found upon the return of the people from church.
When a treasure has been concealed seven years, the Red Spirit is said
to take possession of it, and it is then called “Dragon’s property.”
Over the spot where the treasure lies a blue flame is seen to flutter
at night time, and it is said the dragons are then polishing their
treasure.
When the seven years had passed the dragon light was seen over Säby
Creek, now for the first time revealing where the miser had deposited
his wealth. Many efforts were made to recover the costly wagon and its
load, but neither horses nor oxen were found with strength enough to
lift it from the hole.
About this time it happened that a farmer, returning from the market of
Skagersholm, where he had been with a load of produce, found quarters
for the night with an old man at Tveden. The evening conversation
turned upon the hidden treasure, and the many unsuccessful attempts to
recover it that had been made, when the old man instructed his guest to
procure a pair of bull calves, upon which there should not be a single
black hair, and to feed them for three years on skimmed milk, whereby
they would acquire the necessary strength to drag the wagon out of the
creek.
After great trouble the farmer was fortunate enough to find the desired
white calves, and he at once set about rearing them as instructed. But
one time the girl who had care of the calves accidentally spilled some
of the milk set apart for one of them, and, in order to have the pail
full, she replaced the milk with water and gave it to the calf as if
nothing had happened. Meantime the calves grew up on their excellent
food to large and powerful oxen.
When they were three years old the farmer drove them to the creek and
hitched them to the golden wagon. It was heavy, but the calves put
their shoulders to it, and had raised it half way from the hole, when
one of them fell upon his knees, and the wagon sank back to its old
resting-place. The farmer yoked them to it again, but just as the wagon
was about to be landed safely, the same bull fell to its knees a second
time, so it went time after time, until, finally, the owner saw that
one of the bulls was weaker than the other.
When the wagon sank back the last time a bubbling and murmuring came up
from the depths and a smothered voice was heard to mutter:
“Your skimmed milk calves can’t draw my wagon out.” Whereupon the
farmer understood that to trouble himself further would be useless,
since when no attempts have been made to secure the treasure.