The Unicorn Legend of Lunz am See - A Little Story

Old women from the Lunz area know that long ago, a unicorn is said to have lived by the Obersee! Every now and then, it would emerge from the cool shade of the forest, graze peacefully on the lakeshore, or bathe in the dark green water. Around noon each day, a bright cry would ring out from a crevice in the nearby Dürrenstein rock. The unicorn would answer the call. A beautiful woman would wait at the cave entrance. She would take a basket of golden apples, mount the unicorn, and ride to the Women's Cave near Lackenhof. Upon arriving there, seven lovely elves appeared and received the apples, which granted them eternal youth and beauty. One day, the son of a nobleman got lost while hunting by the Obersee and stumbled upon the unicorn. Fascinated by the wondrous creature, he wanted to take it home alive. He decided to observe it and wait for the right moment. When the unicorn trotted by again with its beautiful rider, he gave chase. The distance between rider and unicorn diminished, but as they reached the shore of the Upper Lake, the elf called out strange words across the water. As if by magic, the small island detached itself from the middle of the lake and drifted toward the shore. In a flash, the unicorn was on the saving island and drifted back toward the center. The young nobleman, however, could not drive his horse into the water. Enraged that he could reach neither the unicorn nor the elf, he shot them both with his crossbow. The unicorn sank mortally wounded to the bottom, and the elf began a mournful lament. That night, little miners emerged from the subterranean depths of the Dürrenstein with shovels and lanterns and prepared a grave for the unicorn on the floating island. Since then, no one has seen elves or miners in that region. The island, however, moves restlessly across the waters of the Upper Lake, especially during strong winds.