Tradition: Luxembourgish Mythology
Alternative Names: The Little Gnome of Reckingen
Category: Dwarf
The Myth
The little elf of Reckingen was a small gnome who appeared to Peter, the son of a poor widow living near Mersch. The family had lost its farm horse and could no longer afford to replace it, leaving them unable to work their fields. Peter went to his uncle in Rollingen and asked to borrow his horse, hoping to save his family’s harvest, but his hard-hearted uncle refused. On his journey home to Reckingen, Peter walked sadly along the road until a little gnome approached him and asked why he was so unhappy.
When Peter explained that his family could no longer cultivate their fields, the little gnome offered to help. He instructed Peter to have his neighbors bring the necessary farming tools and seeds to whichever field he wished to sow first that evening. Peter followed his instructions and returned home. The following morning, he discovered that the field had already been completely plowed, sown, and harrowed.
The mysterious help continued day after day. Each evening Peter prepared another field with the tools and seeds as the gnome had instructed, and each morning he found the work finished. In this way, the little elf quietly cultivated every field belonging to the poor family, allowing the widow and her son to continue farming despite having no horse and no means to replace it.
Sources
“Das Wichtlein von Reckingen.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Luxemburg. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Reckingen.html