The Golden Cradle
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.
Many years ago there died, on the estate of Sundshult, in the parish of Nafverstad, a child of illegitimate birth, which, because of this, was not christened and could not be accorded Christian burial, or a place in heaven, and whose spirit, therefore, was left to wander the earth, disturbing the rest and making night uncomfortable for the people of the neighborhood.
One time, just before Christmas, the parish shoemaker, on his rounds, was detained at the house of a patron, and, having much work before him, he was still sewing late into the night, when he was unexpectedly startled from his employment by a little child appearing before him, which said:
“Why do you sit there? Move aside.”
“For what?” asked the shoemaker.
“Because I wish to dance,” said the spectre.
“Dance away, then!” said the shoemaker.
When the child had danced some time it disappeared, but returned soon and said:
“I will dance again, and I’ll dance your light out for you.”
“No,” said the shoemaker, “let the light alone. But who are you that you are here in this manner?”
“I live under the lower stone of the steps to the porch.”
“Who put you there?” asked the shoemaker.
“Watch when it dawns, and you will see my mother coming, wearing a red cap. But help me out of this, and I’ll never dance again.”
This the shoemaker promised to do, and the spectre vanished.
The next day a servant girl from the neighboring estate came, who wore upon her head a red handkerchief.
Digging was begun under the designated step, and in time the skeleton of a child was found, incased in a wooden tub. The body was that day taken to the churchyard, and the mother, who had destroyed her child, turned over to the authorities. Since then the child spectre has danced no more.