Every pro and con was carefully argued, but to no avail.  At last in desperation the nobleman implored assistance from the Enemy of Mankind, who, hearing his name invoked, and scenting the possibility of gaining a recruit to the hosts of Tartarus, speedily manifested his presence, promising to build the castle in one night if the nobleman would grant him the first living creature who should look from its windows.  To this the nobleman agreed, and upon the following day found the castle awaiting his possession.  He did not dare to enter it, however.  But he had communicated his secret to his wife, who decided to circumvent the Evil One by the exercise of her woman’s wit.  Mounting her donkey, she rode into the castle, bidding all her men follow her.  Satan waited on the alert.  But the Countess amid great laughter pinned a kerchief upon the ass’s head, covered it with a cap, and, leading it to the window, made it thrust its head outside.

Satan immediately pounced upon what he believed to be his lawful prey, and with joy in his heart seized upon and carried off the struggling beast of burden.  But the donkey emitted such a bray that, recognizing the nature of his prize, the Fiend in sheer disgust dropped it and vanished in a sulphurous cloud, to the accompaniment of inextinguishable laughter from Rheingrafenstein.

Ruedesheim and its Legends

The town of Ruedesheim is a place famous in song and story, and some of the legends connected with it date from almost prehistoric times.  Passing by in the steamer, the traveller who cares for architecture will doubtless be surprised to mark an old church which would seem to be at least partly of Norman origin; but this is not the only French association which Ruedesheim boasts, for Charlemagne, it is said, loved the place and frequently resided there, while tradition even asserts that he it was who instituted the vine-growing industry on the adjacent hills.  He perceived that whenever snow fell there it melted with amazing rapidity; and, judging from this that the soil was eminently suitable for bringing forth a specially fine quality of grape, he sent to France for a few young vine plants.  Soon these were thriving in a manner which fully justified expectations.  The wines of Ruedesheim became exceptionally famous; and, till comparatively recent times, one of the finest blends was always known as Wein von Orleans, for it was thence that the pristine cuttings had been imported.

But it need scarcely be said, perhaps, that most of the legends current at Ruedesheim are not concerned with so essentially pacific an affair as the production of Rhenish.  Another story of the place relates how one of its medieval noblemen, Hans, Graf von Brauser, having gone to Palestine with a band of Crusaders, was taken prisoner by the Saracens; and during the period of his captivity he vowed that, should he ever regain his liberty, he would signify his pious gratitude by causing his only daughter, Minna, to take the veil.