The Fair Lau of the Blue Pool

In the depths of the Blautopf lived the fair Lau, a half-goddess of the line of Danube mermaids. Her hair was green as water-plants, her eyes blue as mountain lakes, and her tail glittered with silver scales. Her mother was a human woman, her father a river-spirit of the Black Sea.

The Blautopf was joined by underground passages to the Danube, so Lau had the whole world of waters at her disposal. Yet she was unhappy. Her husband, a grim merman, had cursed her: until she could bring a living child into the world, she might not leave the Blautopf. Four children she had borne, and all four had come into the world dead.

Lau had grown so heavy-hearted that she could no longer laugh. Her tears mingled with the water of the Blautopf, and those who stood at the edge of the spring sometimes heard a deep sigh rising from the earth. She grew thinner, her scales lost their shine, and the people of Blaubeuren found dead fish floating on the surface of the spring at dawn.

A wise woman, who knew the ancient sayings, made a revelation: only when Lau learned to laugh again would she be healed, and only then would her body find the strength to bear a living child. But how could a gloomy mermaid princess, prisoner in a deep spring, be brought to laugh?

The hostess of the inn “Zur Nonne” at Blaubeuren had already heard of the fair Lau. She was a merry woman, full of Swabian good cheer, and she ventured to the Blautopf. She called Lau by her name, and the water-princess swam up, pale and silent.

The hostess invited her to her table: at the Blautopf they sat together, while the hostess told jokes, played the fool, mimicked all the foolish habits of the Blaubeuren peasants, and sang mocking songs with her daughters. At first Lau only drew her lips together. Then a slight smile appeared. And after hours, suddenly: a bright peal of laughter, ringing across the surface of the spring like silver rain.

From that day on Lau visited the hostess every evening. She learned to laugh until she was healed, her scales shone again, and her cheeks blushed. Then she bore a child, a daughter, living and strong. The curse was broken.

But her imprisonment too was lifted. Lau took leave of Blaubeuren, gave the hostess a small golden casket for her hospitality, and slipped through the underground passages to the Danube, to her old father. The Blautopf remained behind, blue and still. Some say she still returns in summer; the lucky listener may hear a deep laugh from the spring, once and never again.