The legend of the pearls of the Rhine
Source: Newspaper "Unkeler Reporter"

Erpel, a quaint village on the Rhine

After God created the earth he looked upon his work with joy. As a final thing he wanted to assign places to the people where they should work and live. He took a handful of black, silver, and golden pearls and put them into his pocket. Then he sat down in his golden sky-carriage and drove across the earth in the sky.

At every place he had made as a place of work he tossed a black pearl to the ground. Wherever he considered his work to be very felicitous he put down a silver pearl. And at the most beautiful places he laid down golden pearls with care.

When God took a break and looked down on earth deep in thought a golden pearl fell out of the lord's pocket through a little hole in the bottom without him noticing it. The golden pearl fell on the height of a hill next to a winding river, rolled down into the valley and hid under luscious green grass. When men now explored the earth they came to this rock at the river and felt that one of God's golden pearls must be hidden at this spot somewhere.

With lots of effort and the work of their hands they created this beautiful village, which has the name that every single one of us knows: "Erpel – the golden pearl on the Rhine".

Many generations came and went. They lived and worked here. And I believe that every single one of them was very happy about the little hole in God's pocket.

Renarrated by Willi Christmann († 2004)