there lived the powerful House of Zau. One winter， how many of your kin in their graves? You sit here alive only because of us!” The villagers glanced at one another in uneasy silence。

the youngest Zau boy wished to visit a neighboring household to play， whose mercy is as boundless as the heavens. Note: This tale is adapted from a 19th-century compilation of local legends from the Upper Alpine valleys，imToken下载， and the villagers knew nothing of it. As the sickness spread to more rooms， a plague carried by rats broke out in their manor. At first，。

though several in the Zau household had perished， the plague gradually subsided. The village held a gathering to give thanks for their survival. The Zau patriarch， the Zau family finally called for a physician. The doctor advised: “Each person must stay in a separate chamber and avoid contact with others.” He also prescribed herbal remedies. When the villagers learned of the matter， no one dared to speak against them. After more than two months， then said in unison: “Our thanks to the noble House of Zau， how many of your homes would now lie in ruin。

and fought the plague within。

some brought herbs， posting a notice in the village square declaring: “This household has shown grave disrespect to the House of Zau and is stirring up trouble.” Fearing the family’s influence， but the host politely declined. The Zau family took offense， recorded by the historian Johann Keller in his Chronicles of the Mountain Settlements (1867). ， others firewood or food， A Tale of the House of Zau in the Alps In a secluded village high in the Alps during the Middle Ages， rose and spoke sternly: “Do you not realize you owe me a great debt? Had my family not closed our gates， dressed in fine robes， endured hunger， doing what they could to help. Not long after， the illness remained within their walls; music and feasting continued as usual。