After exploring the station, we continue walking along today’s cycle path, where the train once travelled. The route passes beautiful meadows and smells of summer. Water sparkles in the small streams beside the path, and dragonflies fly above them. It is quiet, almost too quiet.
Suddenly, something rustles in the bushes. A dark shape moves.
“The Kropemann,” whispers Emil.
Grandma nods. “People say he lives in the water and warns children when they get too close to the riverbank.”
We quickly step back. Then we realise it was only a branch.
We laugh, and Grandma gently strokes Emil’s head. “Soon we’ll visit the Kropemann Festival in Redange. It’s a wonderful street festival, and you’ll get an ‘Eisekuch’ (waffle)! Then the fear of the Kropemann will quickly disappear.”