On the north side of the Kaiserpfalz (Carolingian Imperial palace now in ruins) in a deep valley stands the Ploetz Mill. The spring rises there which has been capped and flows through a pipe. Whoever drinks from this spring at midnight on Christmas Eve, enjoys wine instead of water.

Once there a was a man who doubted this happening. To his surprise real wine ran from the well, and he exclaimed, "It truly does flow with wine!" At once the wine disappeared and the spring flowed with water as it does on every other day of the year.

It was winter. A Spanish regiment was in winter quarters at Erlenbach near Bewartstein Castle. In the house of the burgermeister sat a Colonel with his officers, and men, drinking wine. The serving girls were kept busy refilling their glasses. Finally the burgermeister had to announce that his wine barrels were dry.

"You dog!" shouted the soldiers, and the look on the Colonel’s face bode no good. The householder stumbled down the cellar stairs, fearing the worst. In the cellar stood the Little Witch, a village orphan the burgermeister had taken into his family and raised. She understood more about herbs and healing plants than anyone else in the village.

"Give me the jug," she cried. "I’ll help you. The well in the courtyard will be flowing with wine as it is Christmas Eve."

"Don’t go! The wolves will get you! There’s no wine in that well!" pleaded the burgermeister.

The Spaniards heard the rumpus and looked out of the window. They saw the Little Witch fill the jug and return with it full of wine. They had seen the miraculous well in action.

Out of pure envy, the Colonel drew is pistol and fired. The jug lay shattered, and the wine flowed blood red on the floor. The Little Witch left the room, saying, "Someone will die!"

The soldier grabbed another jug and ran out to the well before the burgermeister could stop him. "The wolves!" he cried. "Don’t you see the wolves by the well?" He turned to the Colonel. "Shoot at them!"

A shot rang through the night, followed by a scream of death agony from the soldier. He and the wolf lay dead by the well. Since then, no Palatinate wells have run with wine on Christmas Eve.

Note: this legend contains several interesting elements. The Spaniards in question are enemy troops that devastated the Palatinate several times during the Thirty Year’s War (1618-1648) and later in the century. In fact, the devastation was so complete that the area was depopulated and wolves returned. The soldier rushing out to the well is the familiar "insult" to a miraculous well that causes it to lose its special powers.

Bewartstein Castle was slighted during the Thirty Year’s War, as were all the Palatinate castles, but has been restored and is fascinating to visit. There are also various ghost stories attached to it. Erlenbach is a village near it.