Almost exactly one year ago i’ve been at an very old cabin in the deepest woods of Austria to do some research about TheVolk for an austrian magazine called WALD .

I’vee been there for four days keeping a daily diary about my adventures. The cabin was without electricity or a real bathroom, so this was an adventure itself.

But what i experienced there was really stunning, and the story of my adventures there is also the story about Baby Harry and how i found him or how he found me.

When the story was published in WALD magazine it was first: only in german and second: the pictures were quite small and black and white. So here, one year after, comes the colorful english version. I will split it into two parts, otherwise it might be too long. ENJOY!

DAY I:

I’ve heared a lot of strange story about this part of austria where there a only very small villages and the rest is forest, deep and dark. People always told storys about the hidden volk, the ones that make the milk sour, the neighbours baby die or scare your children when hiding under their beds at night. I’ve never been scared, i wanted to know more about them, so, when i was asked to go on an expedition i immediatly packed my stuff and went. I brought my special camera with me, in the past it showed that the little volk/the hidden ones cannot be captured with a “normal” camera, with mine, they can. Also i brought my special mask and my special dog, Lima The Wau. With the mask i am able to see the magic and Lima the Wau has a very special sense for the hidden ones.

DAY II

I heared strange sounds in the night, footsteps around the cabin and the sound of a distant singing. When i went outside (i know you shouldn’t do that when hearing strange sounds in the middle of the night. please don’t follow my example here) they were gone.

The sounds kept me awake the whole night long and when i stept a outside the next morning i found weird drawings on the cabin, also all the traps i set up were destroyed.

When i went down to the river (where the official “bathroom” was) i saw something scary behind me in the mirror.

I spent the afternoon with research in the old municipal office, looking for more facts. What i found was an old map with directions to “The sleeping tree” where there is allegedly the home of the hidden people. I couldn’t take it with me so i drew my own. I also found some old index cards with drawings and short specifications of, what the locals seem to call “The old Volk”

It was an exhausting night again. The noises kept us awake and also there were voices, distant whispers and something that sounded like a thunderstorm but i am quite sure that there was not even one cloud in the sky when i looked at it before going to bed.

But what i found in the morning was worth a thousand sleepless nights! When i checked the traps this morning i found a little creature sleeping inside, it fell asleep next to my biggest fear.