Not far from the small town of Lochem and the even smaller village of Zwiep, the Hill of Lochem can be found. On top of the Hill of Lochem there is a deep pit; it's the place where the ghostly "Witte Wieven" or White Women dwell, known to the locals as the White Women's Pit.

In Zwiep, just beneath the Hill of Lochem, there once lived a very wealthy farmer called Teunis. He was the owner of a large estate, containing vast farmlands, fruitful meadows, and a huge farmhouse. He did not have any sons though, just one daughter, a gorgeous girl called Johanna. She was in love with Albert, a handsome fellow, but unfortunately the son of a poverty-stricken dirt farmer. Johanna's father didn't want to have anything to do with this poor boy. He favoured a much better candidate for his daughter, Hendrik. Although he was a dull beanpole, he was at least the son of a well-to-do farmer. One day the father told Johanna that she was no longer allowed to see her beloved Albert. Worse still, she was grounded.

Imagine Albert's sorrow. One dark evening, he rode his horse up the Hill of Lochem. His mother used to warn him, "Don't go anywhere near that pit, my boy. These White Women do not want to be disturbed." However, in his current state of mind the warning did not bother him anymore. The only thing he could think of was Johanna.

Distracted by his own sad thoughts, he dangerously approached the edge of the pit, which nobody knew the depth of. Suddenly he sat straight in shock, as he realized that he had almost fallen into the abyss. At the very last moment, the white spirits – screaming like demons – took hold of Albert and his horse, dragged him down to a wood-path, and chased him off.

Once home, Albert told about his nocturnal journey and his miraculous rescue. He asked his sister Aaltje to bake the most delicious gingerbread she could make. Out of gratitude for his rescue, Hendrik returned to the hill and left the gingerbread behind on a dish.

Meanwhile, Johanna told Hendrik that it would never work out between them. Her father, however, was not ready to give up so soon, and he came up with a cunning plan. It was a suitor test. At night, by the light of the moon, both Albert and Hendrik had to drive up the hill and throw a whetting anvil [1] into the White Women's Pit. The first one to return would be allowed to marry his Johanna. Albert knew that he would not stand a chance, because Hendrik owned a much faster horse. However, as soon as Hendrik entered the dark woods, he almost fouled his pants for fear. He threw the whetting anvil between some bushes and flew in terror.

Albert, on the other hand, went up the hill fearlessly and stopped at the edge of the pit. With an elegant swing he threw the iron tool into the depths and called out, "White Women, hereby I bring you the whetting anvil." [2]

Branches of the trees started to rustle in the wind; a dark cloud took the light of the moon away. White mist arose from the depths of the pit. Then there was the increasing sound of terrifying screams. Swiftly, Albert turned his horse and fled. One of the screeching White Women, who had caught the whetting anvil, started chasing him.

As he watched behind him, Albert looked into a pair of fiery eyes. The horseman rode for his life. By taking giant steps, the White Woman managed to catch up with him and clasped his neck with her chilly fingers. Albert roused his horse to speed up even more and released himself from the strangling hand.

Fortunately, in the distance he could distinguish the farm. Johanna was already waiting for him impatiently. She had opened the door of the barn for him and turned on the lights. The pounding of the hooves of Albert's horse swiftly came nearer and nearer. Then the snorting horse rushed inside over the threshing floor. With a mighty effort, Johanna immediately closed the heavy door of the barn, just before the White Woman could slip in. Emitting the most dreadful cries, and blinded by her own anger, the White Woman threw the whetting anvil in Albert's direction, but she missed her target. A moment later the iron tool vibrated in the wooden door. Albert and Johanna embraced each other with tears in their eyes.

Johanna's father kept his promise. He organized a splendid wedding for the happy couple and invited the whole family and the entire neighbourhood.

The day after the wedding party, Albert found a whetting anvil near the outer wall of the farm. It lay in a dish, exactly like the one with the gingerbread, which he had brought to the pit out of gratitude. What was this, then? Albert could not believe his eyes. The whetting anvil and the dish were made out of solid gold! So the White Women were well-disposed towards them after all, and the young couple lived happily ever after.