The Story of the Post Coachman
The Post Coachman knows everyone in the wider area. And everyone knows him. The Post Coachman is very dutiful. Never before has he violated the Code of Honor of stagecoachmen: every letter entrusted to him, he delivers.
Every day, the Post Coachman makes his rounds with the stagecoach. At the White Castle Coach House, he then lets his horses drink. One day he meets the young baroness there. She can sing beautifully and the Post Coachman is immediately enchanted by her. Delighted, she tells him that she has been selected for the Music Competition of the Abbey of Capelle of Kaatsheuvel. Now we are waiting for the score of her singing!
The stagecoach driver is immediately alarmed. A few days ago, a mysterious black form gave him a letter to deliver to a famous musician. The musician happily accepted the letter and snatched it open. But the joy turned to terror. The musician read softly: "Whoever sees this score is forever damned. This is the Danse Macabre, this is the Dance of Death!"
Oct. 10, 1876. In the village, the Post Coachman prepares his carriage for his round. He harnesses his white horse Stampfoot and his black horse Nightmare. Nightmare nervously waves her head from side to side. The Post Coachman is just about to get on the buck when suddenly the black form reappears with a letter in his hand. The Stagecoachman knows: if I accept this letter, I must deliver it. For a moment he hesitates. The figure approaches... One yellow and one blue eye light up. The Stagecoachman takes flight.
He races out of the village, past the horse pastures where the other horses whinny restlessly. Nightmare keeps pulling the carriage to the left. And Stampfoot then pulls to the right. Almost they end up in a fens.
At an intersection, a small black cat suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. One yellow and one blue eye light up. The horses are startled but the barking of stray dogs chase the cat away. The stagecoach races on through the cart track. Nightmare pulls the carriage too much to the left and almost lands them in the drifting sand. Stampfoot pulls the carriage back onto the path.
At the next intersection, the black cat jumps in front of the carriage again. Blazing and with a high back. Just in time, Stampfoot is able to pull the carriage to the right.
At an inn, the Post Coachman must stop to let his horses drink. For a moment he is distracted. The black cat sneaks up on the stagecoach, a letter clutched in its mouth. He puts the letter on the buck. The Post Coachman turns around and sees the letter. It is addressed to the young baroness, his silent love. Terror strikes him. The Code of Honor dictates that he must now deliver this letter to her. And so he leads the stagecoach to the White Castle.
When he almost reaches the White Castle, he sees the young baroness sitting on the white bench in front of the Coach House, waiting for the letter. He hears her singing and his heart breaks. At all costs, he wants to protect his silent love. This letter must never let the young baroness get her hands on it! The Post Coachman now violates the Code of Honor. He races off, letter and all, away from the White Castle, away from the young baroness. Faster and faster goes the carriage. Along the Loonse Wissel.
Not much further on, Nightmare suddenly pulls to the left, up a forest path. This is heading toward Capelle Abbey of Kaatsheuvel! The coachman has lost control. The carriage slaloms between the trees. Faster and faster it goes!
At a crossroads in the forest, the black figure suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. One blue and one yellow eye light up. The Unmentionable! Nightmare rears up but Stampfoot wants to turn. The mail coach crashes into a tree. The impact sends all the letters flying out and blowing in the wind. The Post Coachman jumps on Stampvoet to collect the letters. Especially the one, addressed to the young baroness. And the Unnameable jumps on Nightmare to grab that same undelivered letter....
Who gets the letter first: the Post Coachman, the Unmentionable, or you...? Cycle the route and find out for yourself. But beware: one look at the score and you're doomed....
This bike route was developed on behalf of De Efteling and in close collaboration with storytelling experts from Breda University of Applied Sciences.
Starting point
Efteling Bosrijk
Eftelingsestraat 7
5171 RP Kaatsheuvel
Follow the junctions
Old Post Office Kaatsheuvel
Main Street 24/26
5171 DD Kaatsheuvel
Follow the junctions
De Loonse en Drunense Duinen
Loon op Zand
Follow the junctions
Brasserie Bosch en Duin
Schoorstraat 50
5071 RC Udenhout
Follow the junctions
Natuurpoort Van Loon
Kloosterstraat 119
5175 PB Loon op Zand
Het Witte Kasteel
Kasteellaan 17
5175 BC Loon op Zand
Follow the junctions
Footpath Old Eftelingsestraat
Old Eftelingsestraat
Kaatsheuvel
Follow the junctions
Efteling
Europalaan 1
5171 KW Kaatsheuvel
Endpoint
The story of The Doomed Letter
The Post Coachman knows everyone in the wider area. And everyone knows him. The Post Coachman is very dutiful. Never before has he violated the Code of Honor of stagecoachmen: every letter entrusted to him, he delivers.
Every day, the Post Coachman makes his rounds with the stagecoach. At the White Castle Coach House, he then lets his horses drink. One day he meets the young baroness there. She can sing beautifully and the Post Coachman is immediately enchanted by her. Delighted, she tells him that she has been selected for the Music Competition of the Abbey of Capelle of Kaatsheuvel. Now we are waiting for the score of her singing!
The stagecoach driver is immediately alarmed. A few days ago, a mysterious black form gave him a letter to deliver to a famous musician. The musician happily accepted the letter and snatched it open. But the joy turned to terror. The musician read softly: "Whoever sees this score is forever damned. This is the Danse Macabre, this is the Dance of Death!"
Oct. 10, 1876. In the village, the Post Coachman prepares his carriage for his round. He harnesses his white horse Stampfoot and his black horse Nightmare. Nightmare nervously waves her head from side to side. The Post Coachman is just about to get on the buck when suddenly the black form reappears with a letter in his hand. The Stagecoachman knows: if I accept this letter, I must deliver it. For a moment he hesitates. The figure approaches... One yellow and one blue eye light up. The Stagecoachman takes flight.
He races out of the village, past the horse pastures where the other horses whinny restlessly. Nightmare keeps pulling the carriage to the left. And Stampfoot then pulls to the right. Almost they end up in a fens. At an intersection, a small black cat suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. One yellow and one blue eye light up. The horses are startled but the barking of stray dogs drives the cat away. The stagecoach races on through the cart track. Nightmare pulls the carriage too much to the left and almost lands them in the drifting sand. Stampfoot pulls the carriage back onto the path.
At the next intersection, the black cat jumps in front of the carriage again. Blazing and with a high back. Just in time, Stampfoot is able to pull the carriage to the right.
At an inn, the Post Coachman must stop to let his horses drink. For a moment he is distracted. The black cat sneaks up on the stagecoach, a letter clutched in its mouth. He puts the letter on the buck. The Post Coachman turns around and sees the letter. It is addressed to the young baroness, his silent love. Terror strikes him. The Code of Honor dictates that he must now deliver this letter to her. And so he leads the stagecoach to the White Castle.
When he almost reaches the White Castle, he sees the young baroness sitting on the white bench in front of the Coach House, waiting for the letter. He hears her singing and his heart breaks. At all costs, he wants to protect his silent love. This letter must never let the young baroness get her hands on it! The Post Coachman now violates the Code of Honor. He races off, letter and all, away from the White Castle, away from the young baroness. Faster and faster goes the carriage. Along the Loonse Wissel.
Not much further on, Nightmare suddenly pulls to the left, up a forest path. This is heading toward Capelle Abbey of Kaatsheuvel! The coachman has lost control. The carriage slaloms between the trees. Faster and faster it goes!
At a crossroads in the forest, the black figure suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. One blue and one yellow eye light up. The Unmentionable! Nightmare rears up but Stampfoot wants to turn. The mail coach crashes into a tree. The impact sends all the letters flying out and blowing in the wind. The Post Coachman jumps on Stampvoet to collect the letters. Especially the one, addressed to the young baroness. And the Unnameable jumps on Nightmare to grab that same undelivered letter....
Who gets the letter first: the Post Coachman, the Unmentionable, or you...? Cycle the route and find out for yourself. But beware: one look at the score and you're doomed....
This bike route was created by Brabant Partners on behalf of De Efteling and in close collaboration with storytelling experts from Breda University of Applied Sciences.