Mascot wanted! .... or how Kurt the glacier worm came to Hintertux

Mascot
wanted!
...
... or how Kurt the
glacier worm
came to Hintertux

Newspaper Ad - Mascot Wanted
In Bezau, a small town in Vorarlberg, lives a very special blue-andyellow
worm. His name is Kurt, and he‘s different from the others:
He has blue hair, hates boredom and has a huge dream – he
wants to live in a place where children laugh, romp, and have
adventures.
One morning, at breakfast, he‘s leafing through the Gletscherwurm
newspaper as usual when an ad suddenly catches his eye:
„Mascot wanted! For a cheerful children‘s hotel in Hintertux – with
heart, humor and a love of snow & fun.“
Kurt almost chokes on his applesauce. „They‘re looking for me!“ He
immediately grabs the worm phone and makes an appointment
– ​an interview, in a week! Of course, he accepts right away. No
sooner has he hung up than he gasps: Bezau is 250 kilometers from
Hintertux?! He has neither money, bicycle, car or motorcycle…
just a large dose of courage.

The Old Slow Train
In the afternoon, Kurt wandered through the meadows, lost in
thought. How on earth was he going to get to Hintertux? Then
something yellow and blue winked at him from the grass. Curious,
he crept closer. „What kind of old thing are you?“ It was a slow
train! Old, dented, weathered – but definitely a train.
It looked a bit sad, all alone in the meadow. Kurt knocked on
the door, which unexpectedly swung open. The key was even
in the ignition. He sat down at the controls and tried to start it –
CRRRRRRROOOOTZ! – the engine coughed a few times… but it
started! „Not pretty, but rare – and just right for me. This will be my
application train!“
Back home, Kurt quickly packed a few things, tied his best blue
scarf around his neck, and muttered: „Hintertux – I‘m coming.
Somehow…“

The New Tires
On the way to Lech, the train chugs bravely over hills and
around curves. The engine wheezes, the wheels squeal – but Kurt
perseveres. At a small rest stop, a tired hiker stands with a huge
backpack. „Phew, it‘s still a long way to Lech,“ he sighs. „Hop in!
I‘ll give you a lift!“ calls Kurt. „I‘m on my way to the most important
job interview of my life!“
The hiker is impressed by the intrepid Kurt and his rattling train.
„You deserve to get on,“ he tells Kurt when they arrive in Lech. „I
own a workshop and would like to give you a set of new tires for
your train as a thank you.“ Kurt is amazed. „Oh, how wonderful,
that will get me a bit further towards Hintertux!“ Together they
get and mount the tires – and in no time, the train is rolling as if on
clouds. „Now you‘ll travel through Tyrol much more easily!“ Kurt is
overjoyed. Finally, the train is purring instead of bumping along.
And he thinks to himself: „If everyone is so nice, it will be a good
trip.“

A Helpful Woman in Innsbruck
The next leg of the journey leads to Innsbruck – through valleys
and beautiful landscapes, but unfortunately, in pouring rain.
The wind whistles, and the rain drips through the train‘s leaky roof.
In a small village outside the city, Kurt sees a woman carrying
three heavy shopping bags. „Your bags look heavy, would you
like a ride?“ he asks. The woman gets on with a smile – and is
amazed by Kurt‘s story. „Such a brave soul deserves support!“
In Innsbruck, she introduces Kurt to an old mechanic. He, too, is
captivated by Kurt‘s story. He installs new headlights, repairs the
leaks, cleans the windows, and even replaces the old, wheezing
engine. Now the train no longer goes „wheeze-wheeze,“ but
„brrrrmmm – Toot!“
„My train is slowly becoming a real treasure!“ Kurt grins.

The School Class from Schwaz
In Schwaz, Kurt pulls up to a bus stop. A whole class of schoolchildren
sits there, sad and soaked through. „We missed our bus!“ they
lament. „And now our hiking trip to the Zillertal is canceled!“ Kurt
opens the doors: „Well, you‘re in luck! Everyone hop on – here‘s
your Kurt Express to Mayrhofen!“
The children cheer and climb aboard. But then a girl whispers: „The
train is cool... but it desperately needs a new coat of paint!“ No
sooner said than done! On the way, they stop at a hardware store
and buy paints and brushes. Arriving in Mayrhofen, the planned
hiking trip is quickly transformed into a creative painting day.
Everyone grabs brushes and buckets. The old paint comes off,
and in no time, the train shines in bright yellow and fresh blue.
„That‘s what winning trains look like!“ shouts a boy. „Now hurry up,
Kurt, so you can get to Hintertux on time!“

Just in time in Hintertux
It‘s not far from Mayrhofen. The mountains get higher, the curves
steeper – but Kurt bravely perseveres.
At precisely 1:59 p.m., one minute before his job interview, he
arrives at the Hintertuxerhof. He brushes the dust off his scarf and
straightens his hair. Bravely, he picks up his resume. A veritable
jury of applicants is already waiting in front of the hotel: the entire
hotel family, a few children staying at the hotel, and even the cat,
Pauli. „So, who are you?“ they all ask at once. „I‘m Kurt, a blueand-yellow
worm with a train and a big dream, and... hopefully
soon to be your new mascot!“
Everyone claps, the children cheer – and the hotel managers say:
„You‘re not just a very funny blue-and-yellow worm – you‘re
exactly what we were looking for, and from today on, you‘ll be
our glacier worm!“

Happy Ending & Kurt‘s Home in Hintertux
Since that day, Kurt has lived at the Hintertuxerhof and he loves
his new place. If you look carefully as you walk through the hotel,
you‘ll spot him everywhere.
So, the next time you‘re at the Hintertuxerhof and see a blue and
yellow worm who looks like a little hero—with blue hair and a blue
scarf—give him a wink. He might tell you about his trip or other fun
adventures.
He‘ll definitely let you ride along on his little train in the summer.
And he‘s sure to be looking forward to a new adventure—with
you! Because one thing is for sure: Kurt‘s adventures never end.

www.hintertuxerhof.at | info@hintertuxerhof.at
Idee, Konzept & Text: Hotel Hintertuxerhof
Illustrationen: Hotel Hintertuxerhof, teilweise KI-gestützt erstellt
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