Few know that Prague Castle has its very own water sprite. Unlike his Vltava cousins, Paklt—as he has long been called—lives not in the depths of the river but in the cold and damp innards of the castle walls. He is a small man, barely sixty centimeters tall, who wanders the castle corridors with a mischievous smile once the sun sets and the crowds of tourists thin out.

Paklt is the creator and guardian of all water at the Castle. His clothes, resembling an old-fashioned 18th-century frock coat in the color of dark green moss, are constantly damp, with pure water constantly dripping from his tails. He never responds to greetings, only looking at a chance passer-by with his watery eyes before vanishing instantly into the nearest damp wall, behind which only the quiet bubbling of a spring can be heard.

People believe that Paklt’s presence at the Castle is a good sign. As long as this silent water sprite wanders the corridors, the water in the castle wells will never run dry and the cathedral’s foundations will remain firm. He is a harmless but very shy resident who serves as a reminder that even in the most noble of palaces, beings from the times when Prague was first born from the dust and mist above the river still live.