The Princess on the Glass hill
Once upon a time there was a cat named Skimbleshanks who had a meadow which lay on the side of a mountain, and in the meadow there was a barn in which he stored hay. Every St. John's Eve, when the grass was at its height, it was all eaten clean up--just as if a flock of sheep had gnawed it down to the ground during the night. This happened once, and it happened twice, but then Skimbleshanks grew tired of losing his crop and said to his sons--he had three of them; Macavity, Munkustrap, and Mistoffelees--that one of them must go and sleep in the barn of St. John's Eve, for it was absurd to let the grass be eaten up again, blade stalk.
The eldest, Macavity, was quite willing to go to the meadow; he would watch the grass, he said, and he would do it so well that neither man nor beast nor even the devil himself should have any of it. So he went to the barn and lay down to sleep, but when night was drawing near there was such a rumbling and such an earthquake that the walls of the roof shook, and the tom jumped up and took to his heels, and the barn remained empty again that year.
Next St. John's Eve, the second son, Munkustrap, was willing to show what he could do. He went to the barn and lay down to sleep, as his brother had, but when night fell there was a great rumbling, and then an earthquake which was even worse. When the tom heard it, he was terrified and went off, running as if his life depended upon it.
The year after, it was Mistoffelees' turn, but when he made ready to go, the others laughed at him. "Well you are just the right one to watch the hay, you who have never learned anything but how to sit among the ashes and toast yourself by the fire!" said they. Mistoffelees, however did not trouble himself about what they said, and when evening drew near he rambled away to the outlying field.
He went into the barn and lay down, but in about and hour's time the rumbling and creaking began, and it was frightful to hear. "Well if it gets no worse than that, I can stand it," said Mistoffelees. In a little time the creaking began again, and the earth quaked so that all the hay flew around the young tom.
"Oh, if it gets no worse than that I can stand it," said Mistoffelees. Then came a third rumbling and a third earthquake, so violent that the young tom thought the walls and roof had fallen in; when that was over everything suddenly grew as still as death around him. Mistoffelees thought the upheaval would come again, but everything was quiet and stayed quiet. After a short time, he heard something that sounded as if a horse were chewing just outside the barn door. He crept to the door to see what it was, and there stood a horse eating away. It was so big and fine a horse that Mistoffelees had never seen one like it before; a saddle and bridle lay upon it, and a complete suit of armor for a knight, and everything was of copper so bright that it sparkled.
"Ha, ha! It is you who eats our hay then," said the young tom. "I will stop that." So he made haste and took out his flint for striking fire, for it has a power over animals. He threw a spark over the horse, and then it could not stir from the spot and the young tom could do what he liked with it. He mounted and rode away to a place no one knew of but himself, and tied the horse up. When he went home, his brothers laughed and asked how he had got on. "You did not last long in the barn if you have been even as far as the field!" said they.
"I lay in the barn till the sun rose," said Mistoffelees. "What made you to so frightened?"
"Well , we shall soon see whether you have watched the meadow or not," answered the brothers. But they found the grass just as long and as thick as it had been the night before!
The next St. John's Eve, neither Macavity nor Munkustrap dared to go to the outlying field to watch the crop, but Mistoffelees went, and everything happened exactly as before. There was a rumbling and an earthquake, and the there was another, and then a third. All three earthquakes were very much more violent then they had been the year before. Everything became as still as death again, and Mistoffelees heard something chomping outside the barn. When he went to look through the crack in the door, there was a horse standing close by the wall of the barn eating and chewing. It was far larger and finer than the first horse, and it had a saddle on its back and a bridle, too, and a full suit of armor for a knight, bright silver and as beautiful as anyone could wish to see.
"Ho, ho!" said Mistoffelees. "It is you who eats our hay this night? I will put a stop to that." So he took out his flint for striking fire and threw a spark over the horse's mane, and the beast stood there quiet as a lamb. Then the young tom rode this horse, too, away to the place where he kept the other and then went back to his house again.
"I suppose you will tell us the grass hasn't been touched this time either," said the brothers.
"Well so it hasn't," said Mistoffelees. And there it was--the grass standing as high and as thick as it had been before; but that did not make them any kinder to Mistoffelees.
When the next St. John's Eve came , neither Macavity nor Munkustrap was brave enough to go to the outlying barn to watch the grass, but Mistoffelees dared to go. There were three earthquakes, each worse than the other, and the last flung the young tom all the way across the barn, then everything suddenly became still as death. When he had lain quietly a short time, he heard the chewing sound outside the barn. He peeped through the crack in the door, and, behold--there stood a horse just outside, much larger and finer than the two others he had caught. The saddle and bridle were gold, and there was a suit of golden armor, too.
"Ho, ho! It is you, then, who eats our hay this time," said Mistoffelees, "but I will put a stop to that." So he pulled out his flint for striking fire and threw a spark over the horse, and it stood as still at if it had been nailed to the field, and the young tom could do just what he liked with it. He mounted the horse and rode away to the place where he kept the two others, and then he went home again.
The two brothers mocked him just as they had done before, but Mistoffelees did not trouble himself about that, telling them to go to the field and see. This time, also, the grass was standing, looking as fine and as thick as ever.
Now it happened that the King, Bustopher, had a daughter, Princess Victoria, whom he offered to give to the one who could ride to the top of a very high hill of glass, slippery as ice, which stood close to his palace. Upon the top of this Princess Victoria was to sit with three golden apples in her lap, and the tom who was able to ride up and carry off the three apples could marry her and have half the kingdom. King Bustopher had this proclaimed throughout the kingdom, and in many other kingdoms, too.
Princess Victoria was very beautiful, and all who saw her fell in love with her, in spite of themselves. It is needless to say that the princes and knights were eager to win her--and half the kingdom besides. They came riding from the ends of the world, dressed so splendidly that their raiment gleamed in the sunshine, and riding on horses which seemed to dance as they went. There was not one of these princes who did not think he was sure to win the Princess.
When the day of the contest arrived, there was such a host of knights and princes at the foot of the glass hill that it made one dizzy to look at them. Everyone who could walk or even crawl was there to see who win the King's daughter. Mistoffelees' two brothers were there too, but they would not hear of letting him go with them, for he was so dusty from sleeping among the ashes that they said everyone would laugh at them if they were seen in the company of such an oaf.
Then I will go by myself, thought Mistoffelees.
When the two brothers appeared at the scene, the princes and knights were trying so hard to ride up the glass hill that there horses were all in a foam. It was all in vain, for no sooner did the horses set foot upon the hill than down they slipped. Not one could get even so much as a couple of yards, for the hill was as smooth as a glass windowpane and as steep as the side of a house. But they were eager to win Princess Victoria and half the kingdom, so they kept riding and kept slipping. At length the horses were so tired they could do no more, and so hot that the foam dropped from them, and the princes and knights were forced to stop.
King Bustopher was just about to proclaim that the riding should begin afresh on the following day, when suddenly a knight came riding up on a horse of such beauty that no one had ever seen its like before. The knight had on armor of copper, and his bridle was copper too, so bright that it sparkled. The other knights called out to him that he might just as well spare himself the trouble of trying to ride up the glass hill, for it was of no use; but he did now heed them and rode straight off to it and went up as if it were nothing at all. Thus he rode for a long time--it may have been a third of the way to the top--but turned his horse around and rode down again.
Princess Victoria thought she had never seen so handsome a knight, and while he was riding up she was thinking: Oh, how I hope that he will be able to come to the top! When she saw that he was turning his horse back, she threw down one of the golden apples after him, and it rolled into his shoe. But when he reached the bottom of the hill he rode away so fast no one knew what had become of him.
All the princes and knights were bidden to present themselves before King Bustopher that night in order that he who had ridden so far up the glass hill might show the golden apple that Princess Victoria had thrown down. But no one had anything to show. One knight after another presented himself, and none could show that apple.
That same night Mistoffelees' two brothers came back and had a long story to tell. At first, they said, there was no one able to get even so much as one step up the hill, but then came a knight who had armor of copper and a bridle of copper, and his armor and trappings were so bright they shone for a great distance, and it was a grand sight to see him riding. He rode a third of the way up the glass hill and could easily have ridden the whole of it if he had liked. But he had made up his mind that that was enough.
"Oh, I should have liked to see him too--that I should," said Mistoffelees.
Nest day, the brothers were about to set out again, and this time, too, Mistoffelees asked to go with them and see who rode. But no, they said--he was not fit to do that, for he was much too ugly and dirty. Well, well, then I will go by myself, thought Mistoffelees. So the brothers went to the glass hill, and all the princes and knights began to ride again. Not one could even get as far as a yard up the hill. When they had tired out their houses so they could do no more, they again had to stop altogether.
Just as King Bustopher was thinking it would be well to proclaim the riding should continue the next day so the might have one last chance, he suddenly thought it would be well to wait a little longer to see if the knight in copper armor would come this day, too. Nothing was to be seen of him, but just as they stopped looking for him, a knight came riding up on a steed that was much finer than the one the knight in copper armor had ridden. This knight had silver armor and a silver saddle and bridle, and all were so bright they shone and glistened when he was still a long way off.
Again the other knights called to him and said he might just as well give up the attempt to ride up the glass hill, for it was useless to try. But the silver knight paid no heed to them and rode straight away to the glass hill, and went farther than the knight and copper armor had gone; when he had ridden two thirds of the way to the top, however, he turned his horse around and rode down again.
Princess Victoria sat longing that he might be able to reach her, and when she saw him turning back she threw the second apple after him, and it rolled into his shoe also, and as soon as he reached the bottom of the glass hill he rode away so fast that no one could see what had become of him.
In the evening when everyone was to appear before King Bustopher and Princess Victoria, one knight after another went in, but none had a golden apple to show.
Macavity and Munkustrap went home as they had done the night before and told Mistoffelees how everyone had ridden, but that no one had been able to get up the hill.
"But last of all," they said, "came a knight in silver armor, and he had a silver bridle on his horse and a silver saddle, and oh, but he could ride! He took his horse two thirds of the way up the hill, but then he turned back. He was a fine fellow indeed," said the brothers, "and the Princess threw the second golden apple to him!"
"Oh, how I should have liked to see him too!" said Mistoffelees.
On the third day, everything happened as it had before. Everyone waited for the knight is silver armor, but he was nowhere in sight. At last, after a long time, came a knight riding upon a horse so fine its equal had never yet been seen. The knight had golden armor, and the horse a golden saddle and bridle, and these were so bright they shone and dazzled everyone, even while the knight was still at a great distance. The other princes and knights did not think to call to him how useless it was to try, so amazed were they at his magnificence. He rode straight away to the glass hill and galloped up as if it were ho hill at all, and Princess Victoria had no time even to wish he might reach the top. As soon as he had ridden to the top, he took the third golden apple from the lap of the Princess and then turned his horse around and rode down again. He vanished from sight before anyone was able to say a word to him.
When Macavity and Munkustrap came home that night, they had much to tell of how the riding had gone that day, and at last they told about the knight in the golden armor too.
"He was a grand fellow! Another such splendid knight is not to be found in all the world!" said the brothers.
"Oh, how I should have liked to see him too!" exclaimed Mistoffelees.
Nest day, all the knights and princes were to appear before King Bustopher and Princess Victoria so that he who had the third golden apple might produce it. They all went in turn, first princes, and then knights, but none of them had a golden apple.
"But somebody must have it," said King Bustopher, "for with our own eyes we saw a tom ride up and take it." So he commanded that every tom in the kingdom should come to the palace, to see if he could show the apple. And one after the other they all came, but no one had the golden apple, and after a long time Macavity and Munkustrap came likewise. They were the last of all, so King Bustopher inquired of them if anyone else in the kingdom was left to come.
"Oh, yes. We have a brother," said the two, "but he couldn't have the golden apple! He never left the cinder heap on any of the three days."
"Never mind that," said the King. "As everyone else has come to the palace let him come, too."
So Mistoffelees was forced to go and appear at King Bustopher's palace.
"Have you the golden apple?" asked the King.
"Yes," said Mistoffelees. "Here is the first, and here is the second, and here is the third, too." And he took all three apples out of his pocket and with that threw off his sooty rags and appeared before them in his bright golden armor, which gleamed as he stood.
"You shall have my daughter, and the half of my kingdom as well, and you have truly earned both," said King Bustopher.
So there was a wedding, and Mistoffelees married Princess Victoria, and everyone made merry at the feast. For all of them could make merry, though they could not ride up the glass hill; and if they have not left off their merrymaking they must be at it still.
