yellow fairy tale book

Chapter 49 The Princess on the Glass Mountain

Once upon a time there was a man who had a pasture over there on the other side of the hill, and in the pasture there was a barn where he stored hay.But in the last two years there has been less hay than usual, because every Midsummer Eve, when the pastures are in full bloom, is eaten up by something overnight, as if a whole herd of sheep had come. of.This happened twice, and the man couldn't stand it any longer, so he said to his sons (he had three sons, the youngest was called Sindrad)--everyone must go to the barn on Midsummer's Eve The person who guards the meadow must be careful not to let the pasture be eaten up inexplicably like in the past two years.

The boss wanted to guard the pasture very much. He said that he would take good care of the pasture, not to mention people and insects, even the devil could not get a piece of grass.When it was dark, the eldest went into the barn and lay down to sleep.In the middle of the night, there was a rumbling sound outside, like an earthquake, shaking the walls and roof.The boss jumped up all of a sudden and ran away without looking back. As a result, the barn this year was as empty as the previous two years.

On the night of Midsummer's Day in the second year, the father said to his sons that he couldn't just let the grass be eaten up for a year, and one of them must go to the pasture to take good care of it.So the second son volunteered to go.He too, like his brother, went into the barn, lay down and slept.In the evening there was another rumble outside, and then an earthquake, stronger than it had been on Midsummer's Eve last year.The young man ran away in fright when he heard the noise.

In the third year, it was the third son Syndrade's turn to guard the ranch. Before leaving, the two elder brothers laughed at him and said, "Come on, you are the right person to ask you to guard the ranch. What do you know? Warm up by the fire!" However, Syndrade ignored them.In the evening he went into the pasture and came to the barn and lay down, and after about half an hour the rumble came again, and it sounded very frightening.Syndrade thought: Well, if it doesn't get any worse, I can take it.After a while there was another rumble, and the earth shook, and hay from the barn was flying around the boy.Syndrade thought: I can bear it if it doesn't get any worse.But there was a third earthquake and rumbling, this time so violent that the boy thought the walls and ceiling were going to collapse.

However, after the noise passed, everything around immediately returned to calm.Syndrade thought, I'm sure the noise will come again.However, it did not appear again, and everything was so peaceful.So he lay down, and it didn't take long before he heard the sound of horses grazing outside the barn door.He quietly touched the concealed door, wanting to see what was making the noise, and saw a fine horse grazing outside the door. He had never seen such a tall, fat and fine horse.The horse also had a brass saddle, bridle, and a pair of knight's armor gleaming.Syndrade thought: Haha, it turns out that you ate all our grass, and you will not be allowed to eat it again.So he hastened to pick up the scythe, and threw it at the horse, which was powerless to escape, and obeyed the young man very tamely.He mounted his horse, rode it to a place known only to him, and tied it up.Back home, the brothers started laughing at him again, asking how he was doing:

"Haha, you won't last long in the barn!"

"I slept in the barn till the sun came up and saw nothing and heard nothing!" said Syndrade. "God knows what frightens you so."

"Come, we'll soon find out whether you've guarded the ranch or not," replied the brothers.When they came to the pasture, they found that the pasture was unharmed, as long and dense as ever.

When Midsummer came next year, it was the same: the two brothers were afraid to watch the pasture, and Syndrade went.Exactly the same as last year, first there was a rumbling, then the ground shook, and then it repeated twice, but all three times it was much stronger than last year.When everything subsided, Syndrade heard the sound of chewing something outside the barn door again. He touched the concealed door lightly and found a horse grazing by the wall.This horse was bigger and fatter than last year's, and had a saddle and bridle on its back, and a full suit of knight's armor, but all silver and shining with beauty.Syndrade thought: It turns out that you ate all our grass, and you will not be allowed to eat it in the future!So he took the scythe and threw it at the horse, and the scythe flew over the horse's mane, and the horse immediately became as honest as a sheep.Syndrade mounted his horse, drove it to the place where the first horse was settled, tied it up, and went home.

"If you guessed correctly, this time you will tell us that you have guarded the ranch honestly." The brothers laughed at him again.

"Yes, I did," Syndrade said.So the two brothers came to the pasture again, and found that the pasture was safe, long and dense as before, but this did not make them any kinder to Syndrade.

Midsummer's Day came again in the third year, and the two elder brothers still didn't dare to guard the ranch, because they were terrified by what they heard and saw while lying in the barn on Midsummer's Eve, but Sindrad went .This time he encountered the same situation as the previous two: there were three earthquakes, each stronger than the last, and the last time Sindrad was thrown from one wall to the other, and then all was quiet.Not long after he lay down quietly, he heard the sound of chewing something outside the barn door again, so he quietly touched the door which was concealed, and saw a horse grazing again, which was much bigger than the first two horses. Bigger and fatter.Saddles and bridles were also mounted on the horses, and a full suit of knightly armor, but all of gold, shining with golden brilliance.Syndrade thought: Haha, it turns out that you are the one who wants to eat up our grass, so you are not allowed to eat it again!He took the scythe and threw it at the horse, and the scythe went over the horse's back, and the horse stood motionless as if pinned to the ground, at the mercy of Syndrade.So he rode up to where the first two horses had settled, and went home.The two brothers still laughed at him: "It can be seen that you guarded the ranch carefully last night, didn't you, you look like you have been sleepwalking all night!" But Sindrad ignored them, but called them See for yourself.When they came to the pasture, they saw that the pasture was safe and luxuriant as before.

This year, the king's daughter is going to get married.The king declared that the princess would marry whoever could ride a horse to the top of the Glass Mountain.This glass mountain is near the palace, not only high, but smooth as ice.The princess will sit on the top of the mountain and put three golden apples on her lap. Whoever climbs to the top of the mountain and gets the apples will marry the princess and get half of the kingdom.The king not only posted the notice in every church in the country, but also in many other countries.The princess was so beautiful that whoever saw her fell madly in love with her.It goes without saying that princes and knights of all nations wanted her, and half the kingdom.They came from all over the world, dressed in dazzling costumes and riding magnificent horses, all of them believed that they would definitely get the princess.

When the appointed day came, knights and princes were crowded under the glass mountain, and there were people of all ages and children who came to see who could marry the king's daughter.Syndrade's two older brothers also went, but they were reluctant to take their younger brother because he was dirty and black from toiling in the fields.They also said that people would laugh at them if they let this idiot follow them.

Syndrade said, "Well, then I'll go by myself."

When the two brothers came to the bottom of the glass mountain, the knights and princes were trying to climb up on horseback. Their horses were sweating, but none of them succeeded, because the horses' hooves slipped down as soon as they stepped on the glass mountain. , not even two yards to climb.This is not surprising, since the hillside is as smooth as a windowpane and as steep as a wall.But everyone wanted a princess and half a kingdom, and they kept climbing and sliding on their horses.In the end, all the horses were so tired that they could not climb any more, and they had to give up.Seeing this, the king was about to announce that they would come back the next day, when things might be better, when suddenly a knight came, riding a horse such as no one had ever seen.He wore brass armor, and his saddle and bridle were also brass, and all this was glorious.The other riders advised him not to waste his efforts, as he would not be able to climb up, but he did not listen to them, and rode straight up the mountain without any effort.In this way, when he climbed almost one-third of the way, he turned his horse's head and went down the mountain.The princess had never seen such a handsome knight, and when he rode up the hill, the princess sat on the top of the hill and thought: Oh, how I wish he could climb it!When he turned his horse's head, she threw him a golden apple, which rolled into his shoe.When the knight came down the hill he rode away, and his horse ran so fast that no one knew where he was going.

That night the king called the prince and knights into the palace, so that the man who had climbed the Glass Mountain could bring back the golden apple thrown to him by the princess.But no one brought out golden apples.

Also that night, Syndrade's two older brothers returned home and began talking about climbing the Glass Mountain.At first, they said, no one could climb even a distance of two yards, but then a knight came, in armor of brass, with a saddle and bridle of brass, and his gleaming Armor and horse ornaments.When he was a third of the way up the glass mountain, he decided that one climb was enough, so he turned his horse and went down the mountain, but if he still wanted to climb up, he could definitely climb to the top.Syndrade, who was sitting in the cinders by the chimney as usual, said: "How I wish to see this knight!" Standing together with such big men, you will look even more like a dirty beast!"

The next day, the two brothers were ready to go again, and Syndrade begged them to take him with them to see who could climb the mountain, but they said nothing, saying that he was too ugly and dirty to be qualified to go. "Well, well, I'll go by myself," said Syndrade.In this way, the two elder brothers left the younger brother and came to the foot of the glass mountain, and the prince and knights began to climb the mountain again.This time they put rough horseshoes on the horses, but it was of no avail, as the day before, the hooves slipped as soon as they went up, and still no one climbed even a yard.The horses were exhausted and could no longer climb, so they had to give up again.

Seeing this, the King was about to announce that they should come back the next day, to give them a last chance, when it suddenly occurred to him that it would be better to wait and see if the Knight in the Brass Armor would come that day.However, he did not show up.Just when everyone was looking forward to it, a knight came running on a horse, which was even better than the horse on which the knight in the bronze armor rode.The knight was clad in silver armor, and the saddle and bridle were also of silver, so that they shone brightly from afar.The other knights told him not to waste his efforts, but he didn't listen, and ran straight up the hill.This time, he climbed higher than the knight in the bronze armor, and when he had climbed two-thirds of the way, he also turned his horse and went down the mountain.The princess saw him and thought he was better than the first knight, so she sat on the top of the mountain and hoped that he could climb up.When she saw him turn his horse's head, she threw him the second golden apple, which rolled into his shoe.As soon as he got off the hill, he left immediately, and his horse ran so fast that no one knew where he went.

In the evening, the prince and knights were called to the palace again to meet the king and princess, but none of them could bring out the golden apple.

When Syndrade's two brothers came home, they talked again about climbing the Glass Mountain, and about how everyone rode up and no one made it. "But at last," they said, "there came a man in silver armor, and his horse had a silver saddle and silver bridle, and oh, he climbed on it! He was two-thirds of the way on, and he The horse turned and went down the hill. The princess threw him the second golden apple, a good boy!"

"Oh! I should like to see him!" said Syndrade.

The two older brothers laughed at him and said:

"Yes yes! His armor is only a little brighter than the soot next to you, you dirty and black fellow!"

On the third day, the situation was still the same as the previous two days.Syndrade wanted to go with his brothers, but they said nothing to take him.They came down to the glass mountain to watch the climb, and still none of them made it a yard.People waited for the knight in silver armor, but he never appeared.After a long time, a knight appeared on a horse such as no one had ever seen.He was clad in gold armor, and the saddle and bridle were also gold, and everything was so splendor that it dazzled people from afar.The other riders were stunned by his valiant demeanor, but they still advised him not to waste his efforts, he would not be able to climb up, but he didn't listen to them, and rode straight up the mountain, jumping three times and two times Just climbed up, seemingly effortlessly.Before the princess could react, he reached the top of the mountain, took the third golden apple from the princess' knee, and then turned his horse's head back down the mountain. Before people could say a word to him, he disappeared into the in their field of vision.

In the evening, after the two brothers came home, they talked about the day's affairs again.At last they spoke of the Knight in the Golden Armor, and said, "What a fine fellow he is! There is no other knight in the world like this!"

"How I should like to see him!" said Syndrade.

"Come on! His armor is as bright as the soot you keep company with, you dirty and black fellow!" laughed the two brothers.

The next day the king and princess called the prince and knights to the palace again, so that the man who had climbed the Glass Mountain could bring back the golden apple which the princess had thrown to him.The guests came to the king and the princess in turn, first the prince and then the knight, but still no one brought out the golden apple.

"Someone must have got the golden apples," said the king, "and we all saw the knights go up to the top of the hill and take the golden apples." So the king ordered all the subjects to come to his palace, and he would look into it. , who took the golden apples.The subjects came one after another, but still no one brought out the golden apple.After a long time like this, Syndrade's two older brothers also came.They were the last two, and when the king saw that they were not there, he asked if there was anyone else who had not been here.

"Yes, our brother hasn't been here yet," said the two brothers, "but the Golden Apple is by no means in his hands! He has been by the stove all these three days."

"Forget about that," said the king, "since everyone has been here, let him come too."

So they had to let Syndrade go to the king.

"Have you any golden apples?" asked the King.

"I have it, this is the first one, this is the second one, and this is the third one." Syndrade said as he took out all three golden apples from his pocket, and then he took off his torn coat, revealing Wearing a dazzling golden armor.

"Only you are worthy of my daughter and half the kingdom," said the king.So, a grand wedding was held in the palace, and Syndrade married the king's daughter.At the wedding, everyone was happy, even though they didn't climb the Glass Mountain.If they hadn't had to leave, they'd still be partying there.

(End of this chapter)