Manyknightshadcomefromafartotrytheirluck，butitwasinvaintheyattemptedtoclimbthemountain。Inspiteofhavingtheirhorsesshodwithsharpnails，noonemanagedtogetmorethanhalf-wayup，andthentheyallfellbackrightdowntothebottomofthesteepslipperyhill。Sometimestheybrokeanarm，sometimesaleg，andmanyabravemanhadbrokenhisneckeven。
　　ThebeautifulPrincesssatatherwindowandwatchedtheboldknightstryingtoreachherontheirsplendidhorses。Thesightofheralwaysgavemenfreshcourage，andtheyflockedfromthefourquartersoftheglobetoattempttheworkofrescuingher。
　　Butallinvain，andforsevenyearsthePrincesshadsatnowandwaitedforsomeonetoscaletheGlassMountain。
　　Aheapofcorpsesbothofridersandhorseslayroundthemountain，andmanydyingmenlaygroaningthereunabletogoanyfartherwiththeirwoundedlimbs。Thewholeneighbourhoodhadtheappearanceofavastchurchyard。Inthreemoredaysthesevenyearswouldbeatanend，whenaknightingoldenarmourandmountedonaspiritedsteedwasseenmakinghiswaytowardsthefatalhill。
　　Stickinghisspursintohishorsehemadearushatthemountain，andgotuphalf-way，thenhecalmlyturnedhishorse’sheadandcamedownagainwithoutasliporstumble。Thefollowingdayhestartedinthesameway；thehorsetrodontheglassasifithadbeenlevelearth，andsparksoffireflewfromitshoofs。Alltheotherknightsgazedinastonishment，forhehadalmostgainedthesummit，andinanothermomenthewouldhavereachedtheapple-tree；butofasuddenahugeeagleroseupandspreaditsmightywings，hittingasitdidsotheknight’shorseintheeye。
　　Thebeastshied，openeditswidenostrilsandtosseditsmane，thenrearinghighupintheair，itshindfeetslippedanditfellwithitsriderdownthesteepmountainside。Nothingwasleftofeitherofthemexcepttheirbones，whichrattledinthebatteredgoldenarmourlikedrypeasinapod。
　　Andnowtherewasonlyonemoredaybeforethecloseofthesevenyears。Thentherearrivedonthesceneamereschoolboy——amerry，happy-heartedyouth，butatthesametimestrongandwell-grown。Hesawhowmanyknightshadbrokentheirnecksinvain，butundauntedheapproachedthesteepmountainonfootandbegantheascent。
　　ForlonghehadheardhisparentsspeakofthebeautifulPrincesswhosatinthegoldencastleatthetopoftheGlassMountain。
　　Helistenedtoallheheard，anddeterminedthathetoowouldtryhisluck。Butfirsthewenttotheforestandcaughtalynx，andcuttingoffthecreature’ssharpclaws，hefastenedthemontohisownhandsandfeet。
　　ArmedwiththeseweaponsheboldlystarteduptheGlassMountain。
　　Thesunwasnearlygoingdown，andtheyouthhadnotgotmorethanhalf-wayup。Hecouldhardlydrawbreathhewassowornout，andhismouthwasparchedbythirst。Ahugeblackcloudpassedoverhishead，butinvaindidhebegandbeseechhertoletadropofwaterfallonhim。Heopenedhismouth，buttheblackcloudsailedpastandnotasmuchasadropofdewmoistenedhisdrylips。
　　Hisfeetweretornandbleeding，andhecouldonlyholdonnowwithhishands。Eveningclosedin，andhestrainedhiseyestoseeifhecouldbeholdthetopofthemountain。Thenhegazedbeneathhim，andwhatasightmethiseyes！Ayawningabyss，withcertainandterribledeathatthebottom，reekingwithhalf-decayedbodiesofhorsesandriders！Andthishadbeentheendofalltheotherbravemenwholikehimselfhadattemptedtheascent。
　　Itwasalmostpitchdarknow，andonlythestarslituptheGlassMountain。Thepoorboystillclungonasifgluedtotheglassbyhisblood-stainedhands。Hemadenostruggletogethigher，forallhisstrengthhadlefthim，andseeingnohopehecalmlyawaiteddeath。Thenallofasuddenhefellintoadeepsleep，andforgetfulofhisdangerousposition，heslumberedsweetly。
　　Butallthesame，althoughheslept，hehadstuckhissharpclawssofirmlyintotheglassthathewasquitesafenottofall。
　　Nowthegoldenapple-treewasguardedbytheeaglewhichhadoverthrownthegoldenknightandhishorse。EverynightitflewroundtheGlassMountainkeepingacarefullook-out，andnosoonerhadthemoonemergedfromthecloudsthanthebirdroseupfromtheapple-tree，andcirclingroundintheair，caughtsightofthesleepingyouth。
　　Greedyforcarrion，andsurethatthismustbeafreshcorpse，thebirdswoopeddownupontheboy。Buthewasawakenow，andperceivingtheeagle，hedeterminedbyitshelptosavehimself。
　　Theeagledugitssharpclawsintothetenderfleshoftheyouth，butheborethepainwithoutasound，andseizedthebird’stwofeetwithhishands。Thecreatureinterrorliftedhimhighupintotheairandbegantocircleroundthetowerofthecastle。
　　Theyouthheldonbravely。Hesawtheglitteringpalace，whichbythepaleraysofthemoonlookedlikeadimlamp；andhesawthehighwindows，androundoneofthemabalconyinwhichthebeautifulPrincesssatlostinsadthoughts。Thentheboysawthathewasclosetotheapple-tree，anddrawingasmallknifefromhisbelt，hecutoffboththeeagle’sfeet。Thebirdroseupintheairinitsagonyandvanishedintotheclouds，andtheyouthfellontothebroadbranchesoftheapple-tree。
　　Thenhedrewouttheclawsoftheeagle’sfeetthathadremainedinhisflesh，andputthepeelofoneofthegoldenapplesonthewound，andinonemomentitwashealedandwellagain。Hepulledseveralofthebeautifulapplesandputtheminhispocket；thenheenteredthecastle。Thedoorwasguardedbyagreatdragon，butassoonashethrewanappleatit，thebeastvanished。
　　Atthesamemomentagateopened，andtheyouthperceivedacourtyardfullofflowersandbeautifultrees，andonabalconysatthelovelyenchantedPrincesswithherretinue。
　　Assoonasshesawtheyouth，sherantowardshimandgreetedhimasherhusbandandmaster。Shegavehimallhertreasures，andtheyouthbecamearichandmightyruler。Butheneverreturnedtotheearth，foronlythemightyeagle，whohadbeentheguardianofthePrincessandofthecastle，couldhavecarriedonhiswingstheenormoustreasuredowntotheworld。Butastheeaglehadlostitsfeetitdied，anditsbodywasfoundinawoodontheGlassMountain。
　　OnedaywhentheyouthwasstrollingaboutinthepalacegardenwiththePrincess，hiswife，helookeddownovertheedgeoftheGlassMountainandsawtohisastonishmentagreatnumberofpeoplegatheredthere。Heblewhissilverwhistle，andtheswallowwhoactedasmessengerinthegoldencastleflewpast。
　　’Flydownandaskwhatthematteris，’hesaidtothelittlebird，whospedofflikelightningandsoonreturnedsaying:
　　’Thebloodoftheeaglehasrestoredallthepeoplebelowtolife。Allthosewhohaveperishedonthismountainareawakeningupto-day，asitwerefromasleep，andaremountingtheirhorses，andthewholepopulationaregazingonthisunheard-ofwonderwithjoyandamazement。’
　　ManyyearsagotherelivedaKing，whowastwicemarried。Hisfirstwife，agoodandbeautifulwoman，diedatthebirthofherlittleson，andtheKingherhusbandwassooverwhelmedwithgriefatherlossthathisonlycomfortwasinthesightofhisheir。
　　WhenthetimefortheyoungPrince’schristeningcametheKingchoseasgodmotheraneighbouringPrincess，socelebratedforherwisdomandgoodnessthatshewascommonlycalled’theGoodQueen。’ShenamedthebabyAlphege，andfromthatmomenttookhimtoherheart。
　　Timewipesawaythegreatestgriefs，andaftertwoorthreeyearstheKingmarriedagain。HissecondwifewasaPrincessofundeniablebeauty，butbynomeansofsoamiableadispositionasthefirstQueen。InduetimeasecondPrincewasborn，andtheQueenwasdevouredwithrageatthethoughtthatPrinceAlphegecamebetweenhersonandthethrone。ShetookcarehowevertoconcealherjealousfeelingsfromtheKing。
　　Atlengthshecouldcontrolherselfnolonger，soshesentatrustyservanttoheroldandfaithfulfriendtheFairyoftheMountain，tobeghertodevisesomemeansbywhichshemightgetridofherstepson。
　　TheFairyrepliedthat，muchasshedesiredtobeagreeabletotheQueenineveryway，itwasimpossibleforhertoattemptanythingagainsttheyoungPrince，whowasundertheprotectionofsomegreaterPowerthanherown。
　　The’GoodQueen’onhersidewatchedcarefullyoverhergodson。
　　Shewasobligedtodosofromadistance，herowncountrybeingaremoteone，butshewaswellinformedofallthatwentonandknewallabouttheQueen’swickeddesigns。ShethereforesentthePrincealargeandsplendidruby，withinjunctionstowearitnightanddayasitwouldprotecthimfromallattacks，butaddedthatthetalismanonlyretaineditspoweraslongasthePrinceremainedwithinhisfather’sdominions。TheWickedQueenknowingthismadeeveryattempttogetthePrinceoutofthecountry，buthereffortsfailed，tillonedayaccidentdidwhatshewasunabletoaccomplish。
　　TheKinghadanonlysisterwhowasdeeplyattachedtohim，andwhowasmarriedtothesovereignofadistantcountry。Shehadalwayskeptupaclosecorrespondencewithherbrother，andtheaccountssheheardofPrinceAlphegemadeherlongtobecomeacquaintedwithsocharminganephew。SheentreatedtheKingtoallowthePrincetovisither，andaftersomehesitationwhichwasoverruledbyhiswife，hefinallyconsented。
　　PrinceAlphegewasatthistimefourteenyearsold，andthehandsomestandmostengagingyouthimaginable。InhisinfancyhehadbeenplacedinthechargeofoneofthegreatladiesoftheCourt，who，accordingtotheprevailingcustom，actedfirstashisheadnurseandthenashisgoverness。Whenheoutgrewhercareherhusbandwasappointedashistutorandgovernor，sothathehadneverbeenseparatedfromthisexcellentcouple，wholovedhimastenderlyastheydidtheironlydaughterZayda，andwerewarmlylovedbyhiminreturn。
　　WhenthePrincesetforthonhistravelsitwasbutnaturalthatthisdevotedcoupleshouldaccompanyhim，andaccordinglyhestartedwiththemandattendedbyanumerousretinue。
　　Forsometimehetravelledthroughhisfather’sdominionsandallwentwell；butsoonafterpassingthefrontiertheyhadtocrossadesertplainunderaburningsun。Theyweregladtotakeshelterunderagroupoftreesnear，andherethePrincecomplainedofburningthirst。Luckilyatinystreamranclosebyandsomewaterwassoonprocured，butnosoonerhadhetasteditthanhesprangfromhiscarriageanddisappearedinamoment。Invaindidhisanxiousfollowersseekforhim，hewasnowheretobefound。