wanted, nothing else; any man that could climb to the top of the glass hill on horseback would marry the princess and have half of the king’s kingdom. So, the three brothers dandered home and they told their mother about this.
Willie and Tom say, “We’ll go. We’ve a couple o’ good horses. We’ll have a shot.” Willie says to Jack the youngest, “You gaun? You cannae go in that state! You’ll be killed. The king’ll shootyou if you go in that state of filth you’re in! You’ll shame us. We’re gaun to try this. Everybody’s entitled to go.”
So, Willie and Tom picked the two best horses they had. Dressed themselves in their finery and away they went. They had a long road to go. And when they landed at the king’s palace there was a bigger market still! There were knights and warriors from all over the kingdom all lined up. Right in the front of the palace was a big hill made of solid glass. And on the top was a chair. Sitting in the chair was a lovely young princess. She had three golden apples in her hand. Now this hill was steep. It was about half a mile up made of solid glass. And there was no way whichever to get up the face of it!
So, at twelve o’clock in the day everybody started. This was going on for three days. And if nobody could climb the glass hill in three days the princess would never marry. So, everybody’s trying! There were knights on black horses and piebald horses and brown horses. They’re riding up! A wee bit up and the horse’s feet were slipping on the glass and falling back down. Slipping again, falling down. The two brothers Willie and Tom tried it; nah, hopeless, never got anywhere. Horses couldn’t face it. But wait! Everybody was gathered round; the king came down.
He said, “Is there not a man among youse can climb that hill and satisfy my daughter?”
They look. And they see this knight coming on this black horse and a suit of armour on him. He’s coming like the wind! And he rides right to the foot of the glass hill. He goes fweezht, a wee bit up! The princess is so excited she throws an apple. He catches it and rides back down and away, disappears!
So everybody went daft clapping their hands, shouting and carrying on to see this knight climbing a wee bit o’ this glass hill. He was the only one that went up a wee bit and got the first apple. But this was Jack with his black horse!
When his two brothers had left he had walked into the wood, got his black horse, dressed himself up, put on his suit of armour and followed them to the market. He tried with his big black horse. Now this horse that he’d got could go up the hill. Because this was a fairy horse, you see! And Jack got the apple, put it in his pocket, went back to the forest and hid it along with his black horse. Put on his rags again and walked home to his mother’s house. And he was sitting there when his two brothers came back.
His mother said to them, “How’d you get on, sons? What was it like?
“Oh, Mother,” they said. “You should have been there! You want to have seen it! There were thousands of people from all over the world. Horses in the millions. And everybody tried. The beautiful princess sitting up on the top of that glass hill and not a soul could get near her. But one knight, one knight with the most beautiful horse I ever saw, he went up a quarter of the way and catcht a golden apple. The king’s going raving mad wondering where he went. He disappeared! Nobody knows where he is. And the same thing’s on tomorrow again. We’re going back to have another try.”
And Jack, he’s lying in the corner of his mother’s house beside the fire. He says, “Was it as good as that?”
“Oh,” Willie and Tom said, “you missed yersel, man, you should have come! You want to see this knight! You want to see the horse he had. It was the greatest horse ever I saw. I’ve seen many’s a horse. But that was the greatest ever I saw in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever see another
Willie and Tom say, “We’ll go. We’ve a couple o’ good horses. We’ll have a shot.” Willie says to Jack the youngest, “You gaun? You cannae go in that state! You’ll be killed. The king’ll shootyou if you go in that state of filth you’re in! You’ll shame us. We’re gaun to try this. Everybody’s entitled to go.”
So, Willie and Tom picked the two best horses they had. Dressed themselves in their finery and away they went. They had a long road to go. And when they landed at the king’s palace there was a bigger market still! There were knights and warriors from all over the kingdom all lined up. Right in the front of the palace was a big hill made of solid glass. And on the top was a chair. Sitting in the chair was a lovely young princess. She had three golden apples in her hand. Now this hill was steep. It was about half a mile up made of solid glass. And there was no way whichever to get up the face of it!
So, at twelve o’clock in the day everybody started. This was going on for three days. And if nobody could climb the glass hill in three days the princess would never marry. So, everybody’s trying! There were knights on black horses and piebald horses and brown horses. They’re riding up! A wee bit up and the horse’s feet were slipping on the glass and falling back down. Slipping again, falling down. The two brothers Willie and Tom tried it; nah, hopeless, never got anywhere. Horses couldn’t face it. But wait! Everybody was gathered round; the king came down.
He said, “Is there not a man among youse can climb that hill and satisfy my daughter?”
They look. And they see this knight coming on this black horse and a suit of armour on him. He’s coming like the wind! And he rides right to the foot of the glass hill. He goes fweezht, a wee bit up! The princess is so excited she throws an apple. He catches it and rides back down and away, disappears!
So everybody went daft clapping their hands, shouting and carrying on to see this knight climbing a wee bit o’ this glass hill. He was the only one that went up a wee bit and got the first apple. But this was Jack with his black horse!
When his two brothers had left he had walked into the wood, got his black horse, dressed himself up, put on his suit of armour and followed them to the market. He tried with his big black horse. Now this horse that he’d got could go up the hill. Because this was a fairy horse, you see! And Jack got the apple, put it in his pocket, went back to the forest and hid it along with his black horse. Put on his rags again and walked home to his mother’s house. And he was sitting there when his two brothers came back.
His mother said to them, “How’d you get on, sons? What was it like?
“Oh, Mother,” they said. “You should have been there! You want to have seen it! There were thousands of people from all over the world. Horses in the millions. And everybody tried. The beautiful princess sitting up on the top of that glass hill and not a soul could get near her. But one knight, one knight with the most beautiful horse I ever saw, he went up a quarter of the way and catcht a golden apple. The king’s going raving mad wondering where he went. He disappeared! Nobody knows where he is. And the same thing’s on tomorrow again. We’re going back to have another try.”
And Jack, he’s lying in the corner of his mother’s house beside the fire. He says, “Was it as good as that?”
“Oh,” Willie and Tom said, “you missed yersel, man, you should have come! You want to see this knight! You want to see the horse he had. It was the greatest horse ever I saw. I’ve seen many’s a horse. But that was the greatest ever I saw in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever see another
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