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julie zaccone stiller
               
  princess glass hill            
    Once upon a time, the youngest of three brothers, nicknamed Cinderlad had to watch the field of hay overnight, after his eldest brothers had failed.  Each St. John's Night for the past few years, the entire field had been grazed to the ground.   So Cinderlad stayed in the small barn near the field, and as it turned dark, the ground began to shake, three earthquakes struck shaking up poor, scared Cinderlad and all the hay in the barn flew about.    

Once the shaking subsided, he heard something outside, and crept to the doorway where he spied a magnificent horse grazing in the field.  The horse was outfitted with a bridle, saddle and whole suit of armor, all sparkling in copper.  Cinderlad threw his striking steel over its back and it stood as still as a statue (being a fairy horse and not liking steel).  He then mounted up and rode it away to a secret place and tied up the mighty horse.  He returned home to the surprise of his family, who were very pleased to have the hay at this season's end. The same thing happened the next two years:  earthquakes, and then a fabulous horse grazing in the field.  First one outfitted in glowing silver, and finally the third outfitted in shining gold. 

 
  clup

The king of the country in which Cinderlad dwelled had a daughter whom he would give to no one who could not ride up to the top of the glass hill, slippery as ice that was near the king's palace.  Upon the very top of this the King's daughter was to sit with three gold apples in her lap, and the man who could ride up and take the three golden apples should marry her, and have half the kingdom.    The Princess was very beautiful and wise, and all who saw her or spoke to her, fell violently in love with her, in spite of themselves.  All the princes and knights were eager to win her, and half the kingdom besides, and so they came riding from the very end of the world, dressed so splendidly that their garments gleamed in the sunshine, riding upon horses which seemed to dance as they went.
When the day appointed by the King had come, there was a swarm of suitors willing to try to scale the mountain to win the princess.  Each and every one failed though, slipping and sliding back down as soon as they got a few yards up.  At last, once they had all tried and given up, a knight came riding up, looking so fine in a copper suit of armor, riding his horse, right up the side of the glass hill he went and the princess threw him a golden apple which landed in his shoe.  Then the knight rode off quickly and no one knew what had become of him.
Two more times this happened, first with a mysterious knight clad all in silver riding a splendid horse, and finally a knight outfitted in the brightest gold atop the most magnificent horse yet.  Each time the princess threw a golden apple to the knight who rode off without speaking to anyone.  Cinderlad’s brothers teased him with the news of the contest each day, saying "the knights were so much brighter than the ashes you are always raking amongst!"  
The next day all the knights and princes were to appear before the King and the Princess, in order for he who had the 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 the King, "for with our own eyes we all saw a man ride up and take it."  And one after the other they all came, but no one had the golden apple, and after a long, long time Cinderlad's two brothers came likewise.  They were the last of all, so the King inquired of them if there was no one else in the kingdom left to come.  "Oh, yes we have a brother", said the two, "but he never got the golden apple!  He never left the cinder-hap 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 Cinderlad was forced to go to the King's palace.
"Hast thou the golden apple?" asked the King.
"Yes, here is the first, and here is the second, and here is the third, too,” said Cinderlad, and he took all the three apples out of his pocket.  Then he threw off his sooty rags, and appeared there before them in his bright golden armor, which gleamed as he stood.
"Thou shalt have my daughter, and the half of my kingdom, and thou hast well earned both!" cried the King happily.  So there was a wedding, and Cinderlad got to marry the Princess, once she accepted, and everyone made merry at the wedding.  Though they could not ride up the glass hill, and if they not left off their merry-making, they must be at it still.