Once upon a time, in a far-away country, there was a king. He had a beautiful daughter. The king loved his daughter dearly, yet he was strict. To find a suitable husband for her, he came up with a special solution.
He built a glass mountain outside the royal palace. The mountain was so smooth that it was almost impossible to stand on. Then, he announced to everyone in the country, “I will marry my daughter to the man who can walk over this mountain without falling.”
Upon hearing this, many young men jumped at the chance to marry the princess. One young man was especially fond of the princess. He mustered the courage to go see the king and ask if he could marry his daughter.
The king smiled and said, “Of course you can, as long as you can walk over that glass mountain.”
At that moment, the princess overheard them. She thought the young man was very courageous and decided to accompany him up the mountain. She said, “If you fall, I’ll help you.” So, the two of them set off together.
But things were not as simple as they thought. They had only gotten halfway up the mountain when the princess slipped and fell. She fell into a large hole in the mountain. The mountain closed up around her as if nothing had happened.
The boy could not see where she had gone and cried out. The king was very sad when he found out, and he immediately sent someone to dig up the mountain, hoping to save his daughter. However, no one knew where she had fallen, so they could not help her.
The princess had fallen so deep that she ended up in a dark hole. Just when she didn’t know what to do, an old man with a white beard appeared. He told the princess, “If you agree to be my maid and obey me, I will let you live. Otherwise, you will die here.”
The princess had no choice but to agree to his terms. So she lived in the cave. Every day, she had to cook, make the bed, and clean the house for the old man. Every morning, the old man took a ladder out of his pocket, set it up on a hill, and climbed to the top. At night, he returned with a bag of gold, silver, and jewelry.
Many years passed this way. The princess grew old, and the old man with the white beard began to call her “Mother Manslo,” while she called him “Old Hildebrand.”
One day, Old Hildebrand left the house. Dame Mansilla took this opportunity to make the bed and wash the dishes. Then, she hurriedly closed all the doors and windows, leaving only one small window open to let in some light. She did this because she did not want the old man to return so soon.
A short time later, Old Hildebrand returned. He stood at the door, knocking and calling out, “Dame Manslo, open the door for me!”
But Dame Mansilla said, “I won’t open the door. First, think for yourself: Why should I open the door to you?”
The old man was a little angry at this, but he continued:
“Poor Old Hildebrand, with his seventeen tired and sore legs, washing your dishes, Mrs. Manslo.”
Mistress Mansloe replied, “I have washed your dishes.”
The old man continued:
“Poor Old Hildebrand, standing on seventeen long legs, which are tired and sore. Make my bed, Mrs. Manslo.”
Mistress Manslo added, “I have made your bed, too.”
The old man would not die. He went on, “Poor Old Hildebrand, standing on seventeen long legs, which are tired and sore. Make my bed, Mistress Manslo.”
“Poor Old Hildebrand, standing on seventeen long legs, which are tired and sore. Open the door for me, Mistress Manslo.”
When he finished, he ran around the house trying to find another way in. As he ran, he saw the little open window. He thought, “I can see what she’s really doing from here. Why won’t she open the door for me?”
He moved closer to the window and tried to look inside. But his beard was too long, and his head couldn’t reach in. So, he shoved his beard through the window first and then tried to squeeze his head in.
Just as he was finishing, Mrs. Manslo discovered him. It turned out that she had already prepared for it. She pulled a rope, and the window closed at once with a sharp pull. The old man’s beard got caught inside, and he screamed in pain.
He cried and begged for mercy: “Auntie, let me go! It hurts too much!” But Mrs. Manslo was unmoved. She said, “Unless you tell me where the ladder is hidden, I won’t let you go.”
The old man couldn’t stand it anymore, so he told her where the ladder was hidden. When Mrs. Manslo heard this, she immediately tied a long rope to the window, set up the ladder, and climbed up it. Once she reached the spot where she had fallen, she untied the rope and lowered the window.
She returned to the palace and told her father, the king, what she had been through all these years. The king was overjoyed to hear that his daughter was alive. The young man who had accompanied her up the mountain was waiting for her in the same place. The king sent his men to dig through the mountain of glass again, and they found Old Hildebrand and all his treasures.
The king then ordered the execution of the old man and took all his gold and jewels. The princess finally married her beloved and lived happily ever after.
What is this story about?
It’s a story about courage, wisdom, and perseverance. Although the princess was trapped in the cave for many years, she never gave up hope. She used her ingenuity to escape and help her father retrieve the treasure. Her boyfriend was watching over her the whole time, and their love is touching.
If you are a friend learning Chinese, I hope this version makes it easier for you to understand this classic fairy tale. If you have other stories that need to be rewritten or translated, please let me know!
