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。