In bygone days, long
centuries ago, there lived a widowed Queen who had three daughters.
And this widowed Queen was so poor, and had fallen upon such evil
days, that she and her daughters had often much ado to get enough to
eat.
So the eldest Princess determined that she would set out into the
world to seek her fortune. And her mother was quite willing that she
should do so. “For,” said she, “’tis better to work abroad than to
starve at home.”
But as there was an old hen-wife living near the Castle who was said
to be a witch, and to be able to foretell the future, the Queen sent
the Princess to her cottage, before she set out on her travels, to
ask her in which of the Four Airts she ought to go, in order to find
the best fortune.
“Thou needst gang nae farther than my back door, hinnie,” answered
the old Dame, who had always felt very sorry for the Queen and her
pretty daughters, and was glad to do them a good turn.
So the Princess ran through the passage to the hen-wife’s back door
and peeped out, and what should she see but a magnificent coach,
drawn by six beautiful cream-coloured horses, coming along the road.
Greatly excited at this unusual sight, she hurried back to the
kitchen, and told the hen-wife what she had seen.
"Aweel, aweel, ye've seen your fortune,” said the old woman, in a
tone of satisfaction, “for that coach-and-six is coming for thee.”
Sure enough, the coach-and-six stopped at the gate of the Castle,
and the second Princess came running down to the cottage to tell her
sister to make haste, because it was waiting for her. Delighted
beyond measure at the wonderful luck that had come to her, she
hurried home, and, saying farewell to her mother and sisters, took
her seat within, and the horses galloped off immediately.
And I’ve heard tell that they drew her to the Palace of a great and
wealthy Prince, who married her; but that is outside my story.
A few weeks afterwards, the second Princess thought that she would
do as her sister had done, and go down to the hen-wife’s cottage,
and tell her that she, too, was going out into the world to seek her
fortune. And, of course, in her heart of hearts she hoped that what
had happened to her sister would happen to her also.
And, curious to say, it did. For the old hen-wife sent her to look
out at her back door, and she went, and, lo and behold ! another
coach-and-six was coming along the road. And when she went and told
the old woman, she smiled upon her kindly, and told her to hurry
home, for the coach-and-six was her fortune also, and that it had
come for her.
So she, too, ran home, and got into her grand carriage, and was
driven away. And, of course, after all these lucky happenings, the
youngest Princess was anxious to try what her fortune might be; so
the very night, in high good humour, she tripped away down to the
old witch's cottage.
She, too, was told to look out at the back door, and she was only
too glad to do so; for she fully expected to see a third
coach-and-six coming rolling along the high road, straight for the
Castle door.
But, alas and alack! no such sight greeted her eager eyes, for the
high road was quite deserted, and in great disappointment she ran
back to the hen-wife to tell her so.
“Then it is clear that thy fortune is not coming to meet thee this
day" said the old Dame, “so thou must e’en come back to-morrow.”
So the little Princess went hom6 again, and next day day she turned
up once more at the old wife's cottage.
But once more she was disappointed, for although she looked out long
and eagerly, no glad sight of a coach-and-six, or of any other
coach^ greeted her eyes. On the third day, however, what should she
see but a great Black Bull coming rushing along the road, bellowing
as it came, and tossing its head fiercely in the air.
In great alarm, the little Princess shut the door, and ran to the
hen-wife to tell her about the furious animal that was approaching.
“Hech, hinnie,” cried the old woman, holding up her hands in dismay,
"and who would have thocht that the Black Bull of Norroway wad be
your fate!”
At the words, the poor little maiden grew pale. She had come out to
seek her fortune, but it had never dawned upon her that her fortune
could be anything so terrible as this.
“But the Bull cannot be my fortune,” she cried in terror. “I cannot
go away with a bull.”
“But ye'll need tae,” replied the hen-wife calmly. “For you lookit
out of my door with the intent of meeting your fortune; and when
your fortune has come tae ye, you must just thole it.”
And when the poor Princess ran weeping to her mother, to beg to be
allowed to stay at home, she found her mother of the same mind as
the Wise Woman; and so she had to allow herself to be lifted up on
to the back of the enormous Black Bull that had come up to the door
of the Castle, and was now standing there quietly enough. And when
she was settled, he set off again on his wild career, while she
sobbed and trembled with terror, and clung to his horns with all her
might.
On and on they went, until at last the poor maiden was so faint with
fear and hunger that she could scarce keep her seat.
Just as she was losing her hold of the great beast's horns, however,
and feeling that she must fall to the ground, he turned his massive
head round a little, and, speaking in a wonderfully soft and gentle
voice, said: “Eat out of my right ear, and drink out of my left ear,
so wilt thou be refreshed for thy journey.”
So the Princess put a trembling hand into the Bull’s right ear, and
drew out some bread and meat, which, in spite of her terror, she was
glad to swallow; then she put her hand into his left ear, and found
there a tiny flagon of wine, and when she had drunk that, her
strength returned to her in a wonderful way.
Long they went, and sore they rode, till, just as it seemed to the
Princess that they must be getting near the World’s End, they came
in sight of a magnificent Castle.
"That’s where we maun bide this night,” said the Black Bull of
Norroway, “for that is the house of one of my brothers.”
The Princess was greatly surprised at these words; but by this time
she was too tired to wonder very much at anything, so she did not
answer, but sat still where she was, until the Bull ran into the
courtyard of the Castle and knocked his great head against the door.
The door was opened at once by a very
splendid footman, who treated the Black Bull with great respect, and
helped the Princess to alight from his back. Then he ushered her
into a magnificent hall, where the Lord of the Castle, and his Lady,
and a great and noble company were assembled; while the Black Bull
trotted off quite contentedly to the grassy park which stretched all
round the the building, to spend the night there.
The Lord and his Lady were very kind to the Princess, and gave her
her supper, and led her to a richly furnished bedroom, all hung
round with golden mirrors, and left her to rest there; and in the
morning, just as the Black Bull came trotting up to the front door,
they handed her a beautiful apple, telling her not to break it, but
to put it in her pocket, and keep it till she was in the greatest
strait that mortal could be in. Then she was to break it, and it
would bring her out of it.
So she put the apple in her pocket, and they lifted her once more on
to the Black Bull's back, and she and her strange companion
continued on their journey.
All that day they travelled, far further than I can tell you, and at
night they came in sight of another Castle, which was even bigger
and grander than the first.
“That’s where we maun bide this night,” said the Black Bull, “for
that is the home of another of my brothers.”
And here the Princess rested for the night in a very fine bedroom
indeed, all hung with silken curtains; and the Lord and Lady of the
Castle did everything to please her and make her comfortable.
And in the morning, before she left, they presented her with the
largest pear that she had ever seen, and warned her that she must
not break it until she was in the direst strait that she had ever
been in, and then, if she broke it, it would bring her out of it.
The third day was the same as the other two had been. The Princess
and the Black Bull of Norroway rode many a weary mile, and at
sundown they came to another Castle, more splendid by far than the
other two.
This Castle belonged to the Black Bull’s youngest brother, and here
the Princess abode all night; while the Bull, as usual, lay outside
in the park. And this time, when they departed, the Princess
received a most lovely plum, with the warning not to break it till
she was in the greatest strait that mortal could be in. Then she was
to break it, and it would set her free.
On the fourth day, however, things were changed. For there was no
fine Castle waiting for them at the end of their journey; on the
contrary, as the shadows began to lengthen, they came to a dark,
deep glen, which was so gloomy and so awesome-looking that the poor
Princess felt her courage sinking as they approached it.
At the entrance the Black Bull stopped. “Light down here, Lady,” he
said, “for in this glen a deadly conflict awaits me, which I must
face unaided and alone. For the dark and gloomy region that lies
before us is the abode of a great Spirit of Darkness, who worketh
much ill in the world. I would fain fight with him and overcome him;
and, by my troth, I have good hope that I shall do so. As for thee,
thou must seat thyself on this stone, and stir neither hand, nor
foot, nor tongue till I return. For, if thou but so much as move,
then the Evil Spirit of the Glen will have thee in his power.”
“But how shall I know what is happening to thee?” asked the Princess
anxiously, for she was beginning to grow quite fond of the huge
black creature that had carried her so gallantly these last four
days, “if I have neither to move hand nor foot, nor yet to speak.”
“Thou wilt know by the signs around thee,” answered the Bull. “For
if everything about thee turn blue, then thou wilt know that I have
vanquished the Evil Spirit; but if everything about thee turn red,
then the Evil Spirit hath vanquished me.”
With these words he departed, and was soon lost to sight in the dark
recesses of the glen, leaving the little Princess sitting motionless
on her stone, afraid to move so much as her little finger, in case
some unknown evil fell upon her.
At last, when she had sat there for well-nigh an hour, a curious
change began to pass over the landscape. First it turned grey, and
then it turned a deep azure blue, as if the sky had descended on the
earth.
"The Bull hath conquered,” thought the Princess. “Oh! what a noble
animal he is!” And in her relief and delight she moved her position
and crossed one leg over the other.
Oh, woe-a-day! In a moment a mystic spell fell upon her, which
caused her to become invisible to the eyes of the Prince of Norroway,
who, having vanquished the Evil Spirit, was loosed from the spell
which had lain over him, and had transformed him into the likeness
of a great Black Bull, and who returned in haste down the glen to
present himself, in his rightful form, to the maiden whom he loved,
and whom he hoped to win for his bride.
Long, long he sought, but he could not find her, while all the time
she was sitting patiently waiting on the stone ; but the spell was
on her eyes also, and hindered her seeing him, as it hindered him
seeing her.
So she sat on and on, till at last she became so wearied, and
lonely, and frightened, that she burst out crying, and cried herself
to sleep; and when she woke in the morning she felt that it was no
use sitting there any longer, so she rose and took her way, hardly
knowing whither she was going.
And she went, and she went, till at last she came to a great hill
made all of glass, which blocked her way and prevented her going any
further. She tried time after time to climb it, but it was all of no
avail, for the surface of the hill was so slippery that she only
managed to climb up a few feet, to slide down again the next moment.
So she began to walk round the bottom of the hill, in the hope of
finding some path that would lead her over it, but the hill was so
big, and she was so tired, that it seemed almost a hopeless quest,
and her spirit died completely within her. And as she went slowly
along, sobbing with despair, she felt that if help did not come soon
she must He down and die.
About mid-day, however, she came to a little cottage, and beside the
cottage there was a smithy, where an old smith was working at his
anvil.
She entered, and asked him if he could tell her of any path that
would lead her over the mountain. The old man laid down his hammer
and looked at her, slowly shaking his head as he did so.
“Na, na, lassie,” he said, “there is no easy road over the Mountain
of Glass. Folk maim either walk round it, which is not an easy thing
to do, for the foot of it stretches out for hundreds of miles, and
the folk who try to do so are almost sure to lose their way; or they
maun walk over the top of it, and that can only be done by those who
are shod with iron shoon.”
“And how am I to get these iron shoon?” cried the Princess eagerly.
“Couldst thou fashion me a pair, good man? I would gladly pay thee
for them.” Then she stopped suddenly, for she remembered that she
had no money.
“These shoon cannot be made for siller,” said the old man solemnly.
“They can only be earned by service. I alone can make them, and I
make them for those who are willing to serve me.”
“And how long must I serve thee ere thou makest them for me?” asked
the Princess faintly.
“Seven years,” replied the old man, “for they be magic shoon, and
that is the magic number.”
So, as there seemed nothing else for it, the Princess hired herself
to the smith for seven long years: to clean his house, and cook his
food, and make and mend his clothes.
At the end of that time he fashioned her a pair of iron shoon, with
which she climbed the Mountain of Glass with as much ease as if it
had been covered with fresh green turf.
When she had reached the summit, and descended to the other side,
the first house that she came to was the house of an old
washerwoman, who lived there with her only daughter. And as the
Princess was now very tired, she went up to the door, and knocked,
and asked if she might be allowed to rest there for the night.
The washerwoman, who was old and ugly, with a sly and evil face,
said that she might on one condition and that was that she should
try to wash a white mantle that the Black Knight of Norroway had
brought to her to wash, as he had got it stained in a deadly fight.
“Yestreen I spent the lee-long day washing it,” went on the old
Dame, “and I might as well have let it lie on the table. For at
night, when I took it out of the wash-tub, the stains were there as
dark as ever. Peradventure, maiden, if thou wouldst try thy hand
upon it thou mightest be more successful. For I am loth to
disappoint the Black Knight of Norroway, who is an exceeding great
and powerful Prince.”
“Is he in any way connected with the Black Bull of Norroway?” asked
the Princess; for at the name her heart had leaped for joy, for it
seemed that mayhap she was going to find once more him whom she had
lost.
The old woman looked at her suspiciously. “The two are one,” she
answered; “for the Black Knight chanced to have a spell thrown over
him, which turned him into a Black Bull, and which could not be
lifted until he had fought with, and overcome, a mighty Spirit of
Evil that lived in a dark glen. He fought with the Spirit, and
overcame it and once more regained his true form; but ’tis said that
his mind is somewhat clouded at times, for he speaketh ever of a
maiden whom he would fain have wedded, and whom he hath lost. Though
who, or what she was, no living person kens. But this story can have
no interest to a stranger like thee,” she added slowly, as if she
were sorry for having said so much. “I have no more time to waste in
talking. But if thou wilt try and wash the mantle, thou art welcome
to a night’s lodging; and if not, I must ask thee to go on thy way.”
Needless to say, the Princess said that she would try to wash the
mantle; and it seemed as if her fingers had some magic power in
them, for as soon as she put it into water the stains vanished, and
it became as white and clean as when it was new.
Of course, the old woman was delighted, but she was very suspicious
also, for it appeared to her that there must be some mysterious link
between the maiden and the Knight, if his mantle became clean so
easily when she washed it, when it had remained soiled and stained
in spite of all the labour which she and her daughter had bestowed
upon it.
So, as she knew that the young Gallant intended returning for it
that very night, and as she wanted her daughter to get the credit of
washing it, she advised the Princess to go to bed early, in order to
get a good night’s rest after all her labours. And the Princess
followed her advice, and thus it came about that she was sound
asleep, safely hidden in the big box-bed in the corner, when the
Black Knight of Norroway came to the cottage to claim his white
mantle.
Now you must know that the young man had carried about this mantle
with him for the last seven years— ever since his encounter with the
Evil Spirit of the Glen always trying to find someone who could wash
it for him, and never succeeding.
For it had been revealed to him by a wise woman that she who could
make it white and clean was destined to be his wife be she bonnie or
ugly, old or young. And that, moreover, she would prove a loving, a
faithful, and a true helpmeet.
So when he came to the washerwoman’s cottage, and received back his
mantle white as the driven snow, and heard that it was the
washerwoman’s daughter who had wrought this wondrous change, he said
at once that he would marry her, and that the very next day.
When the Princess awoke in the morning and heard all that had
befallen, and how the Black Knight had come to the cottage while she
was asleep, and had received his mantle, and had promised to marry
the washerwoman’s daughter that very day, her heart was like to
break. For now she felt that she never would have the chance of
speaking to him and telling him who she really was.
And in her sore distress she suddenly remembered the beautiful fruit
which she had received on her journey seven long years before, and
which she had carried with her ever since.
“Surely I will never be in a sorer strait than I am now,” she said
to herself; and she drew out the apple and broke it. And, lo and
behold! it was filled with the most beautiful precious stones that
she had ever seen; and at the sight of them a plan came suddenly
into her head.
She took the precious stones out of the apple, and, putting them
into a corner of her kerchief, earned them to the washerwoman.
“See,” said she, “I am richer than mayhap thou thoughtest I was. And
if thou wilt, all these riches may be thine.”
“And how could that come about?” asked the old woman eagerly, for
she had never seen so many precious stones in her life before, and
she had a great desire to become the possessor of them.
“Only put off thy daughter’s wedding for one day,” replied the
Princess. “And let me watch beside the Black Knight as he sleeps
this night, for I have long had a great desire to see him.”
To her astonishment the washerwoman agreed to this request; for the
wily old woman was very anxious to get the jewels, which would make
her rich for life, and it did not seem to her that there was any
harm in the Princess’s request; for she had made up her mind that
she would give the Black Knight a sleeping-draught, which would
effectually prevent him as much as speaking to this strange maiden.
So she took the jewels and locked them up in her kist, and the
wedding was put off, and that night the little Princess slipped into
the Black Knight’s apartment when he was asleep, and watched all
through the long hours by his bedside, singing this song to him in
the hope that he would awake and hear it:
“Seven lang years I served for thee,
The glassy hill I clamb for thee,
The mantle white I washed for thee,
And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?”
But although she sang it over and over again, as if her heart would
burst, he neither listened nor stirred, for the old washerwoman's
potion had made sure of that.
Next morning, in her great trouble, the little Princess broke open
the pear, hoping that its contents would help her better than the
contents of the apple had done. But in it she found just what she
had found before a heap of precious stones; only they were richer
and more valuable than the others had been.
So, as it seemed the only thing to do, she carried them to the old
woman, and bribed her to put the wedding off for yet another day,
and allow her to watch that night also by the Black Prince’s
bedside.
And the washerwoman did so; “for,” said she, as she locked away the
stones, “I shall soon grow quite rich at this rate.”
But, alas! it was all in vain that the Princess spent the long hours
singing with all her might:
“Seven lang years I served for thee,
The glassy hill I clamb for thee,
The mantle white I washed for thee,
And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?”
for the young Prince whom she watched so tenderly, remained deaf and
motionless as a stone.
By the morning she had almost lost hope, for there was only the plum
remaining now, and if that failed her last chance had gone. With
trembling fingers she broke it open, and found inside another
collection of precious stones, richer and rarer than all the others.
She ran with these to the washerwoman, and, throwing them into her
lap, told her she could keep them all and welcome if she would put
off the wedding once again, and let her watch by the Prince for one
more night. And, greatly wondering, the old woman consented.
Now it chanced that the Black Knight, tired with waiting for his
wedding, went out hunting that day with all his attendants behind
him. And as the servants rode they talked together about something
that had puzzled them sorely these two nights gone by. At last an
old huntsman rode up to the Knight, with a question upon his lips.
“Master,” he said, if we would fain ken who the sweet singer is who
singeth through the night in thy chamber?” “Singer!” he repeated.
“There is no singer. My chamber hath been as quiet as the grave, and
I have slept a dreamless sleep ever since I came to live at the
cottage.” The old huntsman shook his head. "Taste not the old wife’s
draught this night, Master,” he said earnestly; “then wilt thou hear
what other ears have heard.”
At other times the Black Knight would have laughed at his words, but
to-day the man spoke with such earnestness that he could not but
listen to them. So that evening, when the washerwoman, as was her
wont, brought his sleeping-draught of spiced ale to his bedside, he
told her that it was not sweet enough for his liking. And when she
turned and went to the kitchen to fetch some honey to sweeten it, he
jumped out of bed and poured it all out of the window, and when she
came back he pretended that he had drunk it.
So it came to pass that he lay awake that night and heard the
Princess enter his room, and listened to her plaintive little song,
sung in a voice that was full of sobs:
“Seven lang years I served for thee,
The glassy hill I clamb for thee,
The mantle white I washed for thee,
And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?”
And when he heard it, he understood it all; and he sprang up and
took her in his arms and kissed her, and asked her to tell him the
whole story.
And when he heard it, he was so angry with the old washerwoman and
her deceitful daughter that he ordered them to leave the country at
once; and he married the little Princess, and they lived happily all
their days. |