he should never reach her, and he
was full of grief, and resolved at least to stay at the foot of the
mountain and wait for her. So he built himself a hut, and sat there and
waited a whole year; and every day he saw the Princess drive round and
pass in, and was never able to reach her.

One day he looked out of his hut and saw three robbers fighting, and he
called out, "Mercy on us!" Hearing a voice, they stopped for a moment,
but went on again beating one another in a dreadful manner. And he cried
out again, "Mercy on us!" They stopped and listened, and looked about
them, and then went on again. And he cried out a third time, "Mercy on
us!" and then, thinking he would go and see what was the matter, he went
out and asked them what they were fighting for. One of them told him he
had found a stick which would open any door only by knocking at it; the
second said he had found a cloak which, if he put it on, made him
invisible; the third said he was possessed of a horse that would ride
over everything, even the glass mountain. Now they had fought because
they could not agree whether they should enjoy these things in common or
separately.

"Suppose we make a bargain," said the man; "it is true I have no money,
but I have other things yet more valuable to exchange for these; I must,
however, make trial of them beforehand, to see if you have spoken truth
concerning them."

So they let him mount the horse, and put the cloak round him, and they
gave him the stick into his hand, and as soon as he had all this he was
no longer to be seen; but laying about him well, he gave them all a
sound thrashing, crying out,

"Now, you good-for-nothing fellows, you have got what you deserve;
perhaps you will be satisfied now!"

Then he rode up the glass mountain, and when he reached the castle gates
he found them locked; but he beat with his stick upon the door and it
opened at once. And he walked in, and up the stairs to the great room
where sat the Princess with a golden cup and wine before her: she could
not see him so long as the cloak was on him, but drawing near to her he
pulled off the ring she had given him, and threw it into the cup with a
clang.

"This is my ring," she cried, "and the man who is to set me free must be
here too!"

But though she sought through the whole castle she found him not; he had
gone outside, seated himself on his horse, and thrown off the cloak. And
when she came to look out at the door, she saw him