The Glass Hill — Obscure Fairy Tales

In a forgotten kingdom a long time ago was a glass hill reaching high in the sky. Atop the mountain was a tree which fruited three golden apples, no more. Those golden apples were the price of admittance to the golden castle it lived beside. The one who could enter the castle would win the hand of the princess it hosted in marriage.

For the past seven years, the princess had been waiting in a silver room for s suitor, in vain. Many mighty knights had tried to reach the castle and failed, either giving up the task while trying to climb, or dying in their attempt.

Afoot the glass hill laid a sea of corpses, skeletons and limbs of the many men who had tried their fate at the task at hand.

One day, a tall knight with broad shoulders, dressed in golden armour and armed with a diamond sword, managed to climb halfway up the hill on his horse. However, when he felt his ride getting tired climbing on the slippery slope after such a long journey from home, the knight decided to turn around, and try again the next day.

Early the next morning, the golden knight was ready to try again. He mounted his horse, and set out to win, As he neared the halfway point of the hill a second time,, drenched in sweat, the golden knight noticed an eagle circling around him in the sky. He thought no more of it for a while and kept on climbing. Soon after, the bird of prey rapidly descended onto the knight and snatched his helmet off before flying away. The knight was frustrated, but kept on climbing nonetheless.

Then, the eagle dove from the sky again and quickly stuck his sharp claws into the horse’s eyes. The equestrian beast paniquet and screamed, losing balance and making the passenger fall off its back to its death. The golden knight now laid lifeless at the bottom of the hill, similarly to the many who came before him and also paid the ultimate price.

The eagle rose up in the sky before diving and chomping down on the remnants of the knight, his latest victim. The bird of prey would make a hearty meal our of his feat. This scene was far from atypical, as the eagle was the guardian of the glass hill, and anyone coming too close to completing the challenge would be turned into a meal before long.

The day after the golden knight tragically met his end, a schoolgirl in her teenage years wanted to try her own luck. It was surprising to see such a young and skinny challenger, as the majority of the ones who had attempted to climb to the castle were experience fighters with muscular builds.

To prepare for the herchallenge, the girl went hunting the night before and caught a lynx. She carefully removed the animal’s claws and added them to a pair of gloves and shoes she had crafted. The townspeople thought her a fool for taking on the challenge where so many had failed. With her head high, she brought her special hand and foot wear, a bit of food, and a hunting knife to the hill. At dawn, she started climbing.

The schoolgirl used the lynx’s claws as pickaxes and kept her body close the side of the hill to avoid slipping down. The climb was tough on her limbs, but she knew she could power through. When she needed a break, she let herself hang from the claws and rested for a bit. When she needed a drink, she let herself drink the water from the dark clouds flying over her, never giving up once. As she neared the middle of the glass hill, the schoolgirl noticed the eagle flying over her in circles. She braced herself, knowing the predator would soon descend.

As a matter of fact, the eagle dove right away, clutching its claws in the flesh of the schoolgirl. The teenager let out an agonizing screa,, which only became louder when the eagle flew away with her dangling from its claws. The girl held onto the bird’s legs with her hands, flying away with the bird towards the top of the mountain.

Once the eagle got to the top and flew only a few meters above the ground, the schoolgirl reached her hunting knife with her mouth and brought it towards her left hand, which was still latched onto the bird’s claws. She swiftly cut off the legs of the eagle in one precise motion, freeing herself.

The schoolgirl fell hard beside the apple tree. It took her a moment to regain her senses before sitting down and ravenously eating the food she had brought along. The climb and her brief but painful flight had left her wounded and weak. Eating helped relieve her hunger and give her the boost she needed for the next steps.

Then, the schoolgirl walked to the apple tree with her arms still bloody and picked the nearest apple. Using the peel of the magical fruit, she covered her wounds, healing them instantly. Now, she needed to recah the top of the tree to pick the other two apples.

The girl used a branch and the bird legs to create a long stick and reach the high-hanging fruits. She easily caught the extra two apples as they fell off the top branches. Now was time to enter the castle.

The teenager walked towards the castle gates and three one of the apples in the nieghbouring pond. The water bubbled and the doors to the castle opened up with a loud creaking noise. A strange rumbling along with a powerful scent of something burning reached the schoolgirl from inside the castle. The heart of the girl dropped. She had known about the glass hill, the eagle and the apples, but didn’t expect another challenge to come before her. She sighed. She had gotten this far, she could keep going.

Through the opened castle doors, the girl carried her bravery. Once she has crossed the treshold, the doors closed behind her and the lights dimmed as the candles were extinguished by a soft blow of wind.The rumbling sound got louder. The scent of smoke enhanced.

The schoolgirl reflected for a second. Could there be a dragon?

The teenager ran towards what she hoped was the side of the room, leaning against it, trying to make herself invisible. Soon enough, a blow of fire flew through the room towards the entrance where she had stood just a few seconds ago. In the firelight, she distinguished an enormous reptile-like shape on the other side of the hall. The floor trembled. The creature was on the move.

The girl crawled quickly accross the floor, trying not to betray her position and took the third apple out of her pocket. The first one had been for her wounds, the second for the castle doors, perhaps the third one could help her with the dragon?

She waited until he creature blew fire again and dared throw the apple inside its mouth opening. The fruit seemed to handle the heat quit well, turning bright white while flying through the flames. As soon as the apple touched the dragon’s mouth, the beast shrank into a tiny cat-sized creature.

Without the giant frame of the dragon blocking the way, the light from the courtyard could shine through, and the schoolgirl could find her way out.

Once outside, she saw a magnificient garden full of crystal rosebushes with golden leaves and diamond roses. Every flower glistened in the setting sun like beautiful flowery stars. A splendid fountain dripped a floral-scented liquid into a clear pond, where colourful frogs and dragonflies hung. Butterflies of all the colours of the rainbow laid on bronze statues here and there. The schoolgirl breathed in, relieved. It seemed she has reached the end of her journey. Now, she only needed to find the princess.

The girl walked the path by the crystal bushes. After walking for a few minutes around the garden, the girl noticed a balcony in the distance. She walked faster towards it. At the same time, the moon was rising in the sky.

When she got close enough, the girl could make out the shape of someone standing on the balcony. Getting nearer, she saw a girl of a strong physique leaning on the rail with a bored expression printed on her face. “That must be the princess,” thought the schoolgirl, her heart beating fast.

When she reachd the ground below the balcony, she shouted at the princess.

“My lady, I have come to free you from your cage that is this castle.”

The princess looked down and noticed the schoolgirl. Her face was marked with a brief surprised stare, before switching to relief. She would finally be free! The princess showed the schoolgirl her ankle, where an iron chain that kept her captive was attached. Understanding she could not leave on her own, the saviour found the door leading to the bottom of the tower and joined the princess in her chambers.

After freeing her using a hard rock, the schoolgirl and the princess came down the glass hill on the princess’ horse and got married the next day in a giant and beautiful celebration. They lived happily ever after.

The serie Obscure Fairy Tales encompasses an array of tales, myths and legends from around the world. To read more, visit this page dedicated to fiction writing.