When Freddy picked it up the little man said, “It’s red without, it’s white within, got golden dots upon its skin, it’s sharp sometimes but often sweet – now we must travel till we meet. And remember, Freddy, there’s nothing up there; what’s around your feet is more important.” And then the little man was gone. Freddy sat there and ate his beautiful strawberry.
He looked at all the beautiful strawberries in his mummy’s garden and thought to himself, “It’s more important to look where you’re going in this world.”
And that’s the last of my wee story.
Princess and the Glass Hill
Once upon a time in the middle of this forest there lived a widow who had three sons, Willie, Tom and Jack. Jack was the youngest. And Jack was as lazy as could be. But the other two sons were awful good workers and they helped their mummy every way they could, cutting sticks and doing everything for her. But Jack would do nothing! Just lie about the house, laze and lie in the sunshine, lazy as could be, wouldn’t wash his face or comb his hair or do anything. His mother and his brothers were fed up with him.
So she says to him one day, “Jack, you might rise and go oot, plough that wee bit field! See if we get a wee puckle corn for to keep the animals alive in the wintertime.”
“No me, Mother,” he says, “I’m no gaunna dae that! My brothers will dae it.” Everything that the mother asked him to do... “My brothers’ll dae it!” But he would do nothing. All he would do is walk out in the wood, lie on his back in the sun and gaze into the stars at night.
Anyway, it wore round near the wintertime. And they had a wee puckle corn, a wee field of corn getting ready for cutting. The harvest was nearly ready. So, in case deer would come down and eat it, the two brothers would go out at night and watch it. There was no fence in these days. But the brothers were too tired after working hard all day and the mother coaxed Jack.
She says, “Look, Jack, your brothers are working hard and you’re lying about the hoose doing nothing. Would you go out to that wee corn field and watch it? You know what happened last year. Naebody watched it and the deer came from the forest and the corn was all gone! Every year we sow that wee field of corn it’s gone in the morning whenever it’s ready – gone!” But Jack hemmed and hawed and carried on.
At last he said, “Okay, Mother, I’ll go tae the field. I’ll watch it!”
And beside the field was a big tree. Just about seven or eight o’clock as it began to get dark Jack laid his back against the tree and fell sound asleep! Then he heard crump, crump, crump – as if it was a beast eating corn – crump, crump, crump. He looked and it was a horse, a great big black horse.
“Oh,” he said, “that’s no gaunna eat my mother’s corn!” He went up and caught this big black horse. There was a bridle on it, saddle on it and a suit of armour. Common iron armour tied on to the back of the saddle. He looked at it.
“Aye, that’s a guid horse,” he said, “but if I tak that back my two brothers will take it fae me. I’ll take it into the forest and hide it.” He took it and hid it in the forest. “I’ll come back every day,” he says, “and watch it so that naebody can steal it fae me.”
He went back to his tree, laid against it and watched the corn till morning.
Here he comes early in the morning. Mother asks him how he got on.
“Okay, Mother,” he says, “I watched your corn all nicht. Nobody touched it. But I’m no cutting it for you! Your sons Willie and Tom can cut it.”
But she says, “They’ll no be able to cut it because it’ll no be right ready for another two-three days. You’ll have to watch it for another two nights.”
Ah, he hemmed and he hawed but she got him coaxed anyway. Second night came.
“I’ll go, Mother,” he said, “and watch it; for your sake, no for theirs!”
He was lazy, would do nothing!
Away he goes. Gets his back against the tree again. Just as it’s getting dark he hears the same thing again: crump-crunch, crump-crunch, crump-crunch. He looks. Here’s another horse, but this time it’s a white one. Snow white, saddle, bridle, and on its back a silver suit of armour! Pure solid silver suit of armour tied to the saddle.
Well, he scratched his head.
He said, “I don’t know what I’m gaun do with all these horses. Where they’re coming from I don’t know. But anyway, I’m no taking it hame. My brothers’ll steal it fae me, and I’ll never get it. But it’s mine! I got it. It was eating our corn. It’s mine and I’m keeping it!”
He takes it into the forest, hides it. He checks on the first one; it’s still there. Takes all his armour, hides it, hides all the harness and tethers the horse in the forest. He has two horses now. So, he goes back to the field of corn again, lies back against his tree, sleeps till morning. Home he comes to his mother, gets his breakfast.
“Well, Jack,” she says, “son, how did you get on?”
“Oh, Mother,” he said, “I got on fine. I had a good night. The stars were up and nobody bothered me. I was lying against the tree. I had a good sleep. But your corn’s safe enough. No touched.”
Anyway, he goes back to his bed and has a sleep all day. It comes near night again. His two brothers are busy working cutting timber and trees, firewood and everything. They are too tired.
Mother says, “Jack, the corn’ll be ready soon for cutting and you’ll have to watch it tonight again.”
“Oh, well, Mother,” he says, “I’ll watch it for another night.” So he’s thinking to his ownself, “Maybe I’ll get another horse!”
Now he’s keen to get back to watch this field. But just about four or five o’clock away he goes, gets his back against the tree again. Lies down sleeping. But he must have slept for about half an hour when he wakens up. It’s dark. And he hears crunch-crump, crunch-crump. He looks. Here’s a big horse, a big brown horse, a bigger one this time! Oh, about sixteen hands, highest you could get. Great big lovely brown horse. He walks up to it. It’s quite quiet and he pets it. There’s a saddle on it, bridle on it and hanging to the saddle is a golden set of harness. Pure gold – it’s dazzling! He can hardly look at it, made of pure beaten gold.
“Man,” he says, “I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life!” He scratches his head. “Where could that come from? Somebody’s doing this on me. I don’t know what to do. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m no taking it home to my mother and my brothers; I’m gaunna take it to the forest!” He takes it to the forest, hides his saddle, hides his golden armour. He says, “I’ll come back through the day today when naebody’s aboot and I’ll polish it all up.”
Back to his tree, sits there and watches his mother’s corn till morning again. She has his breakfast for him.
She said, “How did you get on, Jack?”
“Oh,” he said, “I got on fine, Mother.”
“Did you see anything in the field?” she said, “disturbing the wee puckle corn?”
“No,” he said, “nothing, Mother. It’s safe enough. Nobody ever touched it.”
“Well, it’ll be ready for cutting in the morning,” she said. “And I’ll get your two brothers to go oot and cut it. You’ll no need to go back nae mair. But will ye do me one favour?”
“What’s that, Mother?”
“Would ye go and wash yourself?” she says. “You’re getting dirtier and uglier looking every day. Your hair’s needing combed. Your face is needing washed. You’re a disgrace. And tomorrow’s the market day in the village. They’re holding a big parade in the market tomorrow. And your brothers are going. You might go with them!”
“No,” he said, “I’m no gaun to nae market. I’ve got something else. I’m gaun away for a walk to the forest.”
Away he goes to the forest and he feeds his horses. Tethers them, shifts them and polishes up his three suits of armour. And he hides them in a big rocky cave.
“They’ll come in handy to me some day,” he said. “But I’ll no sell them!” Oh, and he groomed his horses. They were shining, you
know! A black one, a white one and a big brown one.
The next day his brothers came back from the market. Willie and Tom said to him, “You missed yersel today. It was great! You want to see the carnival and the fair we were at in the market, they’re great! And I’ll tell ye another thing: the king’s coming tomorrow. He’s coming to the carnival, the king! There was a messenger gaun round today reporting right round the village. The king’s got an important message for anybody that wants to hear.”
“Oh, well,” Jack said, “if it’s going to be as good as that, I might take a wander wi’ yese and see what’s gaun on.”
“But you cannae go like that,” Tom says, “in the state you’re in! Look at you – you’re in rags! Your hair’s no combed and your face is no washed. You’re an awful mess.”
Now underneath all this dirt Jack was a good-looking young man. Beautiful young man! He had blue eyes, fair hair. But he wouldn’t keep himself tidy. Had not time, never bothered.
“Anyway,” he said, “I’ll go wi’ yese.”
So the next day Willie and Tom spruced themselves up and dressed themselves the best way they could. Away they went. Bade their mother good morning and away they walked to the market. Jack trudged away behind them, oh, trailing his feet wandering after them.
“Fairs,” he said, “and markets! What am I wanting wi’ fairs and markets? They’re no use to me. But to please them and keep them civil I’ll go wi’ them.”
On he goes. Trudges into the village.
And you want to see this market, great big market and a great big fair! Everybody was dressed in their best clothes. And there were children playing with balloons and all these kinds of stalls. You could get anything to eat. Drinks and wine and places where you get plenty fruit. Everybody had brought eggs and there were animals for sale. Everybody was enjoying themselves. Once a year this market came in the village square.
The first thing they heard was the bugle and the hunting horn coming sounding through the village. And everybody became quiet.
First came a line of soldiers. And after the soldiers came this carriage, two white horses. And the king was sitting in it, the king of the country. He stopped right in the market square! And he sat in his carriage. This soldier stood up... The king wants to speak to his villagers. This is the fourth village he’s been in and he’s telling everybody:
“Tomorrow, and for the next three days to come, he’s got a task for any young man who is able to do it. His daughter the princess has got her daddy to build her a glass hill and she’s got to sit on this hill, right on the top. Any man that can go up on horseback and catch a golden apple as she throws it will marry the princess! One, and one only, has got to climb the glass hill. Everybody is welcome to try, to come round from all the country over, far and wide in the kingdom, to come and try their luck.”
Well, everybody was keen to do this, marry the princess. That was her request. That’s what she wanted, nothing else; any man that could climb to the top of the glass hill on horseback would marry the princess and have half of the king’s kingdom. So, the three brothers dandered home and they told their mother about this.
Willie and Tom say, “We’ll go. We’ve a couple o’ good horses. We’ll have a shot.” Willie says to Jack the youngest, “You gaun? You cannae go in that state! You’ll be killed. The king’ll shoot you if you go in that state of filth you’re in! You’ll shame us. We’re gaun to try this. Everybody’s entitled to go.”
So, Willie and Tom picked the two best horses they had. Dressed themselves in their finery and away they went. They had a long road to go. And when they landed at the king’s palace there was a bigger market still! There were knights and warriors from all over the kingdom all lined up. Right in the front of the palace was a big hill made of solid glass. And on the top was a chair. Sitting in the chair was a lovely young princess. She had three golden apples in her hand. Now this hill was steep. It was about half a mile up made of solid glass. And there was no way whichever to get up the face of it!
So, at twelve o’clock in the day everybody started. This was going on for three days. And if nobody could climb the glass hill in three days the princess would never marry. So, everybody’s trying! There were knights on black horses and piebald horses and brown horses. They’re riding up! A wee bit up and the horse’s feet were slipping on the glass and falling back down. Slipping again, falling down. The two brothers Willie and Tom tried it; nah, hopeless, never got anywhere. Horses couldn’t face it. But wait! Everybody was gathered round; the king came down.
He said, “Is there not a man among youse can climb that hill and satisfy my daughter?”
They look. And they see this knight coming on this black horse and a suit of armour on him. He’s coming like the wind! And he rides right to the foot of the glass hill. He goes fweezht, a wee bit up! The princess is so excited she throws an apple. He catches it and rides back down and away, disappears!
So everybody went daft clapping their hands, shouting and carrying on to see this knight climbing a wee bit o’ this glass hill. He was the only one that went up a wee bit and got the first apple. But this was Jack with his black horse!
When his two brothers had left he had walked into the wood, got his black horse, dressed himself up, put on his suit of armour and followed them to the market. He tried with his big black horse. Now this horse that he’d got could go up the hill. Because this was a fairy horse, you see! And Jack got the apple, put it in his pocket, went back to the forest and hid it along with his black horse. Put on his rags again and walked home to his mother’s house. And he was sitting there when his two brothers came back.
His mother said to them, “How’d you get on, sons? What was it like?
“Oh, Mother,” they said. “You should have been there! You want to have seen it! There were thousands of people from all over the world. Horses in the millions. And everybody tried. The beautiful princess sitting up on the top of that glass hill and not a soul could get near her. But one knight, one knight with the most beautiful horse I ever saw, he went up a quarter of the way and catcht a golden apple. The king’s going raving mad wondering where he went. He disappeared! Nobody knows where he is. And the same thing’s on tomorrow again. We’re going back to have another try.”
And Jack, he’s lying in the corner of his mother’s house beside the fire. He says, “Was it as good as that?”
“Oh,” Willie and Tom said, “you missed yersel, man, you should have come! You want to see this knight! You want to see the horse he had. It was the greatest horse ever I saw. I’ve seen many’s a horse. But that was the greatest ever I saw in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever see another one. And nobody knows where he comes fae.”
“Ach well,” he said, “I’m no worried. It’ll no bother me. I’m no interested in these kinds of things.”
“No, you wouldna be interested!” his brothers said to him. “You’d rather lie in the fire among the coals like Cinderella. But we’re going tomorrow again. Everybody can try. Somebody’s got to get an apple!”
Away his two brothers go the next day again. Land back at the front of the king’s palace again. And the same thing starts. Everybody tries. Nah! Not a hope. If there were horses the first day there are twice as many the second day. Knights in armour, riders of all description, old men, young men, boys with horses trying their best. No use. But they look! Coming in the distance, just as the other riders are finishing. Here it comes again! A white horse this time, a silver suit of armour. The sun is shining on it and a great big white feather on the top of his helmet. He’s coming! Right to the glass hill – half roads up, he stops. The princess is so excited she throws a golden apple and he catches it. He turns his horse, right down the hill and away again. The king’s up!
He’s shouting, “Get that man! Bring that man back. Catch him!”
And they sent about a dozen soldiers after him. But the soldiers’ horses couldn’t catch him. He disappeared in the forest. He was gone! So they carried on till evening
till it was finished. And the two brothers came trudging home again wearied and fed up. Jack by this time was back home, had changed back into his rags and was lying back beside the fire after getting his tea from his mother. Brothers came in. They were mystified. They didn’t know what to say.
They said, “Brother, you should hae been there. You should hae been there today! Another knight came. If the first knight had a horse, this one had a better ane. A silver stallion about sixteen hands, high as you could get! And a silver suit of armour. Solid silver. It was dazzling everybody that was there. But he rode half-roads up the hill and now he’s away! And he got a golden apple. Now there’s only one apple left. The king’s going raving mad and so is his daughter. Well, tomorrow’s the last day. We’re gaun back tomorrow again. We have to; we must go back. But, if there were horses there the first day, there were twice as many the day. Jack, you missed yersel!”
Jack said, “Missed myself; what have I missed myself for? I’m no wanting to see folk climbing glass hills with horses! I would rather lie here at the fire. I’m no interested in these kinds of things.”
Anyway, he had his supper, went to bed and so did the brothers. But when he got them to bed he went away back to the forest. Polished up his golden armour, fed his horses, came back home, went to his bed.
Next morning away they go again to the carnival, the two brothers with their horses. The same thing happens again. Everybody’s trying, trying all day. Up a wee bit, sliding back, trying a wee bit, sliding down. Horses, men, knights, boys, everybody trying to get up the glass hill. Nah. It’s a waste of time. But just as it’s finishing, as the evening is coming in, they look in the distance. They see it coming! This brown horse. If the first two horses were bonnie and the armour was bonnie, this one is bonnier still: pure beaten solid gold! Just shining in the sun. And it comes right to the glass hill. It goes right up to the top and stops right beside the princess’s chair! And this knight jumps off the horse, bends down, kisses the princess, catches the other apple, jumps on the horse. Down the hill and off! Disappears in the distance. The folk’s going mad! People are shouting!
The Flight of the Golden Bird Page 8
