no sooner had the
moon emerged from the clouds than the bird rose up from the
apple-tree, and circling round in the air, caught sight of the
sleeping youth.

Greedy for carrion, and sure that this must be a fresh corpse, the
bird swooped down upon the boy. But he was awake now, and perceiving
the eagle, he determined by its help to save himself.

The eagle dug its sharp claws into the tender flesh of the youth, but
he bore the pain without a sound, and seized the bird's two feet with
his hands. The creature in terror lifted him high up into the air and
began to circle round the tower of the castle. The youth held on
bravely. He saw the glittering palace, which by the pale rays of the
moon looked like a dim lamp; and he saw the high windows, and round
one of them a balcony in which the beautiful Princess sat lost in sad
thoughts. Then the boy saw that he was close to the apple-tree, and
drawing a small knife from his belt, he cut off both the eagle's feet.
The bird rose up in the air in its agony and vanished into the clouds,
and the youth fell on to the broad branches of the apple-tree.

Then he drew out the claws of the eagle's feet that had remained in
his flesh, and put the peel of one of the golden apples on the wound,
and in one moment it was healed and well again. He pulled several of
the beautiful apples and put them in his pocket; then he entered the
castle. The door was guarded by a great dragon, but as soon as he
threw an apple at it, the beast vanished.

At the same moment a gate opened, and the youth perceived a courtyard
full of flowers and beautiful trees, and on a balcony sat the lovely
enchanted Princess with her retinue.

As soon as she saw the youth, she ran towards him and greeted him as
her husband and master. She gave him all her treasures, and the youth
became a rich and mighty ruler. But he never returned to the earth,
for only the mighty eagle, who had been the guardian of the Princess
and of the castle, could have carried on his wings the enormous
treasure down to the world. But as the eagle had lost its feet it
died, and its body was found in a wood on the Glass Mountain.

* * * * *

One day when the youth was strolling about in the palace garden with
the Princess, his wife, he looked down over the edge of the Glass
Mountain and saw to his astonishment a great number of people gathered
there. He blew his silver whistle, and the swallow who acted as
messenger in the gol