Old Rinkrank

Once upon a time, there was a king who had a daughter. He ordered a glass mountain to be built and said, "Whoever can cross to the other side without falling may marry my daughter."

A young man who loved the princess asked the king for her hand. "Yes," said the king, "if you can cross the mountain without falling, you shall have her." The princess said she would go with him and hold him if he started to fall.

So they set out together. Halfway up, the princess slipped and fell. The glass mountain opened and swallowed her up. The young man could not see where she had gone, for the mountain closed at once. He wept bitterly. The king was also heartbroken and had the mountain broken open where she had vanished, hoping to rescue her. But they could not find the place where she had fallen.

The princess had fallen deep into the earth, into a great cave. An old man with a very long gray beard came toward her. He said that if she would be his servant and do everything he ordered, she might live; otherwise, he would kill her. So she did all he commanded.

Every morning he took a ladder from his pocket, set it against the mountain, climbed to the top, and then pulled the ladder up after him. The princess had to cook his meals, make his bed, and do all the housework. When he came home, he always brought a heap of gold and silver.

She lived with him for many years and grew old. He called her Mother Mansrot, and she had to call him Old Rinkrank.

One day when he was out, she made his bed and washed his dishes. Then she shut all the doors and windows tight, except for one small window that let in light. She left that open.

When Old Rinkrank came home, he knocked at the door and cried, "Mother Mansrot, open the door for me!"

"No," she said, "Old Rinkrank, I will not open the door for you."

Then he said,

"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank, On my seventeen long shanks, On my weary, worn-out foot, Wash my dishes, Mother Mansrot."

"I have already washed your dishes," she said.

Again he said,

"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank, On my seventeen long shanks, On my weary, worn-out foot, Make my bed, Mother Mansrot."

"I have already made your bed," she said.

Again he said,

"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank, On my seventeen long shanks, On my weary, worn-out foot, Open the door, Mother Mansrot."

Then he ran all around his house and saw that the small window was open. He thought, "I will look in and see what she is doing and why she will not open the door." He tried to peep in but could not get his head through because of his long beard. So he put his beard through the open window. But just as he did, Mother Mansrot came and pulled the window down with a cord she had tied to it, and his beard was caught fast.

He began to cry most pitifully, for it hurt terribly, and begged her to release him. But she said she would not until he gave her the ladder he used to climb the mountain. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to tell her where the ladder was.

She fastened a very long ribbon to the window, set up the ladder, and climbed the mountain. At the top, she opened the window. She went to her father and told him everything that had happened.

The king rejoiced greatly. Her betrothed was still there. They went and dug up the mountain and found Old Rinkrank inside with all his gold and silver. The king had Old Rinkrank put to death and took all his treasure. The princess married her betrothed, and they lived happily in great splendor and joy.