昔、娘が一人いる王様がいました。王様はガラスの山を作らせ、転ばないで山の向こう側に渡ることができた者に娘を妻に与える、と言いました。すると、王様の娘を愛している男がいて、王様に、王女様をいただけますか、と尋ねました。「いいとも」と王様は言いました。「転ばずにあの山を越えることができたら、娘をやるぞ。」王女は男と一緒に行き、男が転びそうになったら支えてあげると言いました。それで二人は山を越えるために一緒にでかけましたが、半分登ったところで王女が滑って転び、ガラスの山が開いて中に王女を閉じ込めてしまいました。いいなずけの男は、山があっという間に閉じてしまったので、娘がどこへ行ったのか見えませんでした。それから男は大いに泣き、嘆き悲しみました。王様も惨めで、娘が行方不明になったところの山を壊し開いてみるように命令し、娘を外にだせるだろうと考えましたが、落ちた場所を見つけられませんでした。
その間に、王様の娘は、地中にとても深く落ちて大きなほら穴に入りました。とても長い灰色のひげを生やしたじいさんが、王女を出迎えて、召使になって命じる何でもやるなら生かしておくが、そうでなければ殺す、と言いました。それで王女はじいさんの命じることを何でもやりました。朝にじいさんはポケットからはしごを出し、山にたてかけ、はしごで上まで登り、そのあとはしごをしまいました。王女はじいさんの食事を作り、ベッドをととのえ、じいさんのしごとをすべてやらされました。何年も一緒に暮らして、王女はすっかり年をとり、じいさんは王女をマンスロットおばさんと呼び、自分をリンクランクじいさんと呼ばせました。するとあるとき、じいさんがでかけていたとき、王女はベッドをととのえおわり皿を洗ってしまうと、戸と窓を全部しっかり閉め、光が差し込む小さな窓一つだけ開けておきました。
リンクランクじいさんはかえってきて、戸をたたき、「マンスロットおばさん、戸を開けておくれ」と叫びました。「いやよ、リンクランクじいさん。戸を開けてやらないわ。」と王女は言いました。するとじいさんは言いました、「ここに立っているおれ、かわいそうなリンクランク、１７フィートの長いすねに、疲れ果てた足で、マンスロットおばさん、皿を洗っとくれ」「もう皿は洗いました」と王女は答えました。するとじいさんはまた言いました、「ここに立っているおれ、かわいそうなリンクランク、１７フィートの長いすねに、疲れ果てた足で、ベッドをととのえておくれ、マンスロットおばさん」「もうベッドはととのえました」と王女は答えました。するとじいさんはまた言いました、「ここに立っているおれ、かわいそうなリンクランク、１７フィートの長いすねに、疲れ果てた足で、戸を開けておくれ、マンスロットおばさん」それからじいさんは走って家をまわり、小さな窓が開いているのを見て、（中を覗き込んで、あいつがいったい何をしているのか、どうして戸を開けないのか見てみよう）と思いました。
じいさんは中を覗こうとしましたが長いひげが邪魔をして頭を入れられませんでした。それでまず開いた窓からひげを中に入れました。しかし、ひげを入れ終わったちょうどそのとき、マンスロットおばさんがやってきて、窓に縛っておいた紐を引っ張って窓を下ろしてしまい、ひげがしっかり挟まれてしまいました。それでひどく痛がって、じいさんはとてもあわれっぽく泣きだし、放してくれと頼みました。しかし王女は「山に登るはしごをくれるまではだめ。」と言いました。それで、いやおうなく、じいさんははしごのありかを言わなくてはなりませんでした。王女は窓にとても長いリボンをつないでいたので、はしごを立てかけ山に登っててっぺんに着いた時、窓を開けました。
王女は父親のところに行き、今まであったことを話しました。王様はとても喜んで、いいなずけはまだそこにいました。みんなは山に行って掘り起こし、中にリンクランクじいさんと金銀を見つけ、王様はリンクランクじいさんを殺させ、金銀の宝をもって帰りました。王女はいいなずけと結婚し、華やかで幸せに暮らしました。
There was once on a time a King who had a daughter, and he caused a glass mountain to be made, and said that whosoever could cross to the other side of it without falling should have his daughter to wife. Then there was one who loved the King's daughter, and he asked the King if he might have her. "Yes," said the King; "if you can cross the mountain without falling, you shall have her." And the princess said she would go over it with him, and would hold him if he were about to fall. So they set out together to go over it, and when they were half way up the princess slipped and fell, and the glass-mountain opened and shut her up inside it, and her betrothed could not see where she had gone, for the mountain closed immediately. Then he wept and lamented much, and the King was miserable too, and had the mountain broken open where she had been lost, and though the would be able to get her out again, but they could not find the place into which she had fallen. Meanwhile the King's daughter had fallen quite deep down into the earth into a great cave. An old fellow with a very long gray beard came to meet her, and told her that if she would be his servant and do everything he bade her, she might live, if not he would kill her. So she did all he bade her. In the mornings he took his ladder out of his pocket, and set it up against the mountain and climbed to the top by its help, and then he drew up the ladder after him. The princess had to cook his dinner, make his bed, and do all his work, and when he came home again he always brought with him a heap of gold and silver. When she had lived with him for many years, and had grown quite old, he called her Mother Mansrot, and she had to call him Old Rinkrank. Then once when he was out, and she had made his bed and washed his dishes, she shut the doors and windows all fast, and there was one little window through which the light shone in, and this she left open. When Old Rinkrank came home, he knocked at his door, and cried, "Mother Mansrot, open the door for me." - "No," said she, "Old Rinkrank, I will not open the door for thee." 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 washed thy dishes already," said she. Then again he said,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Wash my dishes, Mother Mansrot."
"I have washed thy dishes already," said she. Then again he said,
"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Make me my bed, Mother Mansrot."
"I have made thy bed already," said she. Then again he said,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Make me my bed, Mother Mansrot."
"I have made thy bed already," said she. Then 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 round his house, and saw that the little window was open, and thought, "I will look in and see what she can be about, and why she will not open the door for me." He tried to peep in, but could not get his head through because of his long beard. So he first put his beard through the open window, but just as he had got it through, Mother Mansrot came by and pulled the window down with a cord which she had tied to it, and his beard was shut fast in it. Then he began to cry most piteously, for it hurt him very much, and to entreat her to release him again. But she said not until he gave her the ladder with which he ascended the mountain. Then, whether he would or not, he had to tell her where the ladder was. And she fastened a very long ribbon to the window, and then she set up the ladder, and ascended the mountain, and when she was at the top of it she opened the window. She went to her father, and told him all that had happened to her. The King rejoiced greatly, and her betrothed was still there, and they went and dug up the mountain, and found Old Rinkrank inside it with all his gold and silver. Then the King had Old Rinkrank put to death, and took all his gold and silver. The princess married her betrothed, and lived right happily in great magnificence and joy.
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Open the door, Mother Mansrot."
Then he ran all round his house, and saw that the little window was open, and thought, "I will look in and see what she can be about, and why she will not open the door for me." He tried to peep in, but could not get his head through because of his long beard. So he first put his beard through the open window, but just as he had got it through, Mother Mansrot came by and pulled the window down with a cord which she had tied to it, and his beard was shut fast in it. Then he began to cry most piteously, for it hurt him very much, and to entreat her to release him again. But she said not until he gave her the ladder with which he ascended the mountain. Then, whether he would or not, he had to tell her where the ladder was. And she fastened a very long ribbon to the window, and then she set up the ladder, and ascended the mountain, and when she was at the top of it she opened the window. She went to her father, and told him all that had happened to her. The King rejoiced greatly, and her betrothed was still there, and they went and dug up the mountain, and found Old Rinkrank inside it with all his gold and silver. Then the King had Old Rinkrank put to death, and took all his gold and silver. The princess married her betrothed, and lived right happily in great magnificence and joy.