the hill. And when they had worn out their horses, so that they could
not stir a leg, they were all forced to give it up. So the king thought
he might as well proclaim that the riding should take place the day
after for the last time, just to give them one chance more; but all at
once it came across his mind that he might as well wait a little longer,
to see if the knight in brass mail would come this day too. Well! they
saw nothing of him; but all at once came one riding on a steed, far, far
braver and finer than that on which the knight in brass had ridden, and
he had silver mail, and a silver saddle and bridle, all so bright that
the sunbeams gleamed and glanced from them far away. Then the others
shouted out to him again, saying he might as well stop, and not try to
ride up the hill, for all his trouble would be thrown away. But the
knight paid no heed to them, and rode straight at the hill, and right up
it, till he had gone two-thirds of the way, and then he wheeled his
horse around and rode down again. To tell the truth, the Princess liked
him still better than the knight in brass, and she sat and wished he
might be able to come right up to the top, and down the other side; but
when she saw him turning back, she threw the second apple after him, and
it rolled down and fell into his shoe. But as soon as ever he had come
down the hill of glass, he rode off so fast that no one could see what
became of him.

At even, all were to go in before the king and the Princess, that he who
had the golden apple might show it. In they went, one after the other,
but there was no one who had any apple to show.

The third day everything happened as it had happened the two days
before. There was no one who could get so much as a yard up the hill;
and now all waited for the knight in silver mail, but they neither saw
nor heard of him. At last came one riding on a steed, so brave that no