English Original
There was once a king who had a daughter. He had a glass mountain built and declared that whoever could cross to the other side without falling would win his daughter's hand in marriage.
A man who loved the princess asked the king for permission to marry her. "Yes," said the king, "if you can cross the mountain without falling, you shall have her." The princess offered to go with him and support him if he stumbled.
They set out together. Halfway up, the princess slipped and fell. The glass mountain opened, swallowed her, and immediately closed. Her betrothed could not see where she had gone. He wept and lamented bitterly. The king, also miserable, ordered the mountain broken open where she was lost, hoping to rescue her, but they could not find the spot.
Meanwhile, the princess had fallen deep into the earth, into a great cave. An old man with a long gray beard met her. He told her she must serve him and obey all his commands to live; otherwise, he would kill her. She obeyed.
Each morning, he took a ladder from his pocket, set it against the mountain, climbed to the top, and then drew the ladder up after him. The princess had to cook, clean, make his bed, and do all his work. When he returned, he always brought heaps of gold and silver.
After many years, when she had grown old, he called her Mother Mansrot, and she had to call him Old Rinkrank.
One day when he was out, after finishing her chores, she shut all doors and windows tightly, leaving only one small window open for light. When Old Rinkrank returned, he knocked and cried, "Mother Mansrot, open the door for me."
"No," she said, "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," she replied.
He said again:
"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," she said.
He pleaded once more:
"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Open the door, Mother Mansrot."
He ran around the house, saw the open window, and thought to peek inside to see what she was doing. He tried to put his head through but his long beard got in the way. So he first pushed his beard through the window. Just then, Mother Mansrot pulled a cord she had tied to the window, slamming it shut and trapping his beard.
He cried piteously from the pain and entreated her to free him. She refused until he gave her the ladder he used to ascend the mountain. Forced, he told her where it was. She fastened a long ribbon to the window, set up the ladder, climbed the mountain, and opened the window at the top.
She went to her father and told him everything. The king rejoiced greatly. Her betrothed was still waiting. They 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 his treasure. The princess married her betrothed, and they lived happily in great magnificence and joy.
中文翻译
从前有一位国王，他有一个女儿。国王命人建造了一座玻璃山，并宣布谁能不摔倒地翻越到另一头，谁就能娶他的女儿为妻。
一位爱慕公主的男子向国王请求迎娶她。国王说：“可以，只要你能不摔倒地翻越这座山，她就是你的人了。”公主表示愿意与他同行，并在他要摔倒时扶住他。
他们一同出发。爬到半山腰时，公主滑倒了。玻璃山裂开，将她吞没，随即闭合。她的未婚夫看不到她去了哪里。他痛哭流涕，悲伤不已。国王也很悲痛，命人在公主失踪的地方凿开山体，希望能救出她，但他们找不到那个地点。
与此同时，公主坠入了地底深处的一个大洞穴。一个留着长灰胡子的老头遇到了她。他告诉她，她必须服侍他并听从他的所有命令才能活命，否则就杀了她。她照做了。
每天早晨，他从口袋里掏出一把梯子，把它靠在山上，借助梯子爬到山顶，然后再把梯子收上去。公主必须为他做饭、打扫、铺床，完成所有家务。他每次回家，总会带回成堆的金银。
多年以后，公主也老了，他叫她曼斯罗特妈妈，而她必须叫他老林克兰克。
有一天他外出时，公主干完活后，把所有的门窗都关得紧紧的，只留一扇小窗户透光。老林克兰克回家后，敲门喊道：“曼斯罗特妈妈，给我开门。”
“不，”她说，“老林克兰克，我不会给你开门的。”
于是他说：
“可怜林克兰克站这里，
靠着十七条长腿，
踩着疲惫磨损的脚，
曼斯罗特妈妈，给我洗碗碟。”
“你的碗碟我已经洗好了，”她回答。
他又说：
“可怜林克兰克站这里，
靠着十七条长腿，
踩着疲惫磨损的脚，
曼斯罗特妈妈，给我铺好床。”
“你的床我已经铺好了，”她说。
他再次恳求：
“可怜林克兰克站这里，
靠着十七条长腿，
踩着疲惫磨损的脚，
曼斯罗特妈妈，给我开开门。”
他绕着房子跑了一圈，看到那扇开着的窗户，便想偷看她在做什么。他试图把头伸进去，但长胡子挡住了。于是，他先把胡子塞进了窗户。就在这时，曼斯罗特妈妈拉动了系在窗户上的绳子，窗户猛地关上，夹住了他的胡子。
他痛得可怜巴巴地哭起来，哀求她放了他。她拒绝了，除非他交出用来爬山的梯子。他被迫说出了梯子的所在。她把一根长丝带系在窗户上，架好梯子，爬上了山，在山顶打开了窗户。
她回到父亲身边，告诉了他发生的一切。国王欣喜若狂。她的未婚夫仍在等待。他们挖开了山，发现了老林克兰克和他所有的金银财宝。国王处死了老林克兰克，拿走了他的财宝。公主嫁给了她的未婚夫，他们过上了幸福美满、富丽堂皇的生活。