ASHIEPATTLE: OR HANS SEEKS HIS LUCK 87 



sitting among the cinders. They tell him what has 

 happened, how one finely-dressed youth has on the first 

 two days nearly, and on the third day completely, 

 achieved the task set. They never suspect Askelad of 

 being this youth. " I should like to see him, too," says 

 Askelad. In the German we have the attempt to find 

 among the maidens of the kingdom the one whom the 

 shoe will fit. All are examined, and none can wear 

 the shoe. Finally, the king's son is told either by the 

 sisters or by the father that there is one girl left, a 

 dirty little miserable Cinderella, but she cannot possibly 

 be the bride. The king's son insists upon seeing her, 

 the shoe fits, and she becomes the royal bride. In the 

 best Norwegian version (Jomfruen paa Glasberget) the 

 task set is to ride up the glass-hill possibly an ice- 

 field and receive a golden apple from the princess at 

 the top. No one but Askelad can ride any way up. 

 On the first day he rides up one-third of the way, and 

 the princess rolls a golden apple down to him, which 

 lodges in his shoe; on the second day no one but 

 Askelad makes any progress, but he rides two-thirds 

 of the way up, and a second golden apple is rolled down 

 to him, and lodges again in his shoe ; on the third day 

 he rides the whole way up, and takes the apple from 

 the princess's lap. Then comes the search for the holder 

 of the golden apples. No one is forthcoming. The king 

 orders that " all who are in the land" 1 shall come to 

 the royal residence in order that the apples may be 



1 The examination of all the youths or of all the maidens of the 'king- 

 dom ' at the king's dwelling, which occurs in German, Norse, and Lapp tales, 

 is another good piece of indirect evidence as to the size of these primitive 

 kingdoms. 



