Afterwards the Cobra said, “There is a certain daughter of the King of a city, called the Glass Princess. The Princess takes any disguise she likes and goes through the sky, supported by her power of flying through the air. The Princess knows a medicine by which, if it should be applied by her own hand, my ulcer will become healed; otherwise it will not heal, and there will be no going to your village for you.”
The Prince replied, “It is good. I will go and bring the Glass Princess.”
Having said this, he set off to go to the city where the Glass Princess lived. Having hurried along the road which led in that direction, there was a river to which he went. When he looked up the river he saw some rats coming floating in the water. Then what does he do? He seizes all those few rats, and goes and places them on the bank.
After he had put them there the rats said, “Anē! O Lord, if Your Majesty should require any assistance, be pleased to think of us; then we will come and stay with you, and assist you.” The Prince said, “It is good,” and went to the city in which the Glass Princess dwelt.
Having come there, being without a place to stay at he went to the spot where a widow-mother was stopping, and said, “Anē! Mother, give me a mat to sleep on.”
The widow-mother said, “It is good, son. Remain here. I am alone here, therefore it will be good for me also.”
Then the Prince said, “If so, mother, cook and give me a little rice. Having obtained some money to-morrow, I will bring it and give you it.” The old woman having heard his words, cooked and gave him a little rice.
When she had given it and he had eaten, the Prince asked that old woman, “Mother, what are the new things that are happening at this city?”
The old woman replied, “What! Son, the new matters at this city are like those of other cities indeed; but there is one new affair at this city. If so, what is it? The daughter, called the Glass Princess, of the King of this city remains an [unwedded] Princess. The Princess, creating any disguise she wants, can go through the sky sustained by her power of flight through the air. Through the beauty of her figure she is a very celebrated person. Because of that, many royal Princes have come to ask to marry the Princess. Having come, they are asked, ‘What have you come for?’ When they have said, ‘We have come to take this Princess in marriage,’ the King puts on the hearth a very great cauldron of water, and having made it boil tells them to bathe in it without making the water lukewarm. There is a large iron tree in the open space in front of the palace. Having bathed in the water, he tells them to saw the iron tree in two. If they do not bathe in the water and cut it in two, he does not permit the Princes to go away; he beheads them there and then, and casts them out.”
The Prince asked the old woman, “Mother, can no one go to the place where the Glass Princess is staying?”