Maid Maleen

by The Brothers Grimm

　　

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There was once a King who had a son who asked in marriage the daughter ofa mighty King; she was called Maid Maleen, and was very beautiful. Asher father wished to give her to another, the prince was rejected;but as they both loved each other with all their hearts, they wouldnot give each other up, and Maid Maleen said to her father, "I can andwill take no other for my husband." Then the King flew into a passion,and ordered a dark tower to be built, into which no ray of sunlight ormoonlight should enter. When it was finished, he said, "Therein shaltthou be imprisoned for seven years, and then I will come and see ifthy perverse spirit is broken." Meat and drink for the seven years werecarried into the tower, and then she and her waiting-woman were led intoit and walled up, and thus cut off from the sky and from the earth. Therethey sat in the darkness, and knew not when day or night began. TheKing's son often went round and round the tower, and called their names,but no sound from without pierced through the thick walls. What elsecould they do but lament and complain? Meanwhile the time passed, and bythe diminution of the food and drink they knew that the seven years werecoming to an end. They thought the moment of their deliverance was come;but no stroke of the hammer was heard, no stone fell out of the wall,and it seemed to Maid Maleen that her father had forgotten her. As theyonly had food for a short time longer, and saw a miserable death awaitingthem, Maid Maleen said, "We must try our last chance, and see if we canbreak through the wall." She took the bread-knife, and picked and boredat the mortar of a stone, and when she was tired, the waiting-maid tookher turn. With great labour they succeeded in getting out one stone, andthen a second, and a third, and when three days were over the first rayof light fell on their darkness, and at last the opening was so largethat they could look out. The sky was blue, and a fresh breeze playedon their faces; but how melancholy everything looked all around! Herfather's castle lay in ruins, the town and the villages were, so far ascould be seen, destroyed by fire, the fields far and wide laid to waste,and no human being was visible. When the opening in the wall was largeenough for them to slip through, the waiting-maid sprang down first,and then Maid Maleen followed. But where were they to go? The enemyhad ravaged the whole kingdom, driven away the King, and slain all theinhabitants. They wandered forth to seek another country, but nowheredid they find a shelter, or a human being to give them a mouthful ofbread, and their need was so great that they were forced to appeasetheir hunger with nettles. When, after long journeying, they came intoanother country, they tried to get work everywhere; but wherever theyknocked they were turned away, and no one would have pity on them. Atlast they arrived in a large city and went to the royal palace. Therealso they were ordered to go away, but at last the cook said that theymight stay in the kitchen and be scullions.

　　The son of the King in whose kingdom they were, was, however, the veryman who had been betrothed to Maid Maleen. His father had chosen anotherbride for him, whose face was as ugly as her heart was wicked. The weddingwas fixed, and the maiden had already arrived; but because of her greatugliness, however, she shut herself in her room, and allowed no one tosee her, and Maid Maleen had to take her her meals from the kitchen. Whenthe day came for the bride and the bridegroom to go to church, she wasashamed of her ugliness, and afraid that if she showed herself in thestreets, she would be mocked and laughed at by the people. Then saidshe to Maid Maleen, "A great piece of luck has befallen thee. I havesprained my foot, and cannot well walk through the streets; thou shaltput on my wedding-clothes and take my place; a greater honour thanthat thou canst not have!" Maid Maleen, however, refused it, and said,"I wish for no honour which is not suitable for me." It was in vain, too,that the bride offered her gold. At last she said angrily, "If thou dostnot obey me, it shall cost thee thy life. I have but to speak the word,and thy head will lie at thy feet." Then she was forced to obey, and puton the bride's magnificent clothes and all her jewels. When she enteredthe royal hall, every one was amazed at her great beauty, and the Kingsaid to his son, "This is the bride whom I have chosen for thee, and whomthou must lead to church." The bridegroom was astonished, and thought,"She is like my Maid Maleen, and I should believe that it was she herself,but she has long been shut up in the tower, or dead." He took her by thehand and led her to church. On the way was a nettle-plant, and she said,

　　"Oh, nettle-plant, Little nettle-plant, What dost thou here alone? I haveknown the time When I ate thee unboiled, When I ate thee unroasted."

　　"What art thou saying?" asked the King's son. "Nothing," she replied,"I was only thinking of Maid Maleen." He was surprised that she knewabout her, but kept silence. When they came to the foot-plank into thechurchyard, she said,

　　"Foot-bridge, do not break, I am not the true bride."

　　"What art thou saying there?" asked the King's son. "Nothing," shereplied, "I was only thinking of Maid Maleen." "Dost thou know MaidMaleen?" "No," she answered, "how should I know her; I have only heardof her." When they came to the church-door, she said once more,

　　"Church-door, break not, I am not the true bride."

　　"What art thou saying there?" asked he. "Ah," she answered, "I wasonly thinking of Maid Maleen." Then he took out a precious chain, putit round her neck, and fastened the clasp. Thereupon they entered thechurch, and the priest joined their hands together before the altar,and married them. He led her home, but she did not speak a single wordthe whole way. When they got back to the royal palace, she hurried intothe bride's chamber, put off the magnificent clothes and the jewels,dressed herself in her gray gown, and kept nothing but the jewel on herneck, which she had received from the bridegroom.

　　When the night came, and the bride was to be led into the prince'sapartment, she let her veil fall over her face, that he might not observethe deception. As soon as every one had gone away, he said to her, "Whatdidst thou say to the nettle-plant which was growing by the wayside?"

　　"To which nettle-plant?" asked she; "I don't talk to nettle-plants." "Ifthou didst not do it, then thou art not the true bride," said he. Soshe bethought herself, and said,

　　"I must go out unto my maid, Who keeps my thoughts for me."

　　She went out and sought Maid Maleen. "Girl, what hast thou been sayingto the nettle?" "I said nothing but,

　　"Oh, nettle-plant, Little nettle-plant, What dost thou here alone? I haveknown the time When I ate thee unboiled, When I ate thee unroasted."

　　The bride ran back into the chamber, and said, "I know now what I said tothe nettle," and she repeated the words which she had just heard. "Butwhat didst thou say to the foot-bridge when we went over it?" askedthe King's son. "To the foot-bridge?" she answered. "I don't talk tofoot-bridges." "Then thou art not the true bride."

　　She again said,

　　"I must go out unto my maid, Who keeps my thoughts for me,"

　　And ran out and found Maid Maleen, "Girl, what didst thou say to thefoot-bridge?"

　　"I said nothing but,

　　"Foot-bridge, do not break, I am not the true bride."

　　"That costs thee thy life!" cried the bride, but she hurried into theroom, and said, "I know now what I said to the foot-bridge," and sherepeated the words. "But what didst thou say to the church-door?" "Tothe church-door?" she replied; "I don't talk to church-doors." "Thenthou art not the true bride."

　　She went out and found Maid Maleen, and said, "Girl, what didst thousay to the church-door?"

　　"I said nothing but,

　　"Church-door, break not, I am not the true bride."

　　"That will break thy neck for thee!" cried the bride, and flew into aterrible passion, but she hastened back into the room, and said, "I knownow what I said to the church-door," and she repeated the words. "Butwhere hast thou the jewel which I gave thee at the church-door?" "Whatjewel?" she answered; "thou didst not give me any jewel." "I myself putit round thy neck, and I myself fastened it; if thou dost not know that,thou art not the true bride." He drew the veil from her face, and whenhe saw her immeasurable ugliness, he sprang back terrified, and said,"How comest thou here? Who art thou?" "I am thy betrothed bride, butbecause I feared lest the people should mock me when they saw me outof doors, I commanded the scullery-maid to dress herself in my clothes,and to go to church instead of me." "Where is the girl?" said he; "I wantto see her, go and bring her here." She went out and told the servantsthat the scullery-maid was an impostor, and that they must take her outinto the court-yard and strike off her head. The servants laid hold ofMaid Maleen and wanted to drag her out, but she screamed so loudly forhelp, that the King's son heard her voice, hurried out of his chamberand ordered them to set the maiden free instantly. Lights were brought,and then he saw on her neck the gold chain which he had given her atthe church-door. "Thou art the true bride," said he, "who went with meto the church; come with me now to my room." When they were both alone,he said, "On the way to church thou didst name Maid Maleen, who was mybetrothed bride; if I could believe it possible, I should think she wasstanding before me thou art like her in every respect." She answered,"I am Maid Maleen, who for thy sake was imprisoned seven years in thedarkness, who suffered hunger and thirst, and has lived so long in wantand poverty. To-day, however, the sun is shining on me once more. Iwas married to thee in the church, and I am thy lawful wife." Then theykissed each other, and were happy all the days of their lives. The falsebride was rewarded for what she had done by having her head cut off.

　　The tower in which Maid Maleen had been imprisoned remained standingfor a long time, and when the children passed by it they sang,

　　"Kling, klang, gloria. Who sits within this tower? A King's daughter,she sits within, A sight of her I cannot win, The wall it will not break,The stone cannot be pierced. Little Hans, with your coat so gay, Followme, follow me, fast as you may."

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