Jungfrau Maleen
There was once upon a time a King’s Son, who went a-wooing the Daughter of another mighty King, and her name was Jungfrau
ac Maleen. Her father, however, refused his permission to the match, because he wished her to marry some one else. But they both still loved one another so dearly, that Jungfrau Maleen told her father she could not and would not marry any one except this Prince. When she said so, her father flew into a great passion, and caused a gloomy tower to be built, into which no ray of either sun or moon could penetrate. When it was completed he said to his Daughter, “For seven years you shall sit therein; and at the end of that period I will come and see if your stubborn disposition is conquered.” Meat and drink sufficient for these seven years were carried into the tower, and then the Princess and her Maid were led into it, and bricked up, so that earth and heaven were shut out from them. They were quite in darkness, and knew no difference between day and night. The Prince often came to the outside of the tower and called their names, but they heard nothing, for no sound could penetrate through the thick walls. What could they do, then, except weep and lament their fate! So time passed by; and, by the decreasing of their food and drink they perceived that the end of their imprisonment was approaching. They imagined that their release was at hand; but no sound of a hammer was to be heard, nor were any stones picked out of the wall, and it seemed as if the King had forgotten them. So, when they had sufficient food left for only a few days, and the prospect of a miserable death stared them in the face, Jungfrau Maleen said to her companion, “It is time now that we should try to break through the wall.”
So saying, she took their bread-knife, and picked and scraped away the mortar round one stone; and when she was tired the Maid assisted her. After a long time they succeeded in taking out one stone, then a second, and a third, and thus, after three days’ labour, a ray of light illumined their cell; and then they made the opening so large that they could peep through it. The heaven was blue, and a fresh breeze came in their faces, but how mournful looked everything around! The castle of the King lay in ruins; the towns and villages, as far as the eye could reach, were burnt to the ground; the fields far and near were laid waste; and not one human being was to be seen. Soon the opening in the wall was so large that they could pass through it; and the Maiden first jumping out, her Mistress followed her. But where were they to turn? Enemies had depopulated the whole kingdom, and driven away or slain the King, with all his subjects. The pair therefore wandered on and on, seeking some other country; but nowhere could they find a shelter, or any man to give them bread to eat, and their hunger compelled them to eat the burnt roots of nettles.
However, after much weary travelling, they did at last come to cultivated land, and there, at every house, they offered their services; but nobody would take them in, or show them any pity. At last they arrived at a large city, and went to the King’s palace; but there, also, they were on the point of being turned back, when the cook told them they might stop and serve as kitchen-maids if they liked.
Now the son of this King was the very same who was betrothed to Jungfrau Maleen, and his father had engaged him to another maiden, who was as wickedly disposed in her heart as she was ugly in her looks. When the two travellers arrived, the wedding-day had been already appointed, and the bride was come, but she had shut herself up in her room, and would not be seen, because of her ugliness, and Jungfrau Maleen was ordered to take in her meals. When the day came that the betrothed couple should go to church, the bride elect was so ashamed of her ugliness that she feared she should be laughed at, and derided by the common people if she showed herself to them. So she said to Jungfrau Maleen, “A great piece of luck is presented to you, for I have hurt my foot and cannot walk at all on the road; so you shall put on my bridal clothes, and take my place: a greater honour could not have fallen to your share.”
Jungfrau Maleen, however, refused, and said, “I desire no honour that does not belong to me;” and she would not be tempted even with gold. At last the bride elect exclaimed passionately, “If you do not obey me, it shall cost you your life. I have only to say one word, and your head will lie at my feet.”
Jungfrau Maleen was now forced to comply, and she arrayed herself in the bridal clothes and ornaments. As soon as she appeared in the royal apartments all were astonished at her great beauty, and the King told his son she was the bride whom he had chosen for him, and it was time now to go to church. The Prince was astonished, and thought to himself, “She looks like my Jungfrau Maleen, and I almost believe it is she; but no! she is dead, or shut up in the tower.” He took the Maiden by the hand, and led her to the church, and on the road they passed a nettle-bush, whereupon the bride sang in a strange language—
“Nettle-bush! oh, nettle-bush!
Have you forgot the day
When I cooked your juicy roots,
My hunger sharp to stay!”
“What did you say, then?” asked the Prince. “Nothing! I was only thinking of Jungfrau Maleen,” replied the seeming bride. He marvelled that she should know her, but he said nothing; and when they came to the church steps she sang—
“Church-steps! break not, I pray,
The true bride comes not to-day.”
“What did you say?” asked the Prince. “Nothing,” she replied, as before: “I was but thinking of Jungfrau Maleen.”
“Do you know that maiden, then?” asked the Prince. “No, how should I? I have only heard of her,” said she; and when they passed through the church-door she sang—
“Church-door! crack not, I pray,
The true bride comes not to-day.”
“What did you say?” asked the Prince a third time. “Alas! I was only thinking of Jungfrau Maleen,” she said. Then he drew out a costly chain, and fastened it around her neck; and thereupon they walked into the church, and the priest, joining their hands together at the altar, married them in due form. The ceremony over, the bridegroom led back the bride, but she never spoke a single word all the way home. As soon as they arrived at the palace, she hastened into the bride’s chamber, and, laying aside her beautiful clothes and ornaments, she put on her grey kirtle, but kept the chain round her neck which she had received from the bridegroom.
When night came, and it was time for the bride to be ushered into the bridegroom’s chamber, the ugly maiden let fall her veil over her features, that the deceit might not be discovered. As soon as they were alone, the bridegroom asked her, “What did you say to the nettle-bush which we passed on the road?”
“To what nettle-bush?” she asked, “I spoke to no nettle-bush!”
“If you did not, you are not my real Bride,” said he. Thereupon she left the room, and seeking Jungfrau Maleen, asked her what she had said to the nettle-bush. She sang the words over—
“Nettle-bush, oh nettle-bush,
Have you forgot the day
When I cooked your juicy roots,
My hunger sharp to stay!”
And as soon as she had done, the Bride ran back to the room and repeated them to the Prince. “But what did you say to the church-steps as we passed up them?” he inquired. “To the church-steps!” she echoed in surprise; “I spoke to none.” “Then you are not the right Bride,” said the Bridegroom again. “I will go and ask my Maid what my thoughts were,” said the Bride; and seeking Jungfrau Maleen, she inquired of her what she had said. The Maid repeated the words—
“Church-steps, break not, I pray,
The true Bride comes not to-day.”
“That shall cost you your life!” exclaimed the Bride; but, hastening back to the chamber, she told the Prince the words which she had just heard. “But what did you say to the church-door?” he inquired next. “To the church-door!” she replied; “I spoke to no church-door.”
“Then you are not the right Bride,” said the Prince. Thereupon away she went a third time to Jungfrau Maleen, and inquired what she had said. The Maid repeated the words—
“Church-door, break not, I pray,
The true Bride comes not to-day.”
“Your neck shall be broken for saying so,” exclaimed the Bride in a rage; but hastening back to the chamber, she repeated the words she had just heard to the Bridegroom.
“But where have you put the chain I gave you at the church-door?” asked the Prince.
“What chain? you gave me no chain!” exclaimed the Bride. “But I hung it round your neck myself; and fastened it myself; and if you do not remember that, you are not the right Bride.” With that he tore the veil from her face, and when he saw her extreme ugliness, he exclaimed, springing away from her, “Who are you? whence come you?”
“I am your betrothed Bride,” she replied; “but because I feared the people would mock me if I showed myself to them, I ordered our Kitchen-Girl to put on my dresses, and to go to church in my place.”
“Where is the Girl, then, now? Go and fetch her immediately,” said the Prince.
She went out and told the other servants that the Kitchen-Girl was an enchantress, and that they must drag her away from the court and cut off her head. The servants soon caught the Maiden, and would have done as they were told; but she cried so loudly for help, that the Prince heard her voice, and hastening out of his room gave orders for the Maiden’s instant release. Lights were immediately brought, and then the Prince perceived round the Maiden’s neck the golden chain which he had given her at the church-door.
“You are the true Bride who went to church with me,” he exclaimed; “come with me now.” As soon as they were alone, he said to her, “On the way to church you named Jungfrau Maleen, who was once betrothed to me. Now, if I thought it possible, I should say that you were that Maiden, for you are so like to her.”
“I am Jungfrau Maleen,” she replied, “and for seven long years have I been shut up in darkness; hunger and thirst, too, I have suffered, and in poverty and distress have I lived ever since; but on this day the sun shines again. I did indeed accompany you to church, and it was to me that you were married.”
So the Prince recovered his true Bride, Jungfrau Maleen, and with her lived happily for many long years.
But the false Bride had her head cut off.