THE RAIN MAIDEN
by Mary De Morgan · from The windfairies, and other tales
Adapted Version
A woman in a small house wanted a child. A big storm came one night. Rain fell very hard. Wind blew strong. The Mother heard a loud knock. She went to her door. She opened it wide. A tall, quiet woman stood there. She wore a dark grey cloak. "Thank you," she said softly.
The Quiet Woman came inside. She was not wet at all. Her grey cloak had bright, clear jewels. They shone like little stars. "Are you happy?" she asked. "What do you want most in life?" The Mother was surprised.
The Mother said, "I want a child." "I want a baby." The Quiet Woman stood up. "You will have a daughter," she said. "She will stay with you. You must make her happy always. If she is not happy, she goes away."
One year later, a baby girl was born. A very big storm came that night. The Mother named her The Rain Girl. The Rain Girl was special. She did not like warm fire. She did not like bright sun. She loved the soft rain. She danced when rain fell.
The Rain Girl grew up. She was a pretty girl. She loved the rain very much. She sat by the river for hours. She put her feet in cool water. She sang sweet, soft songs. She danced in the rain. At times, she looked like bright, clear jewels.
The Prince came to the river. He saw The Rain Girl there. He liked her very much. He came each day to see her. He wanted her to be his wife. "Marry me," he said to her. "Be my Queen in the castle." The Rain Girl just shook her head.
The Mother was very happy. "You will be a Queen!" she cried with joy. She hugged The Rain Girl tight. But The Rain Girl said, "No, Mother." "I will not marry The Prince." "I want to stay with you here." She said no many, many times.
The Mother wanted her to marry The Prince. "It is good luck for us," she said. "You will be a Queen in the castle." She asked The Rain Girl many times. "Please marry him," she said. The Mother thought it was best. She asked The Rain Girl each day. "Please marry The Prince," she said. "It will make me happy."
The wedding day came. A very big storm came too. Rain fell very hard. Lots of water filled the land. The river grew very big.
The Prince and The Rain Girl were in the castle. Water came into the castle. It came from the river. The Rain Girl smiled. She walked into the water. She went back to the rain. It was her true home.
The Mother was sad at first. Then she thought of the Quiet Woman's words. "You must make her happy always. If she is not happy, she goes away." The Mother knew. The Rain Girl was not happy in the castle. She was happy in the rain. That was her true home.
The Rain Girl was never seen again. She lived in the rain. She danced in the water. She was happy there. The Mother knew. Her daughter was home.
Original Story
THE RAIN MAIDEN
Once upon a time there lived a shepherd and his wife, who lived in a very lonely little cottage far from town or village, near some mountains. It was a wild neighbourhood, and the wind blew across the mountains fiercely, and the rain often fell so heavily that it seemed as if the cottage would be washed away. One evening when the shepherd was out, there came on a great storm of rain which beat against the doors and the windows violently. As the shepherd’s wife sat listening to it by the fire, it seemed to her as if it sounded louder than she had ever heard it before, and the raindrops sounded like the knock of a hand that was knocking to gain admittance. It went on for a little time, till the shepherd’s wife could bear to listen to it no longer, and she rose and went to the door to open it, though she knew that she would let the wind and rain into the room. As she opened the door a gust of rain was blown in her face, and then she saw that in the doorway stood a woman who had been knocking. She was a tall woman wrapped in a grey cloak with long hair falling down her back. “Thank you,” she said. And though her voice was very low, the shepherd’s wife could hear it plainly through all the storm. “Thank you for opening the door to me. Many would have let me stand outside. Now may I come into your cottage and rest?”
“How wet you must be!” cried the shepherd’s wife; “come in and rest, and let me give you food. Have you come from far?”
“No, I come from quite near,” said the woman, and she came into the cottage as she spoke, and sat down in a chair near the door. “And I want no food, only a glass of water. I must go on directly, but I have not far to go, and I shall be no wetter than I am now.”
The shepherd’s wife stared in surprise, for she saw that apparently the woman’s clothes were not wet at all. And what was stranger still, though she had thought she was only clad in a dull grey cloak, now she saw that she was covered with jewellery,—clear stones, like diamonds with many flashing colours; and she also saw that all her clothes were of the finest. She gave her a glass of water, and begged that as well she might give her other food, but the woman shook her head, and said no, water was all she needed. When she had drunk the water she gave back the glass to the shepherd’s wife, and said, “And so this is your home. Have you all that you want in life? Are you happy?”
“Ay, we are happy enough,” said the shepherd’s wife, “save indeed for one thing. Ten years ago my little baby girl died, and I have no other children. I long for one sorely, that I might take care of it and make it happy, while it is little, and then in turn, when I am old, it would love and care for me.”
“And if you had a little child,” said the woman, rising up and standing before the shepherd’s wife, “you think you would really love it better than anything in the world. Many women say that, but few do it. Before long a little child will be born to you, and as long as you love it better than anything in the world it will remain with you, but when you love anything else better than your little daughter and her happiness, it will go from you; so remember my words. Good-bye,” and the woman walked to the door and went quietly out into the rain, and the shepherd’s wife saw her disappearing, and the rain pelting around her, but her clothes were not blown about, neither did the rain seem to wet her.
A year passed away, and the shepherd’s wife had a tiny daughter, a lovely little baby with the bluest eyes and the softest skin; the evening she was born the wind howled and the rain fell as fiercely as on the night when the grey woman had come into the shepherd’s cottage. The shepherd and his wife both loved their little daughter very dearly, as well they might, as no fairer child was ever seen. But as she grew older, some things about her frightened her mother, and she had some ways of which she could not cure her.
She would never go near a fire, however cold she was, neither did she love the sunshine, but always ran from it and crept into the shade; but when she heard the rain pattering against the window-panes she would cry, “Listen, mother, listen to my brothers and sisters dancing,” and then she would begin to dance too in the cottage, her little feet pattering upon the boards; or, if she possibly could, she would run out on to the moor and dance, with the rain falling upon her, and her mother had much ado to get her to come back into the cottage, yet she never seemed to get very wet, nor did she catch cold.
A river ran near the cottage, and by it she would go and sit for hours dabbling her feet in the water, and singing sweet little songs to herself.
Still, in all other ways she was a good, affectionate girl, and did all that her mother told her, and seemed to love both her parents tenderly, and the shepherd’s wife would say to herself, “My only trouble is that when she is grown up, she will want to marry, and leave me, and I shall have to do without her.” Time passed, and the old shepherd died, but his wife and daughter still lived on in the little cottage, and the daughter grew to be a most beautiful young maiden. Her eyes were clear light-blue, like the colour of the far-off sea, but it was difficult to say what was the colour of her hair, save that it was very light, and hung in heavy masses over her brow and shoulders. Once or twice her mother felt sorely frightened about her; it was when spring showers were falling, and the young girl had gone into the little garden in front of the cottage to let the rain fall upon her head and face, as she loved to do, in spite of all her mother could say. Then she began to dance, as she always did when the rain fell, and as she danced the sun came out while the rain was yet falling. Her mother watched her from the cottage-window, but while she watched her it seemed to her as if her daughter was covered with jewels of every colour, clear and bright; they hung around her in chains, and made her look more like a king’s daughter than a shepherd’s girl. “Come in, child, come in,” called the shepherd’s wife, and when the young girl came in the cottage all traces of the jewels had gone, and when her mother upbraided her for going out to dance in the rain, she only answered, “It hurts no one, my mother, and it pleases me, why should you stop me?”
A little way from the cottage on the mountain-side stood an old castle, where formerly the Kings of the land used to come and stay, but which now had not been used for very many years. One day, however, the shepherd’s wife saw great preparations were being made to beautify and adorn it, and she knew that the King and his son were coming to stay there again. Soon after they had arrived, the shepherd’s daughter went down to the river, as was her wont, and sat on the bank, dipping her feet in the ripples. Presently there came up a boat, and it was a grand young man dressed all in velvet and gold who leaned over the side to fish.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” cried the shepherd’s daughter, for she was afraid of no one.
“I am the King’s son,” said he, “and I am coming here to fish. Who are you, and where do you come from, for I have never seen such a beautiful maiden in my life?” and he looked at her and could scarce speak, so beautiful did she seem to him.
“It is cruel to take the fishes out of the water,” cried the shepherd’s daughter, “leave them alone, and come and dance on the bank with me,” and she went under the shade of a large tree, and began to dance, and the King’s son watched her, and again he thought so beautiful a maid there had never been.
“Leave the fishes alone, and come and dance on the bank with me.”
Day after day he came down to the river to fish, and day after day he left the line and tackle to sit and watch the shepherd’s daughter, and each time found her more enchanting. Once he tried to kiss her hand, but she sprang from him and left him sitting in his boat alone. At last a day came when the Prince said to his father, “My father, you want me to wed so that I may have an heir to the throne, but there is only one woman that can ever be my wife, and that is the daughter of the poor woman who lives in the little cottage out yonder.”
At first the old King was very wroth, but he loved his son well, and knew that nothing would shake him from his word, so he told him that if he would bring home his bride, he too would rejoice and love her as his daughter even though she be a beggar-maid. Then the young Prince rode down to the cottage, and went in and told the shepherd’s wife how he had seen her daughter, and loved her and wished to make her his wife, so that she would be Queen of the country.
The shepherd’s wife went nearly wild with joy. “To think that my daughter should be the Queen,” she said to herself, and when her daughter came into the cottage she did not know how to contain herself, but folded her in her arms and kissed her, crying and declaring that never was woman so blessed.
“Why, what has happened, my mother? and what has pleased you so?” said her daughter, while still the shepherd’s wife rejoiced and wept for joy.
“It is the King’s son, my girl, the King’s own son, and he has just been here, and he loves you because you are so beautiful, and he will marry you and make you Queen of all the land. Was there ever such luck for a poor woman?”
But the daughter only said, “But I don’t want to marry the King’s son, mother, or any one. I will never be the wife of any man; I will stay with you and nurse you when you are old and sick, for I can live in no house but this cottage, and have no friend but my mother.”
On hearing this the shepherd’s wife became very angry, and told her daughter that she must be mad, and that she must wait for a day or two, and she would be only too thankful for the love of the King’s son, and for the honour he was going to do her in making her his Queen. But still the daughter shook her head, and said quite quietly, “I will never be the wife of the King’s son.” The shepherd’s wife did not dare tell the King’s son what her daughter had said, but told him that he had better speak to her himself if he wished to make her his wife. Then when he was again sitting in the boat on the river, and the maiden on the bank, the King’s son told her how much he loved her, and that he would share with her all that he had in this world. But the shepherd’s daughter only shook her head and said, “I will never live at the palace, and I will never be a Queen.”
The old King had ordered great preparations to be made for the wedding, which was to take place immediately, and all sorts of fine clothes were ordered for the shepherd’s daughter, that she might appear properly as the wife of the Prince, but for the few days just before the wedding, the rain fell as it had never been known to have fallen; it beat through the roofs of the cottages, and the river swelled and overflowed its banks; everyone was frightened, save indeed the shepherd’s daughter, who went out into the wet and danced as was her wont, letting the torrents fall upon her head and shoulders.
But the evening before the wedding-day she knelt beside her mother’s side. “Dear mother,” she said, “let me stop with you and nurse you when you are old. Do not send me away to the palace to live with the King’s son.”
Then the mother was very angry, and told her daughter that she was very ungrateful, and she ought to be thankful that such luck had come in her way, and who was she, the daughter of a poor shepherd, that she should object to marrying the King’s son?
All night long the rain fell in torrents, and when next day the shepherd’s daughter was dressed in all her finery, it was through pools on the ground that she had to step into the grand carriage which the King had sent to fetch her, and while the marriage-service was being read, the priest’s voice could scarcely be heard for the pattering of the drops upon the roof, and when they went into the castle to the banquet, the water burst through the doors opened to receive them, so that the King and the wedding guests had hard ado to keep dry. It was a grand feast, and the King’s son sat at one end of the table, and his young wife was beside him dressed in white and gold. All the courtiers and all the fine guests declared that surely the world had never contained such a beautiful young woman as their future Queen. But just when the goblets were filled with wine, to drink to the health of the bride and bridegroom, there came a cry, “The floods! the floods!” and the servants ran into the hall, crying out that the waters were pouring in, and in one moment the rooms were filled with water, and no one thought of anything but to save themselves. When the hurricane had subsided, and the waters gone down, they looked around for the Prince’s wife, who was nowhere to be found. Every one said that she had been swept away by the torrents, and that she had been drowned in all her youth and beauty; only the shepherd’s wife wept alone, and remembered the words of the woman who came to her on the night of the storm: “When you love aught on earth better than your daughter and her happiness, she will go from you.”
The King’s son mourned his wife, and for long would not be comforted; but when many years had passed, he married a beautiful Princess, and with her lived very happily; only when the rain fell in torrents and beat against the window-panes it would seem to him as if he heard the sound of dancing feet, and a voice that called out, “Come and dance with me, come and dance with me and my brothers and sisters, oh, King’s son, and feel our drops upon your face.”
Story DNA
Moral
Unconditional love and prioritizing another's happiness are essential to keeping what is precious, especially when dealing with beings of another nature.
Plot Summary
A lonely shepherd's wife is granted a daughter by a mysterious woman, who warns that the child will stay only as long as she is loved above all else. The daughter, a 'Rain Maiden,' exhibits an unusual affinity for water and aversion to fire. When she grows up, a Prince falls in love with her, but she refuses to marry him, wishing to stay with her mother. However, the mother, blinded by the prospect of her daughter becoming Queen, forces the marriage. On the wedding day, a great flood occurs, and the Rain Maiden disappears, fulfilling the prophecy as the mother's ambition superseded her love for her daughter's happiness.
Themes
Emotional Arc
hope to loss to acceptance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Mary De Morgan was a Victorian author, and her fairy tales often carried deeper, sometimes melancholic, psychological or moral undertones, diverging from simpler moral fables.
Plot Beats (13)
- A shepherd's wife, lonely and childless, opens her door during a fierce storm to a mysterious woman.
- The woman, seemingly dry and adorned with jewels, asks if the wife is happy and what she desires.
- The wife expresses her longing for a child, and the woman prophesies a daughter will be born, but will leave if the mother loves anything more than her child's happiness.
- A year later, a daughter is born during a storm, displaying unusual traits: she shuns fire and sun, loves rain, and dances in storms.
- The daughter grows into a beautiful maiden who spends hours by the river and dances in the rain, sometimes appearing covered in jewels.
- The King's son discovers the maiden by the river and falls deeply in love with her, proposing marriage.
- The shepherd's wife is ecstatic at the prospect of her daughter becoming Queen, but the daughter repeatedly refuses, wishing to stay with her mother in the cottage.
- The mother becomes increasingly angry and forces her daughter to accept the marriage, prioritizing the social elevation over her daughter's wishes.
- On the wedding day, a terrible storm rages, and floods overwhelm the land.
- During the wedding banquet, as a toast is made, the castle is flooded, and the Rain Maiden vanishes.
- Everyone believes she drowned, but the shepherd's wife realizes her love for status surpassed her love for her daughter's happiness, fulfilling the prophecy.
- The King's son mourns but eventually remarries, though he sometimes hears dancing feet in the rain.
- The Rain Maiden is never seen again, having returned to her true home in the rain and floods.
Characters
The Rain Maiden ★ protagonist
Slender and graceful, with an ethereal quality. Her skin is fair and soft, with a luminous quality that seems to repel water. She never appears wet, even in the heaviest rain. Her movements are light and quick, like dancing.
Attire: Her clothes are described as 'of the finest' and appear to be covered with 'jewels of every colour, clear and bright' when the sun shines on her during rain. She is later dressed in white and gold for her wedding, but these are likely human clothes she tolerates. Her true form is likely more elemental.
Wants: To live freely and naturally, connected to the rain and water, and to remain with her mother in the simple cottage. She desires happiness on her own terms, not through royal status.
Flaw: Her inability or refusal to adapt to human society and its expectations, particularly marriage and palace life. Her true nature makes her incompatible with a conventional human existence.
She remains true to her elemental nature throughout the story, resisting attempts to make her conform to human expectations. Her arc culminates in her return to the rain, fulfilling the prophecy of her magical birth.
Independent, free-spirited, deeply connected to nature (especially rain and water), affectionate towards her mother, resistant to societal expectations, somewhat mysterious.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young maiden standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has clear, light-blue eyes and a delicate face. Her hair is very light, almost translucent, and hangs in heavy, flowing masses over her brow and shoulders, appearing to be made of spun mist. She wears a simple, flowing white linen dress that seems to shimmer with subtle, clear, jewel-like colors when light hits it. Her bare feet are poised as if about to dance. She has a serene, slightly wistful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Shepherd's Wife ◆ supporting
A woman of humble means, likely with a sturdy build from a life of labor in a wild, rural environment. Her appearance would reflect the harshness of her surroundings.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for a shepherd's wife in a lonely cottage. Likely made of durable wool or linen in muted, earthy tones, perhaps a long skirt, a plain bodice, and an apron. No elaborate adornments.
Wants: Initially, to have a child to love and care for. Later, her motivation shifts to securing a better life and social status for her daughter (and herself) through marriage to the Prince.
Flaw: Her ambition and desire for social advancement, which ultimately leads her to prioritize status over her daughter's happiness and true nature.
Starts as a loving, grieving woman who receives a miraculous child. Her arc shows her gradual corruption by ambition, leading her to betray the magical trust placed in her and ultimately lose her daughter.
Initially kind and hospitable, deeply longing for a child, but later becomes ambitious, somewhat materialistic, and ultimately selfish in her desire for her daughter to marry the Prince. She is easily swayed by the prospect of wealth and status.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult peasant woman of sturdy build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a weathered face with kind, tired eyes and practical, pulled-back brown hair with streaks of grey. She wears a simple, long-sleeved dark grey linen dress, a plain brown wool apron, and sturdy leather shoes. Her hands are clasped in front of her, showing signs of work. She has a worried but hopeful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Grey Woman ○ minor
Tall and imposing, with an aura of mystery. Despite being in a storm, her clothes appear perfectly dry. She moves quietly and deliberately.
Attire: A dull grey cloak that initially appears simple, but upon closer inspection, is covered with 'jewellery—clear stones, like diamonds with many flashing colours' and made of 'the finest' material. This suggests a deceptive simplicity that hides immense power.
Wants: To test human love and perhaps to ensure the balance between the human and natural worlds. She acts as a catalyst for the story's events.
Flaw: Not applicable, as she is a powerful, almost divine figure with no apparent weaknesses.
She appears once to set the central magical premise of the story and then disappears, her prophecy unfolding as the narrative progresses.
Mysterious, powerful, prophetic, observant, and somewhat detached. She acts as a magical arbiter, granting wishes but setting strict conditions.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, imposing woman standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a serene, knowing face with long, dark, flowing hair down her back. She is wrapped in a heavy, dull grey cloak that, upon closer inspection, subtly shimmers with clear, flashing, jewel-like colors. Her posture is composed and powerful. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Prince ◆ supporting
A young man of noble bearing, likely athletic and handsome, as befits a prince who spends time fishing and riding. His appearance would be refined but not overly delicate.
Attire: Initially, practical but well-made riding or fishing attire, perhaps of fine wool or linen. Later, he would wear rich, formal court attire, possibly velvet or silk, with subtle embroidery and a royal sash, befitting his status as a prince and future king.
Wants: To marry the Rain Maiden and make her his Queen, driven by deep love and the desire for an heir.
Flaw: His inability to understand or accept the Rain Maiden's true, elemental nature, leading him to try and force her into a life she cannot endure.
He falls deeply in love and pursues the Rain Maiden, overcoming his father's initial objections. His arc shows his grief and eventual acceptance of her loss, moving on to marry another princess years later.
Determined, romantic, persistent, and initially somewhat naive about the true nature of his beloved. He is deeply in love with the Rain Maiden and willing to defy his father for her.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult male of noble bearing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a handsome face with dark, neatly styled hair and earnest, determined eyes. He wears a finely tailored dark blue velvet tunic with silver embroidery, a white linen shirt underneath, and dark breeches. A subtle gold chain is visible around his neck. He stands with a confident, slightly yearning expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The King ○ minor
An old man, likely with a regal but perhaps somewhat weary presence. He would carry the weight of his kingdom.
Attire: Rich, formal royal attire, such as a heavy, embroidered velvet robe in deep jewel tones, perhaps with a fur trim, over fine silk undergarments. A golden crown or circlet would adorn his head.
Wants: To ensure his son marries and produces an heir, and to maintain the dignity and traditions of the monarchy.
Flaw: His adherence to tradition, which is challenged by his son's unconventional choice.
He initially opposes his son's choice of bride but relents due to his love for his son. He then experiences the chaos of the wedding and the loss of his daughter-in-law.
Initially traditional and wroth when his son defies him, but ultimately loving and yielding to his son's wishes. He is concerned with the continuation of his lineage and the stability of the kingdom.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly male king, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a wise, aged face with a neatly trimmed grey beard and a golden crown on his head. He wears a heavy, deep crimson velvet robe with gold embroidery and a white fur trim, over a fine silk tunic. He holds a golden scepter in one hand. He has a dignified, slightly stern expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Shepherd's Cottage
A lonely, small cottage located far from town or village, near mountains. It has doors and windows that are violently beaten by storms. Inside, there's a fire where the shepherd's wife sits, and wooden boards for flooring. The surrounding area is wild and windy.
Mood: Cozy but vulnerable, later filled with domestic warmth and then tension
The Rain Maiden first appears and gives her prophecy; the shepherd's daughter is born and grows up here; the Prince proposes marriage here.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, sturdy, half-timbered cottage with a thatched roof nestled against a backdrop of dark, rugged mountains. Torrential rain lashes against the small, leaded-pane windows, and the wind whips around the corners of the house. Inside, warm firelight glows from a stone hearth, illuminating simple wooden furniture and a worn wooden floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
River Bank near the Cottage
A river runs very near the cottage. The shepherd's daughter would sit here for hours, dabbling her feet in the water and singing. It's a place of quiet solitude and connection to nature for her.
Mood: Peaceful, natural, serene, later romantic
The shepherd's daughter spends much of her time here; the King's son first sees her and falls in love, returning daily to watch her.
Image Prompt & Upload
A gently flowing river with clear, cool water, winding through a lush, green landscape. The river banks are soft and grassy, dotted with wild flowers and smooth, water-worn stones. Overhead, the sky is bright with filtered sunlight, casting dappled shadows through the leaves of mature, gnarled trees that line the banks. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Royal Palace
A grand castle where the King and Prince reside. It has large halls for banquets, and is prepared for a royal wedding. During the wedding, water bursts through the doors and fills the rooms due to torrential rain.
Mood: Initially celebratory and opulent, quickly turns chaotic and terrifying
The wedding banquet takes place here, and the Rain Maiden disappears during a catastrophic flood.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, opulent medieval European castle banquet hall, with soaring arched ceilings supported by massive stone pillars. Long, polished oak tables are laden with golden goblets and fine dishes, surrounded by richly dressed courtiers. Outside, a furious storm rages, and torrents of water are actively bursting through the grand, heavy wooden doors, flooding the polished stone floor. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
