JUNG-FRAU MALEEN
by May Wentworth · from Fairy Tales from Gold Lands
Adapted Version
Once there was a very beautiful girl named Maleen. She had long, golden hair. Her hair was like sunshine. Maleen had a fair face. Her eyes were very pretty. Everyone thought she was lovely.
Many young men liked Maleen. They thought she was special. Maleen smiled at them. But she felt a little far away.
Handsel was a shy boy. He liked Maleen very much. He watched her from far away. Handsel did not talk to her. He was too shy to speak.
Maleen saw Handsel sometimes. He stood in the crowd. She felt happy then. Maleen gave him a smile.
One morning, Maleen went to the sea. She got into her small boat. Handsel saw her go.
Handsel went to his books. Then a big, dark cloud came. A strong wind blew. Rain fell very hard. A big storm came on the sea.
Handsel ran to the beach. Many people stood there. Maleen's Father was there too. Maleen's boat was in the waves. The boat was in big trouble.
The waves were very big. No one went to help. Maleen was in her boat. She looked very scared.
Handsel was very brave. He cried, "A boat!" A long rope was tied. He got into a boat. He went into the wild waves.
Handsel's boat moved fast. It went over the waves. He reached Maleen's boat. He helped Maleen into his boat. They came back to the beach. They were safe.
Handsel brought Maleen to her father. Maleen was very tired. She closed her eyes. Everyone looked at Maleen. Handsel sat down, tired.
Maleen opened her eyes. She looked around the crowd. "Where is Handsel?" she asked. She wanted to find him.
Maleen saw Handsel sitting alone. He looked very sad. He was tired too. Maleen walked to him. She sat down next to him.
Handsel looked up. He saw Maleen's eyes. Maleen looked at Handsel. They hugged each other. They were very happy.
Handsel and Maleen loved each other. They decided to get married. Everyone on the beach cheered. They were happy for them. Handsel was brave. Maleen loved him.
Original Story
JUNG-FRAU MALEEN.
In a small village upon the shore of the German Ocean lived a man whose wife had golden tresses so long and heavy that when they were unbound they covered her like a cloak of sunbeams, and reached to her feet. Her complexion was so fair, and her eyes so beautiful, that her equal was not to be found in all the Fatherland.
At last she fell sick and died, leaving her husband all alone in the world, except one wee baby, who lay sleeping in the cradle. At first the father was heart-broken, and noticed nothing, but after a time all his love turned to the helpless infant, who every day grew more lovely, and at last became as fair as her mother, with the same wealth of golden hair and soft violet eyes, and all the Fatherland, from far and near, was filled with the story of her great beauty.
When she was only a little maid, she would go down to the sea-shore and dance upon the sand, until her light straw hat would drop from her head, and her waving tresses fall about her like a shower of pure gold, and her violet eyes beam with the brightness of stars, while the flush upon her cheeks rivaled the soft, fresh bloom of the peach.
The maiden was called the fair Jung-frau Maleen, as she grew older and every day added to her charms, till half the young men in the country were ready to lay down their life for her; but though her ways were winning, and she had a pleasant smile for all, no one could be familiar with her. In her guileless innocence and beauty she seemed a great way out of their reach, yet she danced with them, talked and laughed with them, till her clear, sweet voice rang out upon the air like the soft notes of a silver bell, but when she turned away, they felt that she had gone from them forever.
Among her lovers was a bashful student named Handsel, who worshiped the Jung-frau Maleen with all the devotion of his great noble heart, but ever at a distance.
He seldom spoke to her.
Even the rustle of her dress as she passed along would set his heart to beating wildly, and the sound of her voice, or one glance of her violet eye would send the hot blood rushing through his veins, dyeing his face and neck a deep crimson. Poor Handsel!
He would say to his heart, "Down, fool, the star of heaven is not for you, look for some lovely flower of earth," but in all the Fatherland he knew there was not another maiden who could satisfy the hunger of his heart.
At all the village festivals he looked on in the distance, and saw others worship at the shrine he dared not approach. "I have nothing worth offering her," he would say, and so he was silent.
He was handsome and manly, and Maleen always looked for him in the crowd, and when she saw him standing far apart with his large dark eyes fixed upon her, she was more content than in his absence. If she had questioned her heart for the reason of this she would have blushed with confusion, for Jung-frau Maleen was not one who would willingly yield her heart unsought.
Maleen always loved the bright, sparkling sea, and often she would go out alone in her little boat, and sail for hours over the blue waters, gathering the pretty sea-weed, and indulging in the day-dreams that German maidens love.
One morning as Handsel was going to the college, he saw the Jung-frau step into her boat and push away from the shore.
He took off his hat and bowed.
She looked at him with that rare, sweet smile that always made him happy for days.
He stopped and looked back after her as the boat glided from the shore, and it seemed as though the sunshine of heaven and its bright reflection upon the waters were united, and was poured out in one rich flood of glory over her golden hair.
Handsel passed on out of the light into the quiet seclusion of the college, and bending over his book did not notice the rising of a thick, black cloud that from a tiny speck soon swept over the whole sky, then burst into wind and rain.
He was living over the heroic ages of the olden time, when the darkness fell across his book, and looking out the window he saw the fierce storm gathering, and heard the wailing winds crying out, Maleen! Maleen! 'Twas but the work of a moment to rush out into the storm and down to the lashed sea-shore and there, he saw a crowd of anxious faces all turned hopelessly out upon the pitiless breakers.
He looked, and there tossed wildly upon the white-capped waves, rose and fell the frail boat, and pale and hopeless sat the pride of the Fatherland, the beautiful Jung-frau Maleen, her matchless golden hair hanging like a damp shroud about her.
There were the hosts of her admirers standing upon the shore wringing their hands and weeping, they saw only death in an attempt to save her, and no one was so mad as to venture out upon the storm-lashed sea.
Even her father stood paralyzed in the hopelessness of his agony.
A strong, manly voice burst in upon the echoes of the storm. "A boat! a boat!" cried Handsel, with a stout-hearted determination in his voice to brave the danger of the breakers, and save the maiden he loved from the angry waters.
A long rope was tied about his body, and in a moment more the life-boat was tossing upon the crested waves, with the brave student at the prow, and the poor helpless Maleen rose up and held out her white arms toward him.
On over the cruel waves, the boats were nearing each other. The agony of suspense that filled the breathless crowd! Great God! if they should meet and crash together!
Down they went into the great sea gulf; Maleen with outstretched arms, and Handsel with his great heart beating like a signal-drum in his bosom, pale but unfaltering.
Down! down they went!
Now up came the billow, but only one boat, and Handsel at the prow was struggling for the shore.
"Oh, Maleen! Maleen!" burst from the father's white lips, then a tress of rich golden hair hanging over the side of the boat met his sight, and he knew that Maleen was in the boat with Handsel.
On it came to the shore, like a charmed boat it escaped the perilous breakers, till at last, no one could tell how, only through God's great mercy, they were saved, and Handsel stood upon the shore with Maleen in his arms.
He gave the maiden to her weeping father, then sank away, and no one thought of him, all were gathered around Maleen, who had fainted.
Soon she opened her violet eyes, and looked around searchingly through the crowd with a strange fear. "Where, where, is Handsel?" she cried, in wild excitement.
Then they all wondered how they could have forgotten him, and looking round they saw him sitting alone, with his head bowed down upon his hands. He did not want their thanks.
'Twas joy enough to him, that he had saved Maleen, and, brave man as he was, he sat there weeping like a child.
Maleen rose up, and walked feebly to him, and kneeling down upon the sand, she put her hand upon his shoulder, and whispered "Handsel!"
Handsel raised his head, and saw what he had never dared hope for, in the soft violet eyes upturned to his.
He answered only, "Maleen!" and, throwing his arms around her, pressed her fair golden-crowned head to his bosom.
Thus it was, that in the presence of God, the storm, and all the people—there by the the wild sea-shore, Handsel was betrothed to the most beautiful maiden in all the dear Fatherland,—The Jung-frau Maleen.
Story DNA
Moral
True love and courage are rewarded, often in unexpected ways.
Plot Summary
Jung-frau Maleen, a maiden of unmatched beauty, is secretly adored by the shy student Handsel, who feels unworthy of her. One day, while Maleen is sailing, a fierce storm erupts, imperiling her life as a helpless crowd watches from shore. Handsel, displaying immense courage, ventures into the tempestuous sea in a lifeboat and miraculously rescues Maleen. Upon her recovery, Maleen's first thought is of Handsel, leading to a public and heartfelt declaration of their mutual love and betrothal by the sea.
Themes
Emotional Arc
distance to union
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story evokes a romanticized pre-industrial European village setting, common in 19th-century fairy tales.
Plot Beats (15)
- Jung-frau Maleen is introduced as a maiden of extraordinary beauty, inheriting her mother's golden hair and fair complexion.
- She is admired by many young men, but her innocent beauty keeps her somewhat distant and unattainable.
- Handsel, a bashful student, secretly loves Maleen from afar, believing himself unworthy.
- Maleen, though unaware of Handsel's deep feelings, is content when she sees him observing her from a distance.
- One morning, Handsel sees Maleen set out alone in her small boat on the sea.
- While Handsel is at college, a sudden and violent storm erupts over the German Ocean.
- Handsel rushes to the shore and finds a helpless crowd, including Maleen's father, watching her frail boat being tossed by the waves.
- No one dares to venture into the storm to save Maleen, who appears pale and hopeless in her boat.
- Handsel, with courageous determination, demands a lifeboat and, tied with a rope, sets out into the treacherous sea.
- He reaches Maleen's boat amidst the crashing waves, and miraculously, both are brought back to shore.
- Handsel delivers the unconscious Maleen to her father, then collapses, unnoticed by the crowd focused on Maleen.
- Upon waking, Maleen's first concern is for Handsel, whom she searches for anxiously.
- She finds Handsel weeping alone, overwhelmed by emotion, and kneels beside him.
- Handsel looks into her eyes and sees her love, and they embrace, publicly acknowledging their devotion.
- Handsel and Jung-frau Maleen are betrothed on the seashore, in the presence of the people and the sea.
Characters
Jung-frau Maleen ★ protagonist
Slender and graceful, with a delicate build. Her beauty is legendary throughout the Fatherland, described as 'matchless'. She has a fair complexion, possibly indicative of Northern European descent, and a 'soft, fresh bloom of the peach' on her cheeks.
Attire: Simple, light, and practical clothing suitable for a maiden living by the German Ocean. When dancing on the sand, she wears a 'light straw hat'. Her everyday attire would likely be a linen or cotton dress, possibly in light colors, reflecting her innocence and the period's German peasant or village maiden style.
Wants: To live a life of simple beauty and perhaps to find true love, though she is not actively seeking it, preferring it to come 'unsought'. She enjoys her freedom and the sea.
Flaw: Her innocence and perhaps a slight naivety make her vulnerable to the dangers of the sea. Her initial emotional distance also makes it hard for others to approach her.
She begins as a beautiful but somewhat emotionally distant maiden, admired from afar. Through the harrowing experience of the storm and Handsel's heroic rescue, she realizes her true feelings for him, transforming from an idealized figure into a woman deeply in love and willing to express it.
Innocent, guileless, beautiful, somewhat distant, and initially reserved in matters of the heart. She is kind and has a 'pleasant smile for all', but maintains a certain untouchable quality. She is also adventurous, enjoying solitary boat rides.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young German maiden standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has an oval face, fair skin with rosy cheeks, and large, soft violet eyes. Her hair is exceptionally long, wavy, and golden, flowing past her waist, almost to her feet. She wears a simple, light cream linen dress with a modest neckline and long sleeves, and a sky-blue apron tied at her waist. Her posture is graceful and slightly ethereal, with a gentle, innocent expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Handsel ◆ supporting
Handsome and manly, with a strong build, suggesting physical capability. His face and neck turn a 'deep crimson' when flustered, indicating a fair complexion.
Attire: As a student, he would wear practical, modest attire, likely dark trousers, a simple shirt, and a waistcoat, possibly a jacket. When bowing, he removes his hat, which would be a common student's cap or a simple felt hat.
Wants: His primary motivation is his deep, unspoken love for Jung-frau Maleen. He wants to protect her and prove his worth, even if he believes he can never truly have her.
Flaw: His extreme bashfulness and lack of self-worth prevent him from approaching Maleen directly or expressing his feelings, causing him great personal suffering.
Handsel begins as a silent, distant admirer. His heroic act of saving Maleen's life forces him to confront his feelings and allows Maleen to see his true worth. This transforms him from a bashful student into a betrothed hero, finally receiving the love he longed for.
Bashful, devoted, noble-hearted, courageous, self-sacrificing, and humble. He worships Maleen from a distance, believing himself unworthy, yet acts heroically when she is in danger. He is also sensitive, weeping like a child after the rescue.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young German man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a strong, manly build, a fair complexion, and large, dark, earnest eyes. His dark hair is neatly combed. He wears a dark brown wool waistcoat over a simple white linen shirt, dark grey trousers, and sturdy leather boots. His posture is initially reserved but shows underlying strength. He has a determined yet humble expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Maleen's Father ○ minor
Not explicitly described, but as a man living in a small village by the German Ocean, he would likely have a weathered appearance. He is described as 'heart-broken' and 'paralyzed in the hopelessness of his agony' during the storm, suggesting a man of deep emotion.
Attire: Typical attire for a village man of the period, likely practical and sturdy, perhaps wool or linen, in muted colors.
Wants: To care for and protect his only child, Maleen, after his wife's death.
Flaw: His overwhelming love for Maleen makes him emotionally vulnerable and paralyzed by fear when she is in danger, rendering him unable to act.
He experiences intense fear and helplessness during the storm but is ultimately relieved and overjoyed by his daughter's rescue, witnessing the blossoming love between Maleen and Handsel.
Loving, protective, and deeply devoted to his daughter. He is overwhelmed by grief and fear when Maleen is in danger, showing his vulnerability.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult German village man standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a weathered face, possibly with a beard, and a look of deep worry. He wears a practical, dark grey wool tunic over a simple linen shirt, dark trousers, and sturdy leather boots. His posture is slightly hunched, conveying anxiety and helplessness. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
German Ocean Shore
A windswept sandy beach along the German Ocean, where the waves crash against the shore. The sand is often damp from the sea, and the air is filled with the scent of salt. During the storm, it becomes a chaotic scene with merciless breakers and lashing winds.
Mood: Initially playful and serene, later becomes terrifying and desperate during the storm, then ends with a sense of relief and profound love.
Maleen often dances and sails here. Handsel rescues Maleen from a fierce storm, and they become betrothed on this very shore.
Image Prompt & Upload
A wide, windswept sandy beach stretches along the turbulent German Ocean. Dark, heavy storm clouds gather ominously overhead, casting a dramatic, desaturated light on the churning grey-green waves that crash violently onto the shore. Scattered driftwood and damp sand are visible in the foreground, with a few hardy, wind-bent dune grasses clinging to the edges. The horizon line is blurred by rain and sea spray. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Handsel's College
A quiet, secluded academic building, likely a traditional German college with stone walls and perhaps leaded windows. It offers a stark contrast to the wildness of the sea.
Mood: Secluded, studious, then abruptly anxious and urgent.
Handsel is studying here when he notices the storm gathering and hears the cries for Maleen, prompting him to rush to the shore.
Image Prompt & Upload
Inside a quiet, secluded German college study, a heavy wooden desk is bathed in the dim, cool light filtering through a tall, arched leaded-glass window. Ancient, leather-bound books are stacked neatly on the desk and on dark timber shelves lining the rough-hewn stone walls. Dust motes dance in the faint light, and the air feels still and heavy with academic quiet. Outside the window, the sky is beginning to darken ominously. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
