there was once a king who had a son who asked in marriage the daughter of a mighty king; she
was called maid maleen, and was very beautiful.  as her father wished to give her to another, the
prince was rejected; but as they both loved each other with all their hearts, they would not give
each other up, and maid maleen said to her father, "i can and will 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 or moonlight should enter.  when it was finished, he said, "therein shalt thou be
imprisoned for seven years, and then i will come and see if thy perverse spirit is broken."  meat
and drink for the seven years were carried into the tower, and then she and her waiting-woman
were led into it and walled up, and thus cut off from the sky and from the earth.  there they sat in
the darkness, and knew not when day or night began.  the king's son often went round and round
the tower, and called their names, but no sound from without pierced through the thick walls.
what else could they do but lament and complain?  meanwhile the time passed, and by the
diminution of the food and drink they knew that the seven years were coming 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
they only had food for a short time longer, and saw a miserable death awaiting them, maid
maleen said, "we must try our last chance, and see if we can break through the wall."  she took
the bread-knife, and picked and bored at the mortar of a stone, and when she was tired, the
waiting-maid took her turn.  with great labour they succeeded in getting out one stone, and then
a second, and a third, and when three days were over the first ray of light fell on their darkness,
and at last the opening was so large that they could look out.  the sky was blue, and a fresh
breeze played on their faces; but how melancholy everything looked all around!  her father's
castle lay in ruins, the town and the villages were, so far as could 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 large enough for them to slip through, the waiting-maid sprang down first, and then maid
maleen followed.  but where were they to go?  the enemy had ravaged the whole kingdom,
driven away the king, and slain all the inhabitants.  they wandered forth to seek another country,
but nowhere did they find a shelter, or a human being to give them a mouthful of bread, and their
need was so great that they were forced to appease their hunger with nettles.  when, after long
journeying, they came into another country, they tried to get work everywhere; but wherever they
knocked they were turned away, and no one would have pity on them.  at last they arrived in a
large city and went to the royal palace.  there also they were ordered to go away, but at last the
cook said that they might stay in the kitchen and be scullions.
 

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