The Master Maid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Master Maid |
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The Master Maid prepares herself to the task with her magical Glass Axe. Illustration from Jacobs' version by John D. Batten
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| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Master Maid |
| Also known as | Mestermø; La fille du diable; Blancaflor, la hija del Diablo |
| Data | |
| Aarne–Thompson grouping |
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| Region | Norway |
| Published in | Norske Folkeeventyr, by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe |
| Related | Jason and Medea; The Two Kings' Children; The Water Nixie; Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter, Nix Nought Nothing; "Foundling-Bird" |
"The Master Maid" is a wonderful Norwegian fairy tale. It was collected by two famous storytellers, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. They put it in their book Norske Folkeeventyr. The word "Master" here means "very skilled" or "superior."
Jørgen Moe first wrote down this tale in 1842. He heard it from a great storyteller named Anne Godlid in Seljord. Later, Andrew Lang translated the story into English. He included it in his popular The Blue Fairy Book in 1889. This tale is known as Aarne–Thompson type 313. Other stories like it include "The Two Kings' Children" and "Nix Nought Nothing".
Contents
The Story of the Master Maid
The Prince and the Giant
A king's youngest son decided to go out and find his own way in the world. He soon found a job working for a huge giant. On the first morning, the giant left to take his goats to the fields. He told the prince to clean the stables. He also warned the prince not to go into any other rooms.
But the prince was curious and didn't listen. He found three pots bubbling without any fire! One pot turned things into copper. The second turned them into silver. The third pot turned things into shiny gold. Beyond these rooms, he found the amazing Master Maid.
She warned him about cleaning the stables. She said that if he shoveled normally, ten shovelfuls of dirt would fly back in for every one he took out. But if he shoveled with the handle of the shovel, he would succeed. The prince talked with her all day. They decided they would get married. That evening, he started his chore. He found the Master Maid was right and finished the job easily. When the giant returned, he suspected the prince had spoken with the Master Maid. The prince denied it.
More Impossible Tasks
The next day, the giant told the prince to bring a horse from the pasture. The Master Maid warned him again. She said the horse breathed fire. But if he used a special bit hanging behind the door, he would succeed. The prince followed her advice and brought the horse. The giant again accused him of talking to the Master Maid. The prince denied it once more.
On the third day, the giant gave him a very dangerous task. He had to go to Hell and collect the giant's fire tax. The Master Maid gave him clear directions. She told him to ask for as much fire as he could carry. The prince went and got the fire. The person who gave it to him said it was good he didn't ask for a horse-load. The giant suspected the prince had spoken with the Master Maid. The prince denied it for the third time.
The Escape
On the fourth day, the giant brought the prince to the Master Maid. He ordered her to kill the prince and make him into a stew. Then the giant lay down to sleep. The Master Maid quickly cut her finger. She let three drops of blood fall onto a stool. Then she put all sorts of junk into a stew pot. She set it to cook.
She grabbed a chest full of gold dust. She also took a lump of salt, a flask of water, a golden apple, and two golden chickens. Then she and the prince quickly left. They reached the sea and began sailing away.
The giant woke up and asked if the stew was ready. The drops of blood on the stool answered him. This happened three times. The third time, the blood drops said the stew was done. The giant got up and tasted it. He immediately realized what the Master Maid had done!
Seeing them sailing away, the giant sent a huge monster to drink up the sea. But the Master Maid had the prince throw down the salt. It instantly transformed into a giant mountain. This blocked the water, stopping the monster. The giant then sent another monster to bore through the hill. When it reached the other side, the Master Maid had the prince pour the flask of water into the sea. This refilled the ocean. The monster drank it up again. But before the giant could catch them, they reached the prince's father's lands.
The Forgotten Promise
The prince didn't want the Master Maid to walk into his father's castle. He suggested he would go get a coach with seven horses to carry her. She warned him that he would forget her. He promised he never would. She made him promise to go straight home. He was only to fetch the horses. He must not speak to anyone or eat anything.
He arrived home and found a wedding party for one of his brothers. He went to get the coach. The wedding guests saw he wouldn't come in. They went out with food for him. As he was about to ride off, the bride's sister rolled an apple to him. He bit it and immediately forgot the Master Maid.
The Master Maid found an old, dirty hut where an old woman lived. She decided to stay there. She said she would clean it up. She put gold in the pot on the fire. The gold bubbled up and made the whole cottage shine like gold. The old woman was so scared that she ran away. The Master Maid then lived there by herself.
The Master Maid's Tricks
A constable found her and wanted to marry her. She sent him to get a sackful of gold. Then she said she needed to bank the fire. The constable offered to do it. Once he had the poker, the Master Maid said, "You will hold it, and it will hold you! You will shovel red-hot coals over yourself all night!" And that's exactly what happened. As soon as day broke, he finally got rid of the poker. He ran off as fast as he could.
A clerk found her in the same way. When he brought the money, she said she needed to shut the door. The clerk offered to do it. Once he had the door latch, the Master Maid said, "You will hold it, and it will hold you! You will go back and forth all night!" And so he did.
A sheriff found her in the same way. When he brought the money, she said she needed to bring in a calf. The sheriff offered to do it. Once he had the calf by the tail, the Master Maid said, "You will hold it, and it will hold you! You will tour the world all night!" And so he did.
The Wedding Day
The next morning, the prince was supposed to marry. He was marrying the bride's sister who had rolled the apple to him. But as the coach was leaving, a harness pin broke. Any pin they tried to replace it with also broke. The constable said that if they borrowed the poker from the Master Maid, it would hold. They did, and it worked.
Then the bottom of the coach broke. Any bottom they tried to replace it with also broke. The clerk said that if they borrowed the door from the Master Maid, it would hold. They did, and it worked.
But then the horses wouldn't pull, no matter how much they were whipped. The sheriff said that if they borrowed the calf from the Master Maid, it would pull the coach. They did, and it pulled the coach.
The prince insisted on inviting the Master Maid to the wedding feast.
Memory Restored
At the feast, the Master Maid put the golden apple on the table. Then she put the golden chickens next to it. The chickens immediately started to fight over the apple. The prince commented on this strange sight. The Master Maid then said that it was just like how they fought to get away from the giant. This made the prince remember everything. His memory was restored! He then married the Master Maid instead of the bride's sister.
