The Rain Maiden by Mary de Morgan
A lonely shepherd’s wife encounters a mysterious woman during a violent rainstorm. The visitor, cloaked in grey and adorned with dazzling jewels, grants a promise: the woman will soon have a daughter who will remain with her as long as her mother’s love for the child is unrivaled. A year later, the wife gives birth to a daughter whose peculiar nature becomes evident—she shuns sunshine and fire, yet delights in dancing in the rain, sometimes appearing adorned with brilliant, jewel-like light. As the girl grows, her strange affinity for rain and nature only intensifies, captivating all who see her. Her innate beauty and mesmerizing presence draw the attention of the heir to the throne. The Prince falls deeply in love with her upon first sight by a river, and soon declares his wish to wed her despite her humble origins. Her mother, intoxicated by the prospect of royal elevation, encourages the union. The young maiden, however, resists the idea of leaving her simple life, insisting that she would rather care for her mother than become a queen in a distant palace. Despite her protests, preparations for a grand wedding ensue. On the eve of the ceremony, ominous weather returns, and on the day of the wedding a torrential downpour and catastrophic floods overrun the palace. Amid the chaos, the bride vanishes as if swept away by the very storm she had always embraced. The mysterious visitor’s warning is fulfilled—the daughter disappears when her mother’s love and priorities have shifted toward worldly ambitions. The Prince, haunted by the echo of her rain-danced voice, carries the memory of her loss throughout his life.
By Mary de Morgan · First published 1891 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Magic Realism · 3,080 words
First lines
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?"
What this Textopian page supports
The Rain Maiden is listed on Textopian as a short story by Mary de Morgan, dated 1891 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Mary de Morgan
- Date: 1891 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Magic Realism, Allegory, Fable
- Length: 3,080 words
- Structure: 1 section, 26 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Rain Maiden by Mary de Morgan
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Rain Maiden?
- How does this short story by Mary de Morgan fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Genres
- Fairy Tale — The narrative follows a traditional fairy tale structure with magical characters, enchanted events, and an underlying moral lesson.
- Fantasy — The story incorporates supernatural events and settings that defy natural laws, marking it as a work of fantasy.
- Magic Realism — Realistic settings intermingle with extraordinary, unexplained phenomena, a key characteristic of magic realism.
- Allegory — The tale functions as an allegory with symbolic characters and events that comment on love, neglect, and the balance of care and desire.
Tags
fantasy · fairy tale · magical realism · myth · allegory · women empowerment · transformation · coming-of-age · spirituality · feminine mystique · nature · rain