Our Lady's Child (Grimm)
Short summary
A poor woodcutter's three-year-old daughter was taken to heaven by the Virgin Mary.
At fourteen, the girl received keys to twelve heavenly doors but was forbidden to open the thirteenth.
She disobeyed, saw the Trinity, and her finger turned gold. When Virgin Mary returned, she denied opening the door three times. Cast to earth and mute, she lived in wilderness until a king found and married her. Each time she bore a child, Virgin Mary took it when she refused to confess. Accused of eating her children, she was condemned to burn.
If I could but confess before my death that I opened the door. Then her voice came back to her, and she cried out loudly, Yes, Mary, I did it!
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The woodcutters poverty and the Virgin Marys offer
A poor woodcutter lived with his wife near a great forest, struggling to feed their only child, a three-year-old daughter. Their poverty had become so severe that they no longer had daily bread and faced starvation. One morning, as the woodcutter sorrowfully went to work in the forest, a tall and beautiful woman with a crown of shining stars appeared before him.
She revealed herself as the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, and offered to take the child to heaven to care for her. The desperate woodcutter obeyed and brought his daughter to the Virgin Mary, who took her up to heaven.
Life in heaven and the forbidden door
In heaven, the child lived wonderfully, eating sugar-cakes and drinking sweet milk, wearing clothes of gold while little angels played with her.
When she turned fourteen, the Virgin Mary prepared for a long journey and entrusted her with the keys to thirteen doors of heaven. The Virgin Mary warned her:
Twelve of these thou mayest open, and behold the glory which is within them, but the thirteenth...is forbidden thee. Beware of opening it, or thou wilt bring misery on thyself.
The girl promised obedience and began exploring the twelve permitted chambers, each containing one of the Apostles surrounded by magnificent light. However, curiosity about the forbidden thirteenth door consumed her. Despite the angels' warnings that it would be sinful, she rationalized her disobedience, thinking:
Exile to earth and survival in the wilderness
When alone, she unlocked the forbidden door and saw the Trinity sitting in fire and splendor. She touched the divine light with her finger, which turned golden. Overwhelmed by fear, she fled, but her heart continued beating wildly and the golden mark remained despite her attempts to wash it away. Upon the Virgin Mary's return, she was questioned three times about opening the door, denying it each time. The Virgin Mary felt her racing heart and saw the golden finger, declaring:
Thou hast not obeyed me, and besides that thou hast lied, thou art no longer worthy to be in heaven...Then the girl fell into a deep sleep, and when she awoke she lay on the earth below
The girl found herself in a wilderness, unable to speak and trapped by thorny hedges. She made her dwelling in a hollow tree, surviving on roots and wild berries. Her clothes gradually fell apart, and her long hair became her only covering. She endured years of misery, remembering her lost happiness in heaven.
The kings discovery and marriage
Years later, while hunting, a king pursued a deer into the thicket and discovered the beautiful maiden sitting under the tree, covered entirely by her golden hair.
Though she could not speak, her beauty and charm captivated him. He took her to his castle, dressed her in beautiful garments, and soon married her, loving her deeply despite her silence.
The Virgin Marys tests and the queens silence
After the queen bore her first son, the Virgin Mary appeared at night, offering to restore her speech if she confessed to opening the forbidden door. When the queen refused, the Virgin Mary took the newborn child away. The people whispered that the queen was a man-eater who had killed her own child, but the king refused to believe it. The same pattern repeated with a second son - the Virgin Mary's offer, the queen's denial, and the child's disappearance, leading to louder accusations from the people and demands for justice from the king's councillors.
When the queen gave birth to a beautiful daughter, the Virgin Mary led her to heaven and showed her the two sons playing happily. Still, the queen denied opening the door for the third time. The Virgin Mary took this child as well. The people's outcry could no longer be ignored, and the king was forced to allow a trial. Unable to defend herself due to her silence, the queen was condemned to be burned alive.
Confession and redemption
As the flames began to burn around her at the stake, the queen's pride finally melted. Her heart moved to repentance, and she cried out loudly, confessing that she had indeed opened the forbidden door. Rain immediately fell and extinguished the fire, light broke forth above her, and the Virgin Mary descended with all three children, speaking kindly:
He who repents his sin and acknowledges it, is forgiven. Then she gave her the three children, untied her tongue, and granted her happiness for her whole life.