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The most eminent work of fiction by M. Valančius is a tale "Juzė from Palanga". It consists of stories told by the wandering country tailor Juzė Viskanta who came back from a long journey to Samogitia (Lower Lithuania) and Upper Lithuania. He recollects the places he visited and the people he met there. Juzė tells his stories for 13 nights, and the tale has the same number of chapters. Each chapter describes a different part of Lithuania, the modes of life and customs of their inhabitants.
"Juzė from Palanga" is a kind of the textbook on Lithuanian geography and culture, the first one written in a form of fiction. It tells about the features of nature in various parts of Lithuania, about the modes of life and customs of the peasants. "Juzė from Palanga" is especially enriched with ethnographic and folkloric material. The story broadly depicts ancient wedding customs of Upper and Lower Lithuanians, contains folk songs and descriptions of amusements.
The style of "Juzė from Palanga", as of other works by M. Valančius, is featured by its exactness, dynamism, abundant humorous elements, and rich folk language.
