The Wild Swans

There is a King in a land near the water who has eleven sons and a beautiful daughter. The queen is dead, and the king is alone. He wants a new wife to share his throne. The new Queen is bad and sends Eliza to stay with a poor family in the woods far away. She uses a spell to change the sons. So now they all leave because they are swans. Eliza visits the king when she is fifteen. But she is afraid when she sees the Queen. She makes Eliza dirty. So the king with a new magic spell. So the sends her king tell Eliza, “Go away! You smell!”. He sends her away and Eliza is sad. But the wicked Queen is really glad. Eliza is lost , sad and alone in the forest so dark, and far from her home. Here are some leaves. She lies down to sleep- She is very tired in the forest so deep. She thinks of her brothers, how handsome young men. She dreams of a woman and asks her of them. “Do you know my brothers? Tell me if you can. They’re eleven princes. They’re

handsome young men.” “They are over there. Just follow this stream.” The old woman says in Eliza’s dream. Eliza wakes up. She goes to the stream and waits by the water and thinks of her dream. Eleven swans come flying and laid on the shore. They turn into her brothers. They’re not swans anymore. She runs to greet they. They have lots to tell of the country they live in. “Can I come as well?” “We can all make a net,” the brothers say, “and then we can takes you with us today.” Eliza’s got a new home, she’s happy, it’s true, but her brothers are swans. What can she do? One night she dreams of a magical spell to change back her brothers, and make all things well. She must make magic shirts with nettles that spiny. But she must be will careful. She can’t say a thing. She cannot speak , or the spell will break when making each shirt – for her brother’s sake. She collects some nettles and sits working all day. But what she id doing cannot say. One day a huntsman rides by on his horse. When he sees Eliza, he loves her. Of course! He wants to marry her. He is a king when they get to his palace,

he gives her a ring. “what is your name? Why don’t you speak? Why do you saw nettles week after week? ” One night, almost finished, she goes out to find a last bunch of nettles. But who’s this behind? “You are a witch! Come with me to the king!” And poor Eliza can’t say a thing. The king locks her up. He is very sad. “If you are a witch that is very bad.” Eliza still sews in her prison cell. She finishes the nettles, ten shirts! How can it be? It has only one sleeve as we can see. What does this mean for the eleventh brother? He has only one sleeve, but he hasn’t got the other! The next day, men come and take her away. They want to burn her on that same day. The swans fly down when she’s at the stake. Eliza throws them the shirts, which the brother’s take. Eleven prices stand there brace and strong. “At last I can speak! And tell you, you ‘re wrong! I ‘m not a witch as you can see. I only makes shirts t o set my brothers free. ” The king is so glad, he holds her hand tight, and they have a party on that very night. Her brothers are there. They dance and they sing- even the youngest who still has one wing!