The Wild Swans

1838 Denmark

Story

Far away in a distant kingdom lived a king with his twelve children—eleven princes and one princess named Elisa. They were all happy until their mother died and the king married a wicked queen who hated the children.

The evil queen cast a terrible spell on the eleven princes, turning them into wild swans. "Fly away and take care of yourselves!" she cackled as they soared out the window. Little Elisa was sent away to live with peasants, and the queen told the king that his children had all run away.

Years passed, and Elisa grew into a kind and beautiful young woman. When she was old enough, she set out to find her lost brothers. After searching far and wide, she finally found them living in a cave by the sea. By day, they were swans, but each night, for a few hours, they transformed back into princes.

"Dear sister!" they cried, embracing her. But they warned her that the spell could only be broken in one way: she must weave eleven shirts from stinging nettles. And while she worked, she could not speak a single word, or her brothers would die.

Elisa immediately set to work. She gathered nettles, though they stung her hands terribly, and began to weave. Day after day, she worked in silence, never complaining, never speaking, even when people thought she was strange or when they accused her of being a witch.

A young king from a neighboring land found Elisa and was so moved by her gentle nature that he married her. But his jealous advisor convinced people that Elisa was practicing dark magic with her nettle shirts. She was sentenced to be punished, but even facing this terrible fate, Elisa would not speak and continued to weave.

On the morning of her punishment, eleven wild swans flew down from the sky. Elisa threw the completed shirts over them, and they transformed into her brothers! Only the youngest still had a swan's wing, for his shirt was not quite finished.

At last, Elisa could speak! She told everyone the truth about the wicked queen's curse and her years of silent suffering to save her brothers. The king begged her forgiveness, and they all lived happily together, with Elisa honored as the bravest and most loving sister in all the land.

History and Meaning

"The Wild Swans" was written by Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1838. The story draws from older folk tales, including the German fairy tale "The Six Swans" collected by the Brothers Grimm.

The tale is a powerful story about the lengths to which love and loyalty can take us. Elisa's silent sacrifice—enduring pain, isolation, and even the threat of death—demonstrates the greatest devotion a sibling could show.

The nettle shirts serve as a symbol of endurance through suffering. In folklore, nettles were believed to have protective and healing properties, making them a fitting material for breaking a magical curse.

The story also highlights the danger of false accusations and the importance of truth eventually coming to light. Elisa's silence is not weakness but strength, as she knows that speaking would doom her brothers forever.