Akingwasoncehuntinginagreatwood，andhehuntedthegamesoeagerlythatnoneofhiscourtierscouldfollowhim。Wheneveningcameonhestoodstillandlookedroundhim，andhesawthathehadquitelosthimself。Hesoughtawayout，butcouldfindnone。Thenhesawanoldwomanwithashakingheadcomingtowardshim；butshewasawitch。
’Goodwoman，’hesaidtoher，’canyounotshowmethewayoutofthewood？’
’Oh，certainly，SirKing，’shereplied，’Icanquitewelldothat，butononecondition，whichifyoudonotfulfilyouwillnevergetoutofthewood，andwilldieofhunger。’
’Whatisthecondition？’askedtheKing。
’Ihaveadaughter，’saidtheoldwoman，’whoissobeautifulthatshehasnotherequalintheworld，andiswellfittedtobeyourwife；ifyouwillmakeherlady-queenIwillshowyouthewayoutofthewood。’
TheKinginhisanguishofmindconsented，andtheoldwomanledhimtoherlittlehousewhereherdaughterwassittingbythefire。ShereceivedtheKingasifshewereexpectinghim，andhesawthatshewascertainlyverybeautiful；butshedidnotpleasehim，andhecouldnotlookatherwithoutasecretfeelingofhorror。Assoonashehadliftedthemaidenontohishorsetheoldwomanshowedhimtheway，andtheKingreachedhispalace，wheretheweddingwascelebrated。
TheKinghadalreadybeenmarriedonce，andhadbyhisfirstwifesevenchildren，sixboysandonegirl，whomhelovedmorethananythingintheworld。Andnow，becausehewasafraidthattheirstepmothermightnottreatthemwellandmightdothemharm，heputtheminalonelycastlethatstoodinthemiddleofawood。
Itlaysohidden，andthewaytoitwassohardtofind，thathehimselfcouldnothavefounditouthadnotawise-womangivenhimareelofthreadwhichpossessedamarvellousproperty:whenhethrewitbeforehimitunwounditselfandshowedhimtheway。
ButtheKingwentsooftentohisdearchildrenthattheQueenwasoffendedathisabsence。Shegrewcurious，andwantedtoknowwhathehadtodoquitealoneinthewood。Shegavehisservantsagreatdealofmoney，andtheybetrayedthesecrettoher，andalsotoldherofthereelwhichalonecouldpointouttheway。ShehadnorestnowtillshehadfoundoutwheretheKingguardedthereel，andthenshemadesomelittlewhiteshirts，and，asshehadlearntfromherwitch-mother，sewedanenchantmentineachofthem。
AndwhentheKinghadriddenoffshetookthelittleshirtsandwentintothewood，andthereelshowedhertheway。Thechildren，whosawsomeonecominginthedistance，thoughtitwastheirdearfathercomingtothem，andsprangtomeethimveryjoyfully。Thenshethrewovereachonealittleshirt，whichwhenithadtouchedtheirbodieschangedthemintoswans，andtheyflewawayovertheforest。TheQueenwenthomequitesatisfied，andthoughtshehadgotridofherstep-children；butthegirlhadnotruntomeetherwithherbrothers，andsheknewnothingofher。
ThenextdaytheKingcametovisithischildren，buthefoundnoonebutthegirl。
’Whereareyourbrothers？’askedtheKing。
’Alas！dearfather，’sheanswered，’theyhavegoneawayandleftmeallalone。’Andshetoldhimthatlookingoutofherlittlewindowshehadseenherbrothersflyingoverthewoodintheshapeofswans，andsheshowedhimthefeatherswhichtheyhadletfallintheyard，andwhichshehadcollected。TheKingmourned，buthedidnotthinkthattheQueenhaddonethewickeddeed，andashewasafraidthemaidenwouldalsobetakenfromhim，hewantedtotakeherwithhim。Butshewasafraidofthestepmother，andbeggedtheKingtoletherstayjustonenightmoreinthecastleinthewood。Thepoormaidenthought，’Myhomeisnolongerhere；Iwillgoandseekmybrothers。’Andwhennightcameshefledawayintotheforest。Sheranallthroughthenightandthenextday，tillshecouldgonofartherforweariness。Thenshesawalittlehut，wentin，andfoundaroomwithsixlittlebeds。Shewasafraidtoliedownonone，soshecreptunderoneofthem，layonthehardfloor，andwasgoingtospendthenightthere。Butwhenthesunhadsetsheheardanoise，andsawsixswansflyinginatthewindow。Theystoodonthefloorandblewatoneanother，andblewalltheirfeathersoff，andtheirswan-skincameofflikeashirt。Thenthemaidenrecognisedherbrothers，andoverjoyedshecreptoutfromunderthebed。Herbrotherswerenotlessdelightedthanshetoseetheirlittlesisteragain，buttheirjoydidnotlastlong。
’Youcannotstayhere，’theysaidtoher。’Thisisadenofrobbers；iftheyweretocomehereandfindyoutheywouldkillyou。’
’Couldyounotprotectme？’askedthelittlesister。
’No，’theyanswered，’forwecanonlylayasideourswanskinsforaquarterofanhoureveryevening。Forthistimeweregainourhumanforms，butthenwearechangedintoswansagain。’
Thenthelittlesistercriedandsaid，’Canyounotbefreed？’
’Oh，no，’theysaid，’theconditionsaretoohard。Youmustnotspeakorlaughforsixyears，andmustmakeinthattimesixshirtsforusoutofstar-flowers。Ifasinglewordcomesoutofyourmouth，allyourlabourisvain。’Andwhenthebrothershadsaidthisthequarterofanhourcametoanend，andtheyflewawayoutofthewindowasswans。
Butthemaidenhaddeterminedtofreeherbrothersevenifitshouldcostherherlife。Sheleftthehut，wentintotheforest，climbedatree，andspentthenightthere。Thenextmorningshewentout，collectedstar-flowers，andbegantosew。
Shecouldspeaktonoone，andshehadnowishtolaugh，soshesatthere，lookingonlyatherwork。
Whenshehadlivedtheresometime，ithappenedthattheKingofthecountrywashuntingintheforest，andhishunterscametothetreeonwhichthemaidensat。Theycalledtoherandsaid’Whoareyou？’
Butshegavenoanswer。
’Comedowntous，’theysaid，’wewilldoyounoharm。’
Butsheshookherheadsilently。Astheypressedherfurtherwithquestions，shethrewthemthegoldenchainfromherneck。
Buttheydidnotleaveoff，andshethrewthemhergirdle，andwhenthiswasnouse，hergarters，andthenherdress。Thehuntsmenwouldnotleaveheralone，butclimbedthetree，liftedthemaidendown，andledhertotheKing。TheKingasked，’Whoareyou？Whatareyoudoingupthattree？’
Butsheanswerednothing。
Heaskedherinallthelanguagesheknew，butsheremainedasdumbasafish。Becauseshewassobeautiful，however，theKing’sheartwastouched，andhewasseizedwithagreatloveforher。Hewrappedherupinhiscloak，placedherbeforehimonhishorse。andbroughthertohiscastle。Therehehadherdressedinrichclothes，andherbeautyshoneoutasbrightasday，butnotawordcouldbedrawnfromher。Hesetherattablebyhisside，andhermodestwaysandbehaviourpleasedhimsomuchthathesaid，’Iwillmarrythismaidenandnoneotherintheworld，’andaftersomedayshemarriedher。ButtheKinghadawickedmotherwhowasdispleasedwiththemarriage，andsaidwickedthingsoftheyoungQueen。’Whoknowswhothisgirlis？’
shesaid；’shecannotspeak，andisnotworthyofaking。’
Afterayear，whentheQueenhadherfirstchild，theoldmothertookitawayfromher。ThenshewenttotheKingandsaidthattheQueenhadkilledit。TheKingwouldnotbelieveit，andwouldnotallowanyharmtobedoneher。Butshesatquietlysewingattheshirtsandtroublingherselfaboutnothing。Thenexttimeshehadachildthewickedmotherdidthesamething，buttheKingcouldnotmakeuphismindtobelieveher。Hesaid，’Sheistoosweetandgoodtodosuchathingasthat。Ifshewerenotdumbandcoulddefendherself，herinnocencewouldbeproved。’Butwhenthethirdchildwastakenaway，andtheQueenwasagainaccused，andcouldnotutterawordinherowndefence，theKingwasobligedtogiveherovertothelaw，whichdecreedthatshemustbeburnttodeath。Whenthedaycameonwhichthesentencewastobeexecuted，itwasthelastdayofthesixyearsinwhichshemustnotspeakorlaugh，andnowshehadfreedherdearbrothersfromthepoweroftheenchantment。Thesixshirtsweredone；therewasonlytheleftsleevewantingtothelast。
Whenshewasledtothestake，shelaidtheshirtsonherarm，andasshestoodonthepileandthefirewasabouttobelighted，shelookedaroundherandsawsixswansflyingthroughtheair。Thensheknewthatherreleasewasathandandherheartdancedforjoy。Theswansflutteredroundher，andhoveredlowsothatshecouldthrowtheshirtsoverthem。Whentheyhadtouchedthemtheswan-skinsfelloff，andherbrothersstoodbeforeherliving，wellandbeautiful。Onlytheyoungesthadaswan’swinginsteadofhisleftarm。Theyembracedandkissedeachother，andtheQueenwenttotheKing，whowasstandingbyingreatastonishment，andbegantospeaktohim，saying，’Dearesthusband，nowIcanspeakandtellyouopenlythatIaminnocentandhavebeenfalselyaccused。’
Shetoldhimoftheoldwoman’sdeceit，andhowshehadtakenthethreechildrenawayandhiddenthem。Thentheywerefetched，tothegreatjoyoftheKing，andthewickedmothercametonogoodend。
ButtheKingandtheQueenwiththeirsixbrotherslivedmanyyearsinhappinessandpeace。
[2]’DerNorlandsDrache，’fromEsthnischeMahrchen。Kreutzwald，Verylongago，asoldpeoplehavetoldme，therelivedaterriblemonster，whocameoutoftheNorth，andlaidwastewholetractsofcountry，devouringbothmenandbeasts；andthismonsterwassodestructivethatitwasfearedthatunlesshelpcamenolivingcreaturewouldbeleftonthefaceoftheearth。Ithadabodylikeanox，andlegslikeafrog，twoshortfore-legs，andtwolongonesbehind，andbesidesthatithadataillikeaserpent，tenfathomsinlength。Whenitmoveditjumpedlikeafrog，andwitheveryspringitcoveredhalfamileofground。Fortunatelyitshabit，wastoremainforseveralyearsinthesameplace，andnottomoveontillthewholeneighbourhoodwaseatenup。
Nothingcouldhuntit，becauseitswholebodywascoveredwithscales，whichwereharderthanstoneormetal；itstwogreateyesshonebynight，andevenbyday，likethebrightestlamps，andanyonewhohadtheilllucktolookintothoseeyesbecameasitwerebewitched，andwasobligedtorushofhisownaccordintothemonster’sjaws。InthiswaytheDragonwasabletofeeduponbothmenandbeastswithouttheleasttroubletoitself，asitneedednottomovefromthespotwhereitwaslying。Alltheneighbouringkingshadofferedrichrewardstoanyonewhoshouldbeabletodestroythemonster，eitherbyforceorenchantment，andmanyhadtriedtheirluck，butallhadmiserablyfailed。
OnceagreatforestinwhichtheDragonlayhadbeensetonfire；
theforestwasburntdown，butthefiredidnotdothemonstertheleastharm。However，therewasatraditionamongstthewisemenofthecountrythattheDragonmightbeovercomebyonewhopossessedKingSolomon’ssignet-ring，uponwhichasecretwritingwasengraved。ThisinscriptionwouldenableanyonewhowaswiseenoughtointerpretittofindouthowtheDragoncouldbedestroyed。Onlynooneknewwheretheringwashidden，norwasthereanysorcererorlearnedmantobefoundwhowouldbeabletoexplaintheinscription。