(1838)
Far away in the land to which the swallows fly when it is winter, dwelt a
king who had eleven sons, and one daughter, named Eliza. The eleven
brothers were princes, and each went to school with a star on his breast, and
a sword by his side. They wrote with diamond pencils on gold slates, and
learnt their lessons so quickly and read so easily that every one might know
they were princes. Their sister Eliza sat on a little stool of plate-glass, and
had a book full of pictures, which had cost as much as half a kingdom. Oh,
these children were indeed happy, but it was not to remain so always. Their
father, who was king of the country, married a very wicked queen, who did
not love the poor children at all. They knew this from the very first day after
the wedding. In the palace there were great festivities, and the children
played at receiving company; but instead of having, as usual, all the cakes
and apples that were left, she gave them some sand in a tea-cup, and told
them to pretend it was cake. The week after, she sent little Eliza into the
country to a peasant and his wife, and then she told the king so many untrue
things about the young princes, that he gave himself no more trouble
respecting them.
“Go out into the world and get your own living,” said the queen. “Fly like
great birds, who have no voice.” But she could not make them ugly as she
wished, for they were turned into eleven beautiful wild swans. Then, with a
strange cry, they flew through the windows of the palace, over the park, to
the forest beyond. It was early morning when they passed the peasant’s
cottage, where their sister Eliza lay asleep in her room. They hovered over
the roof, twisted their long necks and flapped their wings, but no one heard
them or saw them, so they were at last obliged to fly away, high up in the
clouds; and over the wide world they flew till they came to a thick, dark
wood, which stretched far away to the seashore. Poor little Eliza was alone
in her room playing with a green leaf, for she had no other playthings, and
