H andersen wild swans. Wild Swans

Wild Swans

Their mother died and the king married again. The stepmother was an evil witch and did not like the poor children. On the very first day, when the king's wedding was celebrated in the palace, the children felt how evil their stepmother was. They started a game of "visiting" and asked the queen to give them cakes and baked apples to feed their guests. But the stepmother gave them a teacup of plain sand and said:

That's enough for you!

Another week passed, and the stepmother decided to get rid of Eliza. She sent her to the village to be raised by some peasants. And then the evil stepmother began to slander the king about the poor princes and said so many bad things that the king did not want to see his sons anymore.

And so the queen ordered the princes to be called, and when they approached her, she shouted:

Let each of you turn into a black raven! Fly away from the palace and get your own food!

But she failed to complete her evil deed. The princes turned not into ugly crows, but into beautiful wild swans. With a scream, they flew out of the windows of the palace and rushed over the parks and forests.

It was early morning when eleven swans flew past the hut where their sister Eliza was still fast asleep. They flew over the roof for a long time, stretching out their flexible necks and flapping their wings, but no one heard or saw them. So they had to fly further without seeing their sister.

High, high, right up to the clouds, they soared and flew into a large dark forest that stretched all the way to the sea.

And poor Eliza remained to live in a peasant hut. All day long she played with a green leaf - she had no other toys; She poked a hole in the leaf and looked through it at the sun - it seemed to her that she saw the clear eyes of her brothers.

Days passed by. Sometimes the wind swayed the rose bushes that bloomed near the house and asked the roses:

Is there anyone more beautiful than you? And the roses, shaking their heads, answered:

Eliza is more beautiful than us.

And finally, Eliza was fifteen years old, and the peasants sent her home to the palace.

The queen saw how beautiful her stepdaughter was and hated Eliza even more. The evil stepmother would like to turn Eliza, like her brothers, into a wild swan, but she could not do this: the king wanted to see his daughter.

And so early in the morning the queen went to her marble bath, all decorated with wonderful carpets and soft pillows. Three toads were sitting in the corner of the bathhouse. The Queen took them in her hands and kissed them. Then she said to the first toad:

When Eliza enters the bath, sit on her head - let her become the same. stupid and lazy like you.

The queen said to another toad:

And you jump on Eliza’s forehead - let her become as ugly as you. Then her own father won’t recognize her... Well, you’ll fall on her heart! - the queen whispered to the third toad. - Let her become evil so that no one loves her.

And the queen threw the toads into the clear water. The water immediately became green and cloudy.
The queen called Eliza, undressed her and ordered her to enter the water.

As soon as Eliza stepped into the water, one heat jumped onto her crown, another onto her forehead, and a third onto her chest. But Eliza didn't even notice it. And the three toads, having touched Eliza, turned into three red poppies. And Eliza came out of the water as beautiful as she entered.

Then the evil queen rubbed Eliza with walnut juice, and poor Eliza became completely black. And then her stepmother smeared her face with stinking ointment and tangled her wonderful hair. Now no one would be able to recognize Eliza. Even the father, looking at her, got scared and said that this was not his daughter. Nobody recognized Eliza. Only the old chained dog rushed towards her with a friendly bark, and the swallows, which she often fed with crumbs, chirped their song to her. But who will pay attention to poor animals?

Eli cried bitterly and secretly left the palace. All day long she wandered through fields and swamps, making her way to the forest. Eliza herself didn’t really know where to go. She kept thinking about her brothers, whom the evil stepmother also kicked out of their home. Eliza decided to look for them everywhere until she found them.

When Eliza reached the forest, night had already fallen, and the poor girl completely lost her way. She sank down onto the soft moss and laid her head on a stump. The forest was quiet and warm. Hundreds of fireflies, like green lights, flickered in the grass, and when Eliza touched a bush with her hand, some shiny beetles fell from the leaves like a shower of stars.

All night Eliza dreamed of her brothers: they were all children again, playing together, writing with diamond pencils on gold boards and looking at a wonderful picture book for which half the kingdom was given. The pictures in the book were alive: birds sang and people jumped out of the pages of the book and talked to Eliza and her brothers; but as soon as Eliza turned the page, people jumped back - otherwise the pictures would have been confusing.

When Eliza woke up, the sun was already high; she couldn't even get a good look at him through the thick foliage of the trees. Only sometimes the sun's rays made their way between the branches and ran like golden bunnies across the grass. The babbling of a stream could be heard not far away. Eliza walked up to the stream and bent over it. The water in the stream was clean and transparent. If it weren’t for the wind moving the branches of the trees and bushes, one would have thought that the trees and bushes were painted at the bottom of the stream, so clearly they were reflected in the calm water.

Eliza saw her face in the water and was very scared - it was so black and ugly. But then she scooped up some water with her hand, rubbed her eyes and forehead, and her face again became white, as before. Then Eliza undressed and entered the cool, clear stream. The water immediately washed away the walnut juice and the stinking ointment that her stepmother had rubbed on Eliza.

Then Eliza got dressed, braided her long hair and walked further through the forest, she didn’t know where. On the way, she saw a wild apple tree, the branches of which were bending from the weight of the fruit. Eliza ate the apples, propped up the branches with chopsticks, and moved on. Soon she entered the very thicket of the forest. Not a single bird flew here, not a single ray of sunlight penetrated through the tangled branches. Tall trunks stood in dense rows, like log walls. It was so quiet all around that Eliza heard her own steps, heard the rustling of every dry leaf that fell under her feet. Eliza had never been in such a wilderness before.

At night it became completely dark, even the fireflies did not shine in the moss. Eliza lay down on the grass and fell asleep.

No,” said the old lady, “I have not met any princes, but yesterday I saw eleven swans in golden crowns here on the river.”

And the old woman led Eliza to a cliff under which a river flowed. Eliza said goodbye to the old woman and walked along the river bank.

Eliza walked for a long time, and suddenly a boundless sea opened up in front of her. Not a single sail was visible on the sea, not a single boat was nearby.

Eliza sat down on a rock near the shore and wondered what she should do, where to go next?

Sea waves ran up to Eliza’s feet, carrying small pebbles with them. The water erased the edges of the pebbles, and they were completely smooth and round.

And the girl thought: “How much work is needed to make a hard stone smooth and round! And water does this. The sea tirelessly and patiently rolls its waves and defeats the hardest stones. Thank you for teaching me, bright fast waves! "I will, like you, work tirelessly. My heart tells me that someday you will take me to my dear brothers!"

On the shore, among the dry seaweed, Eliza found eleven white swan feathers. Drops of dew or tears still glistened on the feathers, who knows? The surroundings were deserted, but Eliza did not feel lonely. She looked at the sea and couldn’t get enough of it.

Now a large black cloud is approaching the sky, the wind is getting stronger, and the sea is also turning black, agitated and seething. But the cloud passes, pink clouds float across the sky, the wind subsides, and the sea is already calm, now it looks like a rose petal. Sometimes it turns green, sometimes white. But no matter how quiet it is in the air and no matter how calm the sea, the surf is always noisy near the shore, a slight excitement is always noticeable - the water is quietly heaving, like the chest of a sleeping child.

As the sun was approaching sunset, Eliza saw wild swans. Like a long white ribbon, they flew one after another. There were eleven of them. Each swan had a small golden crown on its head. Eliza went to the cliff and hid in the bushes. The swans descended not far from her and flapped their large white wings.

At that very moment the sun disappeared under the water - and suddenly their white feathers fell from the swans, and not eleven swans stood in front of Eliza, but eleven handsome princes. Eliza screamed loudly - she immediately recognized her brothers, although they had changed a lot over these many years. Eliza threw herself into their arms and began calling them all by name.

The brothers were very happy that they had found a sister who had grown so much and become so beautiful. Eliza and the brothers laughed and cried, and then they told each other everything that had happened to them.

The eldest of the princes said to Eliza:

We fly like wild swans all day long, from sunrise to sunset. When the sun sets, we turn into people again. And so, by the hour of sunset, we are in a hurry to fall to the ground. If we turned into people while flying high above the clouds, we would immediately fall to the ground and crash. We don't live here. Far, far across the sea lies a country as beautiful as this. This is where we live. But the road there is long, we have to fly across the entire sea, and along the way there is not a single island where we could spend the night. Only in the very middle of the sea does a lonely cliff rise. It is so small that we can only stand on it by pressing closely together. When the sea is stormy, the splashes of the waves fly over our heads. But still, if it weren’t for this cliff, we would never have been able to visit our native land: the sea is wide, we cannot fly across it from sunrise to sunset. Only twice a year, on the longest days, are our wings able to carry us across the sea. And so we fly here and live here for eleven days. We fly over this large forest and look at the palace where we were born and spent our childhood. It is clearly visible from here. Here every bush and every tree seems like family to us. Wild horses, which we saw in childhood, run across the green meadows, and coal miners sing the same songs that we heard when we lived in our own palace. This is our homeland, we are drawn here with all our hearts, and here we found you, dear, dear sister! This time we have been here for nine days. In two days we must fly overseas, to a beautiful but foreign country. How can we take you with us? We have neither a ship nor a boat.

Oh, if I could free you from the spell! - Eliza told the brothers.

They talked like this for almost the entire night and fell asleep only just before dawn.

Eliza woke up from the sound of swan wings. The brothers became birds again and flew to their native forest. Only one swan remained on the shore with Eliza. This was the youngest of her brothers. The swan laid his head on her lap, and she stroked and fingered his feathers. They spent the whole day together, and in the evening ten swans flew in, and when the sun set, they again turned into princes.

“Tomorrow we must fly away and we will not dare to return before next year,” the elder brother said to Eliza, “but we will not leave you here.” Let's fly with us! I alone in my arms can carry you through the entire forest, so can’t all eleven of us on our wings be able to carry you across the sea?

Yes, take me with you! - said Eliza.

All night they weaved a net of flexible willow bark and reeds. The net came out large and strong, and the brothers put Eliza in it. And so at sunrise, ten swans picked up the net with their beaks and soared under the clouds. Eliza slept sweetly in the net. And so that the rays of the sun would not wake her, the eleventh swan flew over her head, protecting Eliza’s face from the sun with its wide wings.

The swans were already far from the ground when Eliza woke up, and it seemed to her that she was dreaming in reality - it was so strange for her to fly through the air. Near her lay a branch with ripe berries and a bunch of tasty roots - the youngest brother collected them and placed them near Eliza, and Eliza smiled at him - she guessed that it was he who flew above her and protected her from the sun with his wings.

The brothers and sister were flying high, right under the clouds, and the first ship they saw in the sea seemed to them like a seagull floating on the water. The swans flew as quickly as arrows shot from a bow fly, but still not as fast as always: after all, this time they were carrying their sister.

The day began to fade towards evening, and the weather began to rustle. Eliza watched with fear as the sun sank lower and lower, and the lonely sea cliff was still not visible. And it seemed to Eliza that the swans were already completely tired and were flapping their wings with difficulty. The sun will set, her brothers will turn into people in flight, fall into the sea and drown. And she will be to blame for this! A black cloud was approaching, strong gusts of wind foreshadowed a storm, lightning flashed menacingly.

Eliza's heart trembled: the sun was almost touching the water.

And suddenly the swans rushed down with terrible speed. Eliza thought they were falling. But no, they were still flying. And so, when the sun had already half sunk into the water, Eliza saw a cliff below. He was very small, no bigger than a seal sticking its head out of the water. The swans stepped onto the rocks of the cliff at the very moment when the last ray of sun went out in the air. Eliza saw the brothers around her, standing hand in hand; they barely fit on the tiny cliff. The sea beat furiously against the rocks and showered the brothers and Eliza with a whole rain of splashes. The sky was ablaze with lightning, and thunder rumbled every minute, but the sister and brothers held hands and encouraged each other with kind words.

At dawn the storm subsided, and it became clear and quiet again. As soon as the sun rose, the brothers and Eliza flew on. The sea was still rough, and they saw from above how white foam floated, like millions of swans, across the dark green water.

When the sun rose higher, Eliza suddenly saw in the distance a huge castle, surrounded by light, as if airy, galleries; Below, under the walls of the castle, palm trees swayed and beautiful flowers grew.

Eliza asked if this was the country where they were flying, but the swans shook their heads: it was only the ghostly, ever-changing cloud castle of Fata Morgana. Eliza looked into the distance again, but the castle was no longer there. Where the castle used to be, high mountains covered with dense forest rose. At the very tops of the mountains snow sparkled, blocks of transparent ice descended between inaccessible rocks.

Suddenly the mountains turned into a whole flotilla of ships; Eliza looked more closely and saw that it was just sea fog rising above the water.

But finally the real land appeared. There, on the shore, green fields stretched out, cedar forests darkened, and in the distance large cities and tall castles could be seen. It was still a long time before sunset, and Eliza was already sitting on a rock in front of a deep cave. Soft green plants curled along the walls of the cave, as if they were embroidered green carpets. It was the beautiful home of her swan brothers.

Let’s see what you dream about this night,” said the younger brother and took Eliza to her bedchamber.

Oh, if only I could see in a dream how to free you from the spell! - Eliza said and closed her eyes.

And so she dreamed that she was flying high, high to the castle that she saw above the sea. And the fairy Fata Morgana comes out of the castle to meet her. Fata Morgana is bright and beautiful, but at the same time surprisingly similar to the old woman who gave Eliza berries in the forest and told her about swans in golden crowns.

“Your brothers can be saved,” said Fata Morgana, “but do you have enough courage and perseverance?” The water is softer than your tender hands, and yet it makes the stones smooth and round, but the water does not feel the pain that your fingers will feel; Water does not have a heart that contracts with fear and torment, like your heart. You see, I have nettles in my hands. The same nettle grows here near the cave, and only it and the nettle that grows in the cemetery can be useful to you. Remember this! Pick nettles, although your hands will be covered with blisters from burns; then knead it with your feet and weave long threads out of it. Weave eleven long-sleeved shirts from these threads and, when they are ready, throw them over the swans. As soon as the shirts touch their feathers, the magic will disappear. But remember that from the moment you begin your work until you finish it, you must not say a word, even if your work lasts for years. The very first word that comes out of your mouth will pierce the hearts of your brothers like a dagger. Their life and death are in your hands! Remember all this!

And Fata Morgana touched Eliza’s hand with stinging nettles. Eliza felt pain, as if from a burn, and woke up. It was already a bright day. Near Eliza’s bed lay several stalks of nettles, exactly like the one she had seen in her dream. Then Eliza left the cave and got to work.

With her tender hands she tore the evil, stinging nettles, and her fingers became covered with large blisters, but she joyfully endured the pain: just to save her dear brothers! She picked a whole armful of nettles, then crushed them with her bare feet and began to twist long green threads.

When the sun set, the brothers flew into the cave. They began to ask their sister about what she was doing while they were away. But Eliza did not answer them a word. The brothers were very frightened when they saw that their sister had become mute.

“This is a new witchcraft of the evil stepmother,” they thought, but, looking at Eliza’s hands, covered with blisters, they realized that she had become mute for their salvation. The youngest of the brothers began to cry; his tears dripped onto her hands, and where the tear fell, the burning blisters disappeared and the pain subsided.

Eliza spent the night at her work; She didn’t even think about rest - she only thought about how to free her dear brothers as quickly as possible. All the next day, while the swans were flying, she remained alone, but never before had time passed so quickly. Now one shirt was ready, and the girl began to work on the next one.

Suddenly sounds were heard in the mountains. hunting horns. Eliza was scared. The sounds were getting closer and closer, then dogs were heard barking. The girl disappeared into a cave, tied all the collected nettles into a bunch and sat down next to him. At that same moment a large dog jumped out from behind the bushes, followed by another and a third. The dogs barked loudly and ran back and forth. Soon all the hunters gathered at the cave. The most handsome of them was the king of that country; he approached Eliza. Never before had he met such a beauty!

How did you get here, pretty child? - he asked, but Eliza just shook her head - she didn’t dare to speak: if she had said even one word, her brothers would have died.

Eliza hid her hands under her apron so that the king would not see the blisters and scratches.

Come with me! - said the king. - You can't stay here! If you are as kind as you are beautiful, I will dress you in silk and velvet, put a golden crown on your head, and you will live in a magnificent palace.

And he sat her on the saddle in front of him.

Eliza wept bitterly, but the king said:

I only want your happiness. Someday you will thank me yourself.

And he took her to the mountains, and the hunters galloped after.

By evening, the king’s magnificent capital, with palaces and towers, appeared before them, and the king led Eliza into his palace. Fountains gurgled in the high marble chambers, and the walls and ceilings were painted with beautiful paintings. But Eliza didn’t look at anything, she cried and was sad. The maids dressed her in royal robes, wove strands of pearls into her hair, and pulled thin gloves over her burnt fingers.

In rich attire, Eliza was so beautiful that the entire court bowed before her, and the king proclaimed her his bride. But the royal bishop shook his head and began to whisper to the king that the dumb beauty must be a forest witch - she had bewitched the king’s heart.

The king did not listen to him, he signaled to the musicians, ordered to call the best dancers and serve expensive dishes on the table, and he led Eliza through the fragrant gardens to the magnificent chambers. But Eliza was still sad and sad. Then the king opened the door to a small room near Eliza's bedroom. The room was all hung with green carpets and resembled the forest cave where the king found Eliza. There was a bunch of nettles on the floor, and a shirt woven by Eliza hung on the wall. All this, like a curiosity, was taken with him from the forest by one of the hunters.

“Here you can remember your former home,” said the king. “And here is your work.” Perhaps you will sometimes wish to amuse yourself, amidst the pomp that surrounds you, with memories of the past.

Seeing her nettles and woven shirt, Eliza smiled joyfully and kissed the king's hand, and he pressed it to his chest.

The bishop continued to whisper evil speeches to the king, but they did not reach the king’s heart. The next day they celebrated the wedding. The bishop himself had to put the crown on the bride; Out of frustration, he pulled the narrow gold hoop so tightly onto her forehead that it would have hurt anyone, but Eliza didn’t even notice it. She kept thinking about her dear brothers. Her lips were still compressed, not a single word came out of them, but her eyes shone with ardent love for the kind, handsome king, who did everything to please her. Every day she became more and more attached to him. Oh, that she could tell of her sufferings! But she had to remain silent until she finished her work.

At night, she quietly went into her secret cave-like room, and there weaved one shirt after another. Six shirts were already worn out, but when she started on the seventh, she saw that she no longer had nettles.

Eliza knew that she could find such nettles in the cemetery. And then at night she slowly left the palace.

Her heart sank with fear as she made her way to the cemetery on a moonlit night, along the long alleys of the garden, and then along the deserted streets.

At the cemetery, Eliza picked nettles and returned home.

Only one person was awake that night and saw Eliza. It was the bishop.

In the morning the bishop came to the king and told him about what he saw at night.

Drive her away, king, she is an evil witch! - the bishop whispered.

It's not true, Eliza is innocent! - the king answered, but still doubt crept into his heart.

At night, the king only pretended to be asleep. And then he saw that Eliza got up and disappeared from the bedroom. The following nights the same thing happened: the king did not sleep and saw her disappear into her secret room.

The king became more and more gloomy. Eliza saw this, but did not understand why the king was dissatisfied. Her heart ached with fear and pity for her brothers; Bitter tears rolled down onto her royal dress, shining like diamonds, and people who saw her rich attire envied her. But soon, soon the end of her work. Already ten shirts. It was ready, but for the eleventh there were again not enough nettles. Once again, the last time, it was necessary to go to the cemetery and pick several bunches of nettles. She thought with horror about the deserted cemetery and still decided to go there.
At night, Eliza secretly left the palace, but the king and the bishop were watching her, and they saw Eliza disappear behind the cemetery fence. What could the queen be doing at night in the cemetery?..

Now you see for yourself that she is an evil witch,” said the bishop and demanded that Eliza be burned at the stake.

And the king had to agree.

Eliza was put in a dark, damp dungeon with iron bars on the windows, through which the wind whistled. They threw her an armful of nettles, which she had picked in the cemetery. This stinging nettle was to serve as Eliza's headboard, and the stiff shirts woven by it were to serve as a bed. But Eliza didn’t need anything else. She went back to work. In the evening, the sound of swan wings was heard at the grate. It was the youngest of the brothers who found his sister, and Eliza sobbed loudly with joy, although she knew that she had only one night to live. But her work was coming to an end, and the brothers were here!

Eliza spent the whole night weaving the last shirt. The mice running around the dungeon took pity on her and, in order to help her at least a little, began to collect and bring scattered nettle stalks to her feet, and the thrush, sitting outside the lattice window, consoled her with his song.

At dawn, shortly before sunrise, Eliza's eleven brothers came to the palace gates and demanded to be admitted to the king. They were told that this was impossible: the king was still sleeping and no one dared to disturb him. But they did not leave and continued to ask. The king heard someone's voices and looked out the window to find out what was the matter. But at that moment the sun rose and Eliza's brothers disappeared. The king only saw eleven wild swans fly into the sky.

Crowds of people went out of town to watch the execution of the queen. A pitiful nag was pulling a cart in which Eliza was sitting; Eliza was put on a shirt made of rough canvas; her wonderful long hair was loose over her shoulders, and her face was as pale as snow. Even on the way to the place of execution, she did not let go of her work: ten shirts lay at her feet completely finished, she continued to weave the eleventh.

Look at the witch! - they shouted in the crowd. “She doesn’t part with her witchcraft things!” Let's snatch them from her and tear them to shreds!

Someone's hands were already reaching out to the cart to snatch Eliza's green shirt, but suddenly eleven swans flew in. They sat down on the edges of the cart and noisily flapped their mighty wings. The frightened people stepped aside.

White swans flew from the sky! She's innocent! - many whispered, but did not dare to say it out loud.

And now the executioner had already grabbed Eliza by the hand, but she quickly threw green shirts over the swans, and as soon as the shirts touched their feathers, all eleven swans turned into handsome princes.

Only the youngest had a swan's wing instead of his left arm: Eliza did not have time to finish the sleeve on the last shirt.

Now I can talk! - said Eliza. “I’m innocent!”

And the people, who saw everything that happened, bowed before her and began to glorify her, but Eliza fell unconscious into the arms of her brothers. She was exhausted by fear and pain.

“Yes, she is innocent,” said the eldest prince and told everything as it happened.

And while he was speaking, a fragrance spread in the air, as if from millions of roses: each log in the fire took root and sprouts, and in the place where they wanted to burn Eliza, a tall green bush grew, covered with red roses. And at the very top of the bush a dazzling white flower shone like a star.

The king tore it off, placed it on Eliza's chest, and she woke up.

Then all the bells in the city began to ring by themselves, the birds flocked in whole flocks, and such a happy procession reached the palace, such as no king had ever seen!

Far, far away, in the country where swallows fly away from us for the winter, there lived a king. He had eleven sons and one daughter, whose name was Eliza. The eleven prince brothers were already going to school; each had a star shining on his chest and a saber rattling at his left side. The princes wrote with diamond slates on gold boards and knew how to read perfectly - both from a book and without a book, from memory. Of course, only real princes could read so well. While the princes were studying, their sister Eliza sat on a mirrored glass bench and looked at a picture book that cost half a kingdom. Yes, the children had a good life! But soon everything went differently.
Their mother died and the king married again. The stepmother was an evil witch and did not like the poor children. On the very first day, when the king's wedding was celebrated in the palace, the children felt how evil their stepmother was. They started a game of "visiting" and asked the queen to give them cakes and baked apples to feed their guests. But the stepmother gave them a teacup of plain sand and said:
- That's enough for you!
Another week passed, and the stepmother decided to get rid of Eliza. She sent her to the village to be raised by some peasants. And then the evil stepmother began to slander the king about the poor princes and said so many bad things that the king did not want to see his sons anymore.
And so the queen ordered the princes to be called, and when they approached her, she shouted:
- Let each of you turn into a black raven! Fly away from the palace and get your own food!
But she failed to complete her evil deed. The princes turned not into ugly crows, but into beautiful wild swans. With a scream, they flew out of the windows of the palace and rushed over the parks and forests.
It was early morning when eleven swans flew past the hut where their sister Eliza was still fast asleep. They flew over the roof for a long time, stretching out their flexible necks and flapping their wings, but no one heard or saw them. So they had to fly further without seeing their sister.
High, high, right up to the clouds, they soared and flew into a large dark forest that stretched all the way to the sea.
And poor Eliza remained to live in a peasant hut. All day long she played with a green leaf - she had no other toys; She poked a hole in the leaf and looked through it at the sun - it seemed to her that she saw the clear eyes of her brothers.
Days passed by. Sometimes the wind swayed the rose bushes that bloomed near the house and asked the roses:
- Is there anyone more beautiful than you? And the roses, shaking their heads, answered:
- Eliza is more beautiful than us.
And finally, Eliza was fifteen years old, and the peasants sent her home to the palace.
The queen saw how beautiful her stepdaughter was and hated Eliza even more. The evil stepmother would like to turn Eliza, like her brothers, into a wild swan, but she could not do this: the king wanted to see his daughter.
And so early in the morning the queen went to her marble bath, all decorated with wonderful carpets and soft pillows. Three toads were sitting in the corner of the bathhouse. The Queen took them in her hands and kissed them. Then she said to the first toad:
- When Eliza enters the bath, sit on her head - let her become the same. stupid and lazy like you.
The queen said to another toad:
- And you jump on Eliza’s forehead - let her become as ugly as you. Then her own father won’t recognize her... Well, lie on her heart!” the queen whispered to the third toad. “Let her become evil so that no one loves her.”
And the queen threw the toads into the clear water. The water immediately became green and cloudy.
The queen called Eliza, undressed her and ordered her to enter the water.
As soon as Eliza stepped into the water, one heat jumped onto her crown, another onto her forehead, and a third onto her chest. But Eliza didn't even notice it. And the three toads, having touched Eliza, turned into three red poppies. And Eliza came out of the water as beautiful as she entered.
Then the evil queen rubbed Eliza with walnut juice, and poor Eliza became completely black. And then her stepmother smeared her face with stinking ointment and tangled her wonderful hair. Now no one would be able to recognize Eliza. Even the father, looking at her, got scared and said that this was not his daughter. Nobody recognized Eliza. Only the old chained dog rushed towards her with a friendly bark, and the swallows, which she often fed with crumbs, chirped their song to her. But who will pay attention to poor animals?
Eli cried bitterly and secretly left the palace. All day long she wandered through fields and swamps, making her way to the forest. Eliza herself didn’t really know where to go. She kept thinking about her brothers, whom the evil stepmother also kicked out of their home. Eliza decided to look for them everywhere until she found them.
When Eliza reached the forest, night had already fallen, and the poor girl completely lost her way. She sank down onto the soft moss and laid her head on a stump. The forest was quiet and warm. Hundreds of fireflies, like green lights, flickered in the grass, and when Eliza touched a bush with her hand, some shiny beetles fell from the leaves like a shower of stars.
All night Eliza dreamed of her brothers: they were all children again, playing together, writing with diamond pencils on gold boards and looking at a wonderful picture book for which half the kingdom was given. The pictures in the book were alive: birds sang and people jumped out of the pages of the book and talked to Eliza and her brothers; but as soon as Eliza turned the page, people jumped back - otherwise the pictures would have been confusing.
When Eliza woke up, the sun was already high; she couldn't even get a good look at him through the thick foliage of the trees. Only sometimes the sun's rays made their way between the branches and ran like golden bunnies across the grass. The babbling of a stream could be heard not far away. Eliza walked up to the stream and bent over it. The water in the stream was clean and transparent. If it weren’t for the wind moving the branches of the trees and bushes, one would have thought that the trees and bushes were painted at the bottom of the stream, so clearly they were reflected in the calm water.
Eliza saw her face in the water and was very scared - it was so black and ugly. But then she scooped up some water with her hand, rubbed her eyes and forehead, and her face again became white, as before. Then Eliza undressed and entered the cool, clear stream. The water immediately washed away the walnut juice and the stinking ointment that her stepmother had rubbed on Eliza.
Then Eliza got dressed, braided her long hair and walked further through the forest, she didn’t know where. On the way, she saw a wild apple tree, the branches of which were bending from the weight of the fruit. Eliza ate the apples, propped up the branches with chopsticks, and moved on. Soon she entered the very thicket of the forest. Not a single bird flew here, not a single ray of sunlight penetrated through the tangled branches. Tall trunks stood in dense rows, like log walls. It was so quiet all around that Eliza heard her own steps, heard the rustling of every dry leaf that fell under her feet. Eliza had never been in such a wilderness before.
At night it became completely dark, even the fireflies did not shine in the moss. Eliza lay down on the grass and fell asleep.
Early in the morning she went further and suddenly met an old woman with a basket of berries. The old woman gave the girl a handful of berries, and Eliza asked her if eleven princes had passed through the forest here.
“No,” said the old woman, “I haven’t met any princes, but yesterday I saw eleven swans in golden crowns here on the river.”
And the old woman led Eliza to a cliff under which a river flowed. Eliza said goodbye to the old woman and walked along the river bank.
Eliza walked for a long time, and suddenly a boundless sea opened up in front of her. Not a single sail was visible on the sea, not a single boat was nearby.
Eliza sat down on a rock near the shore and wondered what she should do, where to go next?
Sea waves ran up to Eliza’s feet, carrying small pebbles with them. The water erased the edges of the pebbles, and they were completely smooth and round.
And the girl thought: “How much work is needed to make a hard stone smooth and round! And water does this. The sea tirelessly and patiently rolls its waves and defeats the hardest stones. Thank you for teaching me, bright fast waves! "I will, like you, work tirelessly. My heart tells me that someday you will take me to my dear brothers!"
On the shore, among the dry seaweed, Eliza found eleven white swan feathers. Drops of dew or tears still glistened on the feathers, who knows? The surroundings were deserted, but Eliza did not feel lonely. She looked at the sea and couldn’t get enough of it.
Now a large black cloud is approaching the sky, the wind is getting stronger, and the sea is also turning black, agitated and seething. But the cloud passes, pink clouds float across the sky, the wind subsides, and the sea is already calm, now it looks like a rose petal. Sometimes it turns green, sometimes white. But no matter how quiet it is in the air and no matter how calm the sea, the surf is always noisy near the shore, a slight excitement is always noticeable - the water is quietly heaving, like the chest of a sleeping child.
As the sun was approaching sunset, Eliza saw wild swans. Like a long white ribbon, they flew one after another. There were eleven of them. Each swan had a small golden crown on its head. Eliza went to the cliff and hid in the bushes. The swans descended not far from her and flapped their large white wings.
At that very moment the sun disappeared under the water - and suddenly their white feathers fell from the swans, and not eleven swans stood in front of Eliza, but eleven handsome princes. Eliza screamed loudly - she immediately recognized her brothers, although they had changed a lot over these many years. Eliza threw herself into their arms and began calling them all by name.
The brothers were very happy that they had found a sister who had grown so much and become so beautiful. Eliza and the brothers laughed and cried, and then they told each other everything that had happened to them.
The eldest of the princes said to Eliza:
- We fly like wild swans all day, from sunrise to sunset. When the sun sets, we turn into people again. And so, by the hour of sunset, we are in a hurry to fall to the ground. If we turned into people while flying high above the clouds, we would immediately fall to the ground and crash. We don't live here. Far, far across the sea lies a country as beautiful as this. This is where we live. But the road there is long, we have to fly across the entire sea, and along the way there is not a single island where we could spend the night. Only in the very middle of the sea does a lonely cliff rise. It is so small that we can only stand on it by pressing closely together. When the sea is stormy, the splashes of the waves fly over our heads. But still, if it weren’t for this cliff, we would never have been able to visit our native land: the sea is wide, we cannot fly across it from sunrise to sunset. Only twice a year, on the longest days, are our wings able to carry us across the sea. And so we fly here and live here for eleven days. We fly over this large forest and look at the palace where we were born and spent our childhood. It is clearly visible from here. Here every bush and every tree seems like family to us. Wild horses, which we saw in childhood, run across the green meadows, and coal miners sing the same songs that we heard when we lived in our own palace. This is our homeland, we are drawn here with all our hearts, and here we found you, dear, dear sister! This time we have been here for nine days. In two days we must fly overseas, to a beautiful but foreign country. How can we take you with us? We have neither a ship nor a boat.
- Oh, if I could free you from the spell! - Eliza told the brothers.
They talked like this for almost the entire night and fell asleep only just before dawn.
Eliza woke up from the sound of swan wings. The brothers became birds again and flew to their native forest. Only one swan remained on the shore with Eliza. This was the youngest of her brothers. The swan laid his head on her lap, and she stroked and fingered his feathers. They spent the whole day together, and in the evening ten swans flew in, and when the sun set, they again turned into princes.
“Tomorrow we must fly away and we will not dare to return before next year,” the elder brother said to Eliza, “but we will not leave you here.” Let's fly with us! I alone in my arms can carry you through the entire forest, so can’t all eleven of us on our wings be able to carry you across the sea?
- Yes, take me with you! - said Eliza.
All night they weaved a net of flexible willow bark and reeds. The net came out large and strong, and the brothers put Eliza in it. And so at sunrise, ten swans picked up the net with their beaks and soared under the clouds. Eliza slept sweetly in the net. And so that the rays of the sun would not wake her, the eleventh swan flew over her head, protecting Eliza’s face from the sun with its wide wings.
The swans were already far from the ground when Eliza woke up, and it seemed to her that she was dreaming in reality - it was so strange for her to fly through the air. Near her lay a branch with ripe berries and a bunch of tasty roots - the youngest brother collected them and placed them near Eliza, and Eliza smiled at him - she guessed that it was he who flew above her and protected her from the sun with his wings.
The brothers and sister were flying high, right under the clouds, and the first ship they saw in the sea seemed to them like a seagull floating on the water. The swans flew as quickly as arrows shot from a bow fly, but still not as fast as always: after all, this time they were carrying their sister.
The day began to fade towards evening, and the weather began to rustle. Eliza watched with fear as the sun sank lower and lower, and the lonely sea cliff was still not visible. And it seemed to Eliza that the swans were already completely tired and were flapping their wings with difficulty. The sun will set, her brothers will turn into people in flight, fall into the sea and drown. And she will be to blame for this! A black cloud was approaching, strong gusts of wind foreshadowed a storm, lightning flashed menacingly.
Eliza's heart trembled: the sun was almost touching the water.
And suddenly the swans rushed down with terrible speed. Eliza thought they were falling. But no, they were still flying. And so, when the sun had already half sunk into the water, Eliza saw a cliff below. He was very small, no bigger than a seal sticking its head out of the water. The swans stepped onto the rocks of the cliff at the very moment when the last ray of sun went out in the air. Eliza saw the brothers around her, standing hand in hand; they barely fit on the tiny cliff. The sea beat furiously against the rocks and showered the brothers and Eliza with a whole rain of splashes. The sky was ablaze with lightning, and thunder rumbled every minute, but the sister and brothers held hands and encouraged each other with kind words.
At dawn the storm subsided, and it became clear and quiet again. As soon as the sun rose, the brothers and Eliza flew on. The sea was still rough, and they saw from above how white foam floated, like millions of swans, across the dark green water.
When the sun rose higher, Eliza suddenly saw in the distance a huge castle, surrounded by light, as if airy, galleries; Below, under the walls of the castle, palm trees swayed and beautiful flowers grew.
Eliza asked if this was the country where they were flying, but the swans shook their heads: it was only the ghostly, ever-changing cloud castle of Fata Morgana. Eliza looked into the distance again, but the castle was no longer there. Where the castle used to be, high mountains covered with dense forest rose. At the very tops of the mountains snow sparkled, blocks of transparent ice descended between inaccessible rocks.
Suddenly the mountains turned into a whole flotilla of ships; Eliza looked more closely and saw that it was just sea fog rising above the water.
But finally the real land appeared. There, on the shore, green fields stretched out, cedar forests darkened, and in the distance large cities and tall castles could be seen. It was still a long time before sunset, and Eliza was already sitting on a rock in front of a deep cave. Soft green plants curled along the walls of the cave, as if they were embroidered green carpets. It was the beautiful home of her swan brothers.
“Let’s see what you dream about this night,” said the younger brother and took Eliza to her bedchamber.
- Oh, if only I could see in a dream how to free you from the spell! - Eliza said and closed her eyes.
And so she dreamed that she was flying high, high to the castle that she saw above the sea. And the fairy Fata Morgana comes out of the castle to meet her. Fata Morgana is bright and beautiful, but at the same time surprisingly similar to the old woman who gave Eliza berries in the forest and told her about swans in golden crowns.
“Your brothers can be saved,” said Fata Morgana, “but do you have enough courage and perseverance?” The water is softer than your tender hands, and yet it makes the stones smooth and round, but the water does not feel the pain that your fingers will feel; Water does not have a heart that contracts with fear and torment, like your heart. You see, I have nettles in my hands. The same nettle grows here near the cave, and only it and the nettle that grows in the cemetery can be useful to you. Remember this! Pick nettles, although your hands will be covered with blisters from burns; then knead it with your feet and weave long threads out of it. Weave eleven long-sleeved shirts from these threads and, when they are ready, throw them over the swans. As soon as the shirts touch their feathers, the magic will disappear. But remember that from the moment you begin your work until you finish it, you must not say a word, even if your work lasts for years. The very first word that comes out of your mouth will pierce the hearts of your brothers like a dagger. Their life and death are in your hands! Remember all this!
And Fata Morgana touched Eliza’s hand with stinging nettles. Eliza felt pain, as if from a burn, and woke up. It was already a bright day. Near Eliza’s bed lay several stalks of nettles, exactly like the one she had seen in her dream. Then Eliza left the cave and got to work.
With her tender hands she tore the evil, stinging nettles, and her fingers became covered with large blisters, but she joyfully endured the pain: just to save her dear brothers! She picked a whole armful of nettles, then crushed them with her bare feet and began to twist long green threads.
When the sun set, the brothers flew into the cave. They began to ask their sister about what she was doing while they were away. But Eliza did not answer them a word. The brothers were very frightened when they saw that their sister had become mute.
“This is a new witchcraft of the evil stepmother,” they thought, but, looking at Eliza’s hands, covered with blisters, they realized that she had become mute for their salvation. The youngest of the brothers began to cry; his tears dripped onto her hands, and where the tear fell, the burning blisters disappeared and the pain subsided.
Eliza spent the night at her work; She didn’t even think about rest - she only thought about how to free her dear brothers as quickly as possible. All the next day, while the swans were flying, she remained alone, but never before had time passed so quickly. Now one shirt was ready, and the girl began to work on the next one.
Suddenly sounds were heard in the mountains. hunting horns. Eliza was scared. The sounds were getting closer and closer, then dogs were heard barking. The girl disappeared into a cave, tied all the collected nettles into a bunch and sat down next to him. At that same moment a large dog jumped out from behind the bushes, followed by another and a third. The dogs barked loudly and ran back and forth. Soon all the hunters gathered at the cave. The most handsome of them was the king of that country; he approached Eliza. Never before had he met such a beauty!
- How did you get here, lovely child? - he asked, but Eliza just shook her head - she didn’t dare to speak: if she had said even one word, her brothers would have died.
Eliza hid her hands under her apron so that the king would not see the blisters and scratches.
- Come with me! - said the king. - You can't stay here! If you are as kind as you are beautiful, I will dress you in silk and velvet, put a golden crown on your head, and you will live in a magnificent palace.
And he sat her on the saddle in front of him.
Eliza wept bitterly, but the king said:
- I only want your happiness. Someday you will thank me yourself.
And he took her to the mountains, and the hunters galloped after.
By evening, the king’s magnificent capital, with palaces and towers, appeared before them, and the king led Eliza into his palace. Fountains gurgled in the high marble chambers, and the walls and ceilings were painted with beautiful paintings. But Eliza didn’t look at anything, she cried and was sad. The maids dressed her in royal robes, wove strands of pearls into her hair, and pulled thin gloves over her burnt fingers.
In rich attire, Eliza was so beautiful that the entire court bowed before her, and the king proclaimed her his bride. But the royal bishop shook his head and began to whisper to the king that the dumb beauty must be a forest witch - she had bewitched the king’s heart.
The king did not listen to him, he signaled to the musicians, ordered to call the best dancers and serve expensive dishes on the table, and he led Eliza through the fragrant gardens to the magnificent chambers. But Eliza was still sad and sad. Then the king opened the door to a small room near Eliza's bedroom. The room was all hung with green carpets and resembled the forest cave where the king found Eliza. There was a bunch of nettles on the floor, and a shirt woven by Eliza hung on the wall. All this, like a curiosity, was taken with him from the forest by one of the hunters.
“Here you can remember your former home,” said the king. “And here is your work.” Perhaps you will sometimes wish to amuse yourself, amidst the pomp that surrounds you, with memories of the past.
Seeing her nettles and woven shirt, Eliza smiled joyfully and kissed the king's hand, and he pressed it to his chest.
The bishop continued to whisper evil speeches to the king, but they did not reach the king’s heart. The next day they celebrated the wedding. The bishop himself had to put the crown on the bride; Out of frustration, he pulled the narrow gold hoop so tightly onto her forehead that it would have hurt anyone, but Eliza didn’t even notice it. She kept thinking about her dear brothers. Her lips were still compressed, not a single word came out of them, but her eyes shone with ardent love for the kind, handsome king, who did everything to please her. Every day she became more and more attached to him. Oh, that she could tell of her sufferings! But she had to remain silent until she finished her work.
At night, she quietly went into her secret cave-like room, and there weaved one shirt after another. Six shirts were already worn out, but when she started on the seventh, she saw that she no longer had nettles.
Eliza knew that she could find such nettles in the cemetery. And then at night she slowly left the palace.
Her heart sank with fear as she made her way to the cemetery on a moonlit night, along the long alleys of the garden, and then along the deserted streets.
At the cemetery, Eliza picked nettles and returned home.
Only one person was awake that night and saw Eliza. It was the bishop.
In the morning the bishop came to the king and told him about what he saw at night.
- Drive her away, king, she is an evil witch! - the bishop whispered.
- It’s not true, Eliza is innocent! - the king answered, but still doubt crept into his heart.
At night, the king only pretended to be asleep. And then he saw that Eliza got up and disappeared from the bedroom. The following nights the same thing happened: the king did not sleep and saw her disappear into her secret room.
The king became more and more gloomy. Eliza saw this, but did not understand why the king was dissatisfied. Her heart ached with fear and pity for her brothers; Bitter tears rolled down onto her royal dress, shining like diamonds, and people who saw her rich attire envied her. But soon, soon the end of her work. Already ten shirts. It was ready, but for the eleventh there were again not enough nettles. Once again, the last time, it was necessary to go to the cemetery and pick several bunches of nettles. She thought with horror about the deserted cemetery and still decided to go there.
At night, Eliza secretly left the palace, but the king and the bishop were watching her, and they saw Eliza disappear behind the cemetery fence. What could the queen be doing at night in the cemetery?..
“Now you see for yourself that she is an evil witch,” said the bishop and demanded that Eliza be burned at the stake.
And the king had to agree.
Eliza was put in a dark, damp dungeon with iron bars on the windows, through which the wind whistled. They threw her an armful of nettles, which she had picked in the cemetery. This stinging nettle was to serve as Eliza's headboard, and the stiff shirts woven by it were to serve as a bed. But Eliza didn’t need anything else. She went back to work. In the evening, the sound of swan wings was heard at the grate. It was the youngest of the brothers who found his sister, and Eliza sobbed loudly with joy, although she knew that she had only one night to live. But her work was coming to an end, and the brothers were here!
Eliza spent the whole night weaving the last shirt. The mice running around the dungeon took pity on her and, in order to help her at least a little, began to collect and bring scattered nettle stalks to her feet, and the thrush, sitting outside the lattice window, consoled her with his song.
At dawn, shortly before sunrise, Eliza's eleven brothers came to the palace gates and demanded to be admitted to the king. They were told that this was impossible: the king was still sleeping and no one dared to disturb him. But they did not leave and continued to ask. The king heard someone's voices and looked out the window to find out what was the matter. But at that moment the sun rose and Eliza's brothers disappeared. The king only saw eleven wild swans fly into the sky.
Crowds of people went out of town to watch the execution of the queen. A pitiful nag was pulling a cart in which Eliza was sitting; Eliza was put on a shirt made of rough canvas; her wonderful long hair was loose over her shoulders, and her face was as pale as snow. Even on the way to the place of execution, she did not let go of her work: ten shirts lay at her feet completely finished, she continued to weave the eleventh.
- Look at the witch! - they shouted in the crowd. “She doesn’t part with her witchcraft things!” Let's snatch them from her and tear them to shreds!
Someone's hands were already reaching out to the cart to snatch Eliza's green shirt, but suddenly eleven swans flew in. They sat down on the edges of the cart and noisily flapped their mighty wings. The frightened people stepped aside.
- White swans flew from the sky! She's innocent! - many whispered, but did not dare to say it out loud.
And now the executioner had already grabbed Eliza by the hand, but she quickly threw green shirts over the swans, and as soon as the shirts touched their feathers, all eleven swans turned into handsome princes.
Only the youngest had a swan's wing instead of his left arm: Eliza did not have time to finish the sleeve on the last shirt.
- Now I can talk! - said Eliza. “I’m innocent!”
And the people, who saw everything that happened, bowed before her and began to glorify her, but Eliza fell unconscious into the arms of her brothers. She was exhausted by fear and pain.
“Yes, she is innocent,” said the eldest prince and told everything as it happened.
And while he was speaking, a fragrance spread in the air, as if from millions of roses: each log in the fire took root and sprouts, and in the place where they wanted to burn Eliza, a tall green bush grew, covered with red roses. And at the very top of the bush a dazzling white flower shone like a star.
The king tore it off, placed it on Eliza's chest, and she woke up.
Then all the bells in the city began to ring by themselves, the birds flocked in whole flocks, and such a happy procession reached the palace, such as no king had ever seen! That's

Hans Christian Andersen

Wild Swans

Far, far away, in the country where swallows fly away from us for the winter, there lived a king. He had eleven sons and one daughter, Eliza.

The eleven prince brothers were already going to school; each had a star on his chest, and a saber rattled at his side; They wrote on gold boards with diamond leads and could read perfectly, whether from a book or by heart - it didn’t matter. You could immediately hear that real princes were reading! Their sister Eliza sat on a mirrored glass bench and looked at a picture book for which half the kingdom had been paid.

Yes, the children had a good life, but not for long!

Their father, the king of that country, married an evil queen who disliked the poor children. They had to experience this on the very first day: there was fun in the palace, and the children started a game of visiting, but the stepmother, instead of various cakes and baked apples, which they always received in abundance, gave them a tea cup of sand and said that they could imagine, like it's a treat.

A week later, she gave her sister Eliza to be raised in the village by some peasants, and a little more time passed, and she managed to tell the king so much about the poor princes that he did not want to see them anymore.

Let's fly to all four directions! - said the evil queen. - Fly like big birds without a voice and provide for yourself!

But she could not do them as much harm as she would have liked - they turned into eleven beautiful wild swans, flew out of the palace windows screaming and flew over the parks and forests.

It was early morning when they flew past the hut, where their sister Eliza was still fast asleep. They began to fly over the roof, stretching out their flexible necks and flapping their wings, but no one heard or saw them; so they had to fly away with nothing. They soared high, high to the very clouds and flew into a large dark forest that stretched all the way to the sea.

Poor Eliza stood in a peasant hut and played with a green leaf - she had no other toys; she poked a hole in the leaf, looked through it at the sun, and it seemed to her that she saw the clear eyes of her brothers; when the warm rays of the sun slid across her cheek, she remembered their tender kisses.

Days passed after days, one after the other. Did the wind sway the rose bushes growing near the house and whisper to the roses: “Is there anyone more beautiful than you?” - the roses shook their heads and said: “Eliza is more beautiful.” Was there any old woman sitting at the door of her little house on Sunday, reading the psalter, and the wind turned over the sheets, saying to the book: “Is there anyone more devout than you?” the book answered: “Eliza is more devout!” Both the roses and the psalter spoke the absolute truth.

But Eliza turned fifteen years old and was sent home. Seeing how pretty she was, the queen became angry and hated her stepdaughter. She would gladly turn her into a wild swan, but she could not do this right now, because the king wanted to see his daughter.

And so early in the morning the queen went to the marble bathhouse, all decorated with wonderful carpets and soft pillows, took three toads, kissed each one and said first:

Sit on Eliza's head when she enters the bath; let her become as stupid and lazy as you! And you sit on her forehead! - she said to the other. - Let Eliza be as ugly as you, and her father will not recognize her! You lie on her heart! - the queen whispered to the third toad. - Let her become malicious and suffer from it!

Then she lowered the toads into clear water, and the water immediately turned green. Calling Eliza, the queen undressed her and ordered her to enter the water. Eliza obeyed, and one toad sat on her crown, another on her forehead, and a third on her chest; but Eliza didn’t even notice it, and as soon as she came out of the water, three red poppies floated across the water. If the toads had not been poisoned by the witch’s kiss, they would have turned, lying on Eliza’s head and heart, into red roses; the girl was so pious and innocent that witchcraft could not have any effect on her.

Seeing this, the evil queen rubbed Eliza with walnut juice until she turned completely brown, smeared her face with stinking ointment and tangled her wonderful hair. Now it was impossible to recognize pretty Eliza. Even her father was scared and said that this was not his daughter. No one recognized her except the chained dog and the swallows, but who would listen to the poor creatures!

Eliza began to cry and thought about her expelled brothers, secretly left the palace and spent the whole day wandering through the fields and swamps, making her way to the forest. Eliza herself didn’t really know where she should go, but she was so homesick for her brothers, who were also expelled from their home, that she decided to look for them everywhere until she found them.

She did not stay long in the forest, but night had already fallen, and Eliza completely lost her way; then she lay down on the soft moss, read a prayer for the coming sleep and bowed her head on a stump. There was silence in the forest, the air was so warm, hundreds of fireflies flickered in the grass like green lights, and when Eliza touched some bush with her hand, they fell into the grass like a rain of stars.

All night Eliza dreamed of her brothers: they were all children again, playing together, writing with slates on golden boards and looking at the most wonderful picture book that was worth half a kingdom. But they didn’t write dashes and zeros on the boards, as had happened before - no, they described everything they saw and experienced. All the pictures in the book were alive: the birds sang, and people came off the pages and talked with Eliza and her brothers; but as soon as she wanted to turn the sheet over, they jumped back, otherwise the pictures would have become confused.

When Eliza woke up, the sun was already high; she couldn’t even see it well behind the thick foliage of the trees, but its individual rays made their way between the branches and ran like golden bunnies across the grass; a wonderful smell came from the greenery, and the birds almost landed on Eliza’s shoulders. The murmur of a spring could be heard not far away; It turned out that several large streams ran here, flowing into a pond with a wonderful sandy bottom. The pond was surrounded by a hedge, but in one place wild deer had made a wide passage for themselves, and Eliza could go down to the water itself. The water in the pond was clean and clear; If the wind did not move the branches of the trees and bushes, one would think that the trees and bushes were painted on the bottom, so clearly they were reflected in the mirror of the waters.

Seeing her face in the water, Eliza was completely frightened, it was so black and disgusting; and so she scooped up a handful of water, rubbed her eyes and forehead, and her white, delicate skin began to shine again. Then Eliza undressed completely and entered the cool water. You could look all over the world for such a pretty princess!

Having dressed and braided her long hair, she went to the babbling spring, drank water straight from a handful and then walked further through the forest, she did not know where. She thought about her brothers and hoped that God would not abandon her: it was he who commanded the wild forest apples to grow in order to feed the hungry with them; He showed her one of these apple trees, the branches of which were bending from the weight of the fruit. Having satisfied her hunger, Eliza propped up the branches with sticks and went deeper into the thicket of the forest. There was such silence there that Eliza heard her own steps, heard the rustling of every dry leaf that fell under her feet. Not a single bird flew into this wilderness, not a single ray of sunlight slipped through the continuous thicket of branches. Tall trunks stood in dense rows, like log walls; Eliza has never felt so alone

Far, far away, in the country where swallows fly away from us for the winter, there lived a king. He had eleven sons and one daughter, Eliza. The eleven prince brothers went to school with stars on their chests and sabers at their feet. They wrote on gold boards with diamond leads and could read by heart no worse than from a book. It was immediately clear that they were real princes. And their sister Eliza sat on a bench made of mirrored glass and looked at a book with pictures, for which half the kingdom was given.

Yes, the children had a good life, but not for long. Their father, the king of that country, married an evil queen, and from the very beginning she disliked the poor children. They experienced it on the first day. There was a feast in the palace, and the children started a game of visiting. But instead of cakes and baked apples, which they always received in abundance, the stepmother gave them a tea cup of river sand - let them imagine that this was a treat.

A week later, she gave her sister Eliza to the village to be raised by peasants, and a little more time passed, and she managed to tell the king so much about the poor princes that he did not want to see them anymore.

Fly to all four directions and take care of yourself! - said the evil queen. - Fly like big birds without a voice!

But it didn’t turn out the way she wanted: they turned into eleven beautiful wild swans, flew out of the palace windows screaming and flew over the parks and forests.

It was early morning when they flew past the house where their sister Eliza was still fast asleep. They began to circle above the roof, stretching out their flexible necks and flapping their wings, but no one heard or saw them. So they had to fly away with nothing. They soared up right under the clouds and flew into a large dark forest near the seashore.

And poor Eliza stayed to live in a peasant house and played with a green leaf - she had no other toys. She poked a hole in the leaf, looked through it at the sun, and it seemed to her that she saw the clear eyes of her brothers. And when a warm ray of sun fell on her cheek, she remembered their tender kisses.

Days passed after days, one after the other. Sometimes the wind would sway the rose bushes growing near the house and whisper to the roses:
- Is there anyone more beautiful than you?

The roses shook their heads and answered:
- Eliza.

And this was the absolute truth.

But then Eliza was fifteen years old, and she was sent home. The queen saw how pretty she was, became angry and hated her even more. And the stepmother would like to turn Eliza into a wild swan, like her brothers, but she did not dare to do it right away, because the king wanted to see his daughter.

And so early in the morning the queen went to the marble bath, decorated with soft pillows and wonderful carpets, took three toads, kissed each one and said first:
- When Eliza enters the bathhouse, sit on her head, let her become as lazy as you. “And you sit on Eliza’s forehead,” she said to the other. “Let her become as ugly as you, so that her father won’t recognize her.” “Well, lay it on Eliza’s heart,” she said to the third. - Let her become angry and suffer from it!

The queen released the toads into the clear water, and the water immediately turned green. The queen called Eliza, undressed her and ordered her to enter the water. Eliza obeyed, and one toad sat on her crown, another on her forehead, a third on her chest, but Eliza didn’t even notice it, and as soon as she came out of the water, three scarlet poppies floated across the water. If the toads were not poisonous and were not kissed by a witch, they would turn into scarlet roses. Eliza was so innocent that witchcraft was powerless against her.

The evil queen saw this, rubbed Eliza with walnut juice, so that she became completely black, smeared her face with stinking ointment, and ruffled her hair. Now it was completely impossible to recognize pretty Eliza.

Her father saw her, got scared and said that this was not his daughter. No one recognized her except the chained dog and the swallows, but who would listen to the poor creatures!

Poor Eliza began to cry and thought about her expelled brothers. Sad, she left the palace and spent the whole day wandering through fields and swamps to a large forest. She herself didn’t really know where to go, but her heart was so heavy and she missed her brothers so much that she decided to look for them until she found them.

She didn’t walk through the forest for long before night fell. Eliza completely lost her way, lay down on the soft moss and bowed her head on a stump. It was quiet in the forest, the air was so warm, hundreds of fireflies flickered around with green lights, and when she quietly touched a branch, they rained down on her like a shower of stars.

All night Eliza dreamed of her brothers. They were all children again, playing together, writing with diamond pencils on gold boards and looking at a wonderful picture book for which half the kingdom had been given away. But they didn’t write lines and zeroes on the boards, as before, no, they described everything they saw and experienced. All the pictures in the book came to life, the birds sang, and people came off the pages and talked to Eliza and her brothers, but when she turned the page, they jumped back so that there was no confusion in the pictures.

When Eliza woke up, the sun was already high. She could not see him well behind the thick foliage of the trees, but his rays hovered in the heights, like swaying golden muslin. There was a smell of grass, and birds almost landed on Eliza’s shoulders. The splashing of water could be heard - several large streams ran nearby, flowing into a pond with a wonderful sandy bottom. The pond was surrounded by dense bushes, but at one place the wild deer made a large passage, and Eliza could go down to the water, so clear that, if the wind had not swayed the branches of the trees and bushes, one would have thought that they were painted on the bottom, so Every leaf was clearly reflected in the water, both illuminated by the sun and hidden in the shadows.

Eliza saw her face in the water and was completely scared - it was so black and disgusting. But then she scooped up a handful of water, washed her forehead and eyes, and her white, unclear skin began to shine again. Then Eliza undressed and entered the cool water. It would be better to look for the princess all over the world!

Eliza got dressed, braided her long hair and went to the spring, drank from a handful and wandered further into the forest, not knowing where. On the way, she came across a wild apple tree, the branches of which were bending from the weight of the fruit. Eliza ate some apples, propped up the branches with pegs and went deeper into the thicket of the forest. The silence was such that Eliza heard her own steps and the rustling of every dry leaf she stepped on. Not a single bird was visible here, not a single ray of sunlight broke through the continuous tangle of branches. The tall trees stood so densely that when she looked in front of her, it seemed to her that she was surrounded by log walls. Eliza had never felt so alone.

At night it became even darker, not a single firefly glowed in the moss. Sad, Eliza lay down on the grass, and early in the morning she moved on. Then she met an old woman with a basket of berries. The old woman gave Eliza a handful of berries, and Eliza asked if eleven princes had passed through the forest here.

“No,” answered the old woman. - But I saw eleven swans in crowns, they swam on the river nearby.

And the old woman led Eliza to a cliff under which a river flowed. The trees growing along its banks stretched long branches covered with thick foliage towards each other, and where they could not reach each other, their roots protruded from the ground and, intertwined with the branches, hung over the water.

Eliza said goodbye to the old woman and walked along the river to the place where the river flowed into the big sea.

And then a wonderful sea opened up before the girl. But not a single sail was visible on it, not a single boat. How could she continue on her way? The entire shore was strewn with countless stones, the water rolled them around, and they were completely round. Glass, iron, stones - everything that was washed ashore by the waves received its shape from the water, and the water was much softer than Eliza’s gentle hands.

“The waves roll tirelessly one after another and smooth out everything solid, so I too will be tireless! Thank you for science, bright, fast waves! My heart tells me that someday you will take me to my dear brothers!”

Eleven white swan feathers lay on the seaweed thrown up by the sea, and Eliza gathered them into a bunch. Drops of dew or tears glistened on them, who knows? It was deserted on the shore, but Eliza did not notice it: the sea was always changing, and in a few hours you could see more here than in a whole year on freshwater lakes on land. A big black cloud approaches, and the sea seems to say: “I too can look gloomy,” and the wind blows in, and the waves show their white underside. But the clouds glow pink, the wind sleeps, and the sea looks like a rose petal. Sometimes it is green, sometimes it is white, but no matter how calm it is, near the shore it is constantly in quiet movement. The water heaves gently, like the chest of a sleeping child.

At sunset Eliza saw eleven wild swans wearing golden crowns. They flew towards land, following one after another, and it looked like a long white ribbon was swaying in the sky. Eliza climbed to the top of the coastal cliff and hid behind a bush. The swans descended nearby and flapped their large white wings.

And so, as soon as the sun set in the sea, the swans shed their feathers and turned into eleven beautiful princes - Eliza's brothers. Eliza screamed loudly, immediately recognized them, felt in her heart that it was them, although the brothers had changed a lot. She rushed into their arms, called them by name, and how happy they were to see their sister, who had grown so much and looked prettier! And Eliza and her brothers laughed and cried, and soon learned from each other how cruelly their stepmother had treated them.

“We,” said the eldest of the brothers, “fly like wild swans while the sun is in the sky.” And when it sets, we again take on human form. This is why we must always be on dry land by sunset. If we happen to turn into people, when we fly under the clouds, we will fall into the abyss. We don't live here. Beyond the sea lies a country as wonderful as this one, but the way there is long, you have to fly across the entire sea, and along the way there is not a single island where you could spend the night. Only in the very middle is a lonely cliff sticking out of the sea, and we can rest on it, huddled closely together, that’s how small it is. When the sea is rough, the spray flies straight through us, but we are glad to have such a haven. There we spend the night in our human form. If it weren’t for the cliff, we wouldn’t even be able to see our dear homeland: we need the two longest days of the year for this flight, and only once a year are we allowed to fly to our homeland. We can live here for eleven days and fly over this big forest, look at the palace where we were born and where our father lives. Here we are familiar with every bush, every tree, here, as in the days of our childhood, wild horses run across the plains, and coal miners sing the same songs to which we danced as children. This is our homeland, we strive here with all our souls, and here we found you, our dear sister! We can still stay here for two more days, and then we must fly overseas to a wonderful, but not our native country. How can we take you with us? We have neither a ship nor a boat!
- Oh, if only I could lift the spell from you! - said the sister.

They talked like this all night and only dozed off for a few hours.

Eliza woke up from the sound of swan wings. The brothers turned into birds again, they circled over her, and then disappeared from sight. Only one of the swans, the youngest, stayed with her. He laid his head on her lap and she stroked his white wings. They spent the whole day together, and in the evening the rest arrived, and when the sun set, everyone again took on human form.

Tomorrow we have to fly away and will not be able to return for at least a year. Do you have the courage to fly with us? I alone can carry you in my arms through the entire forest, so can’t we all carry you on wings across the sea?
- Yes, take me with you! - said Eliza.

... All night long they wove a net of flexible willow bark and reeds. The mesh was large and strong. Eliza lay down in it, and as soon as the sun rose, the brothers turned into swans, picked up the net with their beaks and soared with their sweet, still sleeping sister into the clouds. The rays of the sun shone directly into her face, and one swan flew over her head, covering her from the sun with its wide wings.

They were already far from the ground when Eliza woke up, and it seemed to her that she was dreaming in reality, it was so strange to fly through the air. Next to her lay a branch with wonderful ripe berries and a bunch of delicious roots. The youngest of the brothers dialed them, and Eliza smiled at him - she guessed that he was flying above her and covering her from the sun with his wings.

The swans flew high, high, so that the first ship they saw seemed to them like a seagull floating on the water. There was a large cloud in the sky behind them - a real mountain! - and on it Eliza saw the giant shadows of eleven swans and her own. She had never seen such a magnificent sight before. But the sun rose higher and higher, the cloud remained further and further behind, and little by little the moving shadows disappeared.

The swans flew all day long, like an arrow shot from a bow, but still slower than usual, because this time they had to carry their sister. Evening was approaching and a storm was brewing. Eliza watched with fear as the sun set - the lonely sea cliff was still not visible. And it also seemed to her that the swans flapped their wings as if through force. Ah, it's her fault that they can't fly faster! The sun will set, and they will turn into people, fall into the sea and drown...

The black cloud was moving closer and closer, strong gusts of wind foreshadowed a storm. The clouds gathered into a menacing leaden shaft that rolled across the sky. Lightning flashed one after another.

The sun had already touched the water, Eliza’s heart began to flutter. The swans suddenly began to descend, so quickly that Eliza thought they were falling. But no, they continued to fly. The sun was half hidden under the water, and only then Eliza saw beneath her a cliff no bigger than the head of a seal sticking out of the water. The sun quickly sank into the sea and now seemed no more than a star. But then the swans stepped on the stone, and the sun went out, like the last spark of burning paper. The brothers stood arm in arm around Eliza, and they all barely fit on the cliff. The waves hit him with force and showered them with splashes. The sky was constantly lit up with lightning, thunder roared every minute, but the sister and brothers, holding hands, found courage and consolation in each other.

At dawn it became clear and quiet again. As soon as the sun rose, the swans and Eliza flew on. The sea was still agitated, and from above one could see white foam floating on the dark green water, like countless flocks of pigeons.

But then the sun rose higher, and Eliza saw in front of her a mountainous country, as if floating in the air, with blocks of sparkling ice on the rocks, and right in the middle stood a castle, probably stretching for a whole mile, with some amazing galleries one above the other. Below him, palm groves and luxurious flowers the size of mill wheels swayed. Eliza asked if this was the country where they were heading, but the swans only shook their heads: it was just the wonderful, ever-changing cloud castle of Fata Morgana.

Eliza looked and looked at him, and then the mountains, forests and castle moved together and formed twenty majestic churches with bell towers and lancet windows. She even thought she heard the sounds of an organ, but it was the sound of the sea. The churches were just about to approach when they suddenly turned into a whole flotilla of ships. Eliza looked more closely and saw that it was just sea fog rising from the water. Yes, before her eyes there were ever-changing images and pictures!

But then the land to which they were heading appeared. There were wonderful mountains with cedar forests, cities and castles. And long before sunset, Eliza was sitting on a rock in front of a large cave, as if hung with embroidered green carpets, so overgrown with soft green climbing plants.

Let's see what you dream about here at night! - said the youngest of the brothers and showed his sister her bedroom.
- Oh, if only it would be revealed to me in a dream how to remove the spell from you! - she answered, and this thought did not leave her head.

And then she dreamed that she was flying high, high through the air to the castle of Fata Morgana and the fairy herself came out to meet her, so bright and beautiful, but at the same time surprisingly similar to the old woman who gave Eliza berries in the forest and told her about swans in golden crowns.

“Your brothers can be saved,” she said. - But do you have enough courage and perseverance? The water is softer than your hands and still washes over the stones, but it does not feel the pain that your fingers will feel. Water does not have a heart that would languish with torment and fear, like yours. Do you see nettles in my hands? Such nettles grow here near the cave, and only they, and even those that grow in cemeteries, can help you. Notice her! You will pick this nettle, although your hands will be covered with blisters from burns. Then you crush it with your feet, you get fiber. From it you will weave eleven long-sleeved shell shirts and throw them over the swans. Then the witchcraft will dissipate. But remember that from the moment you start work until you finish, even if it lasts for years, you must not say a word. The very first word that comes out of your mouth will pierce the hearts of your brothers like a deadly dagger. Their life and death will be in your hands. Remember all this!

And the fairy touched her hand with nettles. Eliza felt pain, as if from a burn, and woke up. It was already dawn, and next to her lay a nettle, exactly like the one she had seen in her dream. Eliza left the cave and got to work.

With her tender hands she tore the evil, stinging nettles, and her hands became covered with blisters, but she joyfully endured the pain - just to save her dear brothers! With her bare feet she crushed nettles and spun green threads.

But then the sun set, the brothers returned, and how frightened they were when they saw that their sister had become mute! This is nothing other than a new witchcraft of the evil stepmother, they decided. But the brothers looked at her hands and realized what she had planned for their salvation. The youngest of the brothers began to cry, and where his tears fell, the pain subsided, the burning blisters disappeared.

Eliza spent the whole night at work, because she had no rest until she freed her dear brothers. And all the next day, while the swans were away, she sat alone, but never before had time flown so quickly for her.

One shirt-shell was ready, and she began to work on another, when suddenly hunting horns sounded in the mountains. Eliza was scared. And the sounds were getting closer, dogs were barking. Eliza ran into the cave, tied the nettles she had collected into a bunch and sat on it.

Then a large dog jumped out from behind the bushes, followed by another, and a third. The dogs barked loudly and ran back and forth at the entrance to the cave. In less than a few minutes, all the hunters gathered at the cave. The most handsome among them was the king of that country. He approached Eliza - and never before had he met such a beauty.

How did you get here, beautiful child? - he asked, but Eliza only shook her head in response, because she couldn’t speak, the life and salvation of the brothers depended on it.

She hid her hands under her apron so that the king would not see what torment she had to endure.

Come with me! - he said. - This is no place for you! If you are as kind as you are beautiful, I will dress you in silk and velvet, put a golden crown on your head, and you will live in my magnificent palace!

And he put her on his horse. Eliza cried and wrung her hands, but the king said:
- I only want your happiness! Someday you will thank me for this!

And he took her through the mountains, and the hunters galloped after.

By evening, the king’s magnificent capital, with temples and domes, appeared, and the king brought Eliza to his palace. Fountains gurgled in the high marble halls, and the walls and ceilings were painted with beautiful paintings. But Eliza didn’t look at anything, she just cried and was sad. Like a lifeless thing, she allowed the servants to put on royal clothes, weave pearls into her hair and pull thin gloves over her burnt fingers.

She stood dazzlingly beautiful in luxurious attire, and the whole court bowed low to her, and the king proclaimed her his bride, although the archbishop shook his head and whispered to the king that this forest beauty must be a witch, that she had averted everyone’s eyes and bewitched the king.

But the king did not listen to him, made a sign to the musicians, ordered to call the most beautiful dancers and serve expensive dishes, and he led Eliza through the fragrant gardens to the luxurious chambers. But there was no smile either on her lips or in her eyes, but only sadness, as if it was destined for her. But then the king opened the door to a small room next to her bedroom. The room was hung with expensive green carpets and resembled the cave where Eliza was found. There was a bundle of nettle fiber on the floor, and a shell-shirt woven by Eliza hung from the ceiling. One of the hunters took all this with him from the forest as a curiosity.

Here you can remember your former home! - said the king. - Here is the work you did. Perhaps now, in your glory, memories of the past will amuse you.

Eliza saw the work dear to her heart, and a smile played on her lips, the blood rushed to her cheeks. She thought about saving her brothers and kissed the king's hand, and he pressed it to his heart.

The archbishop continued to whisper evil speeches to the king, but they did not reach the king’s heart. The next day they celebrated the wedding. The archbishop himself had to put the crown on the bride. Out of frustration, he pulled the narrow gold hoop so tightly onto her forehead that it would have hurt anyone. But another, heavier hoop was squeezing her heart - sadness for her brothers, and she did not notice the pain. Her lips were still closed - one single word could cost the brothers their lives - but in her eyes there shone an ardent love for the kind, handsome king, who did everything to please her. Every day she became more and more attached to him. Oh, if only I could trust him, tell him my torment! But she had to be silent, she had to do her job in silence. That is why at night she quietly left the royal bedchamber to her secret cave-like room, and there weaved one shell-shirt after another. But when she started on the seventh, she ran out of fiber.

She knew she could find the nettles she needed in the cemetery, but she had to pick them herself. How to be?

“Oh, what does the pain in my fingers mean compared to the anguish of my heart? - thought Eliza. “I have to make up my mind!”

Her heart sank with fear, as if she were about to do something bad, when she made her way into the garden on a moonlit night, and from there along long alleys and deserted streets to the cemetery. Ugly witches sat on the wide gravestones and stared at her with evil eyes, but she picked nettles and returned back to the palace.

Only one person did not sleep that night and saw her - the archbishop. It only turned out that he was right in suspecting that something was fishy with the queen. And it really turned out that she was a witch, which is why she managed to bewitch the king and all the people.

In the morning he told the king what he had seen and what he suspected. Two heavy tears rolled down the king's cheeks, and doubt crept into his heart. At night, he pretended to be asleep, but sleep did not come to him, and the king noticed how Eliza got up and disappeared from the bedchamber. And this happened every night, and every night he watched her and saw her disappear into her secret room.

Day by day the king grew gloomier and gloomier. Eliza saw this, but did not understand why, and she was afraid, and her heart ached for her brothers. Her bitter tears rolled onto the royal velvet and purple. They sparkled like diamonds, and people who saw her in magnificent attire wanted to be in her place.

But soon, soon the end of work! Only one shirt was missing, and then she ran out of fiber again. Once again - the last time - it was necessary to go to the cemetery and pick several bunches of nettles. She thought with fear about the deserted cemetery and terrible witches, but her determination was unshakable.

And Eliza went, but the king and the archbishop followed her. They saw her disappear behind the cemetery gates, and when they approached the gates, they saw the witches on the gravestones, and the king turned back.

Let her people judge her! - he said.

And the people decided to burn her at the stake.

From the luxurious royal chambers, Eliza was taken to a gloomy, damp dungeon with bars on the window, through which the wind whistled. Instead of velvet and silk, she was given a bunch of nettles she had picked from the cemetery under her head, and hard, stinging shell shirts were supposed to serve as her bed and blanket. But she didn’t need a better gift, and she went back to work. Street boys sang mocking songs to her outside her window, and not a single living soul found a word of consolation for her.

But in the evening, the sound of swan wings was heard at the grate - it was the youngest of the brothers who found her sister, and she began to cry with joy, although she knew that she had perhaps only one night left to live. But her work was almost finished and the brothers were here!

Eliza spent the whole night weaving the last shirt. To help her at least a little, the mice running around the dungeon brought stems of nettles to her feet, and a thrush sat at the window bars and cheered her up all night with his cheerful song.

It was just dawn, and the sun was only supposed to appear in an hour, but eleven brothers had already appeared at the gates of the palace and demanded to be allowed to see the king. They were told that this was in no way possible: the king was sleeping and could not be awakened. The brothers continued to ask, then they began to threaten, the guards appeared, and then the king himself came out to find out what was the matter. But then the sun rose, and the brothers disappeared, and eleven swans flew over the palace.

People flocked outside the city to watch the witch being burned. The pitiful nag was dragging the cart in which Eliza was sitting. A robe made of coarse burlap was thrown over her. Her wonderful, wondrous hair fell over her shoulders, there was not a trace of blood in her face, her lips moved soundlessly, and her fingers weaved green yarn. Even on the way to the place of execution, she did not let go of her work. Ten shell shirts lay at her feet, and she was weaving the eleventh. The crowd mocked her.

Look at the witch! Look, he mumbles his lips and still won’t part with his witchcraft tricks! Snatch them from her and tear them to shreds!

And the crowd rushed towards her and wanted to tear her nettle shirts, when suddenly eleven white swans flew in, sat down around her on the edges of the cart and flapped their mighty wings. The crowd left.

This is a sign from heaven! She's innocent! - many whispered, but did not dare to say it out loud.

The executioner had already grabbed Eliza by the hand, but she quickly threw nettle shirts over the swans, and they all turned into beautiful princes, only the youngest one still had a wing instead of one arm: before Eliza had time to finish the last shirt, one sleeve was missing from it.

Now I can talk! - she said. - I'm innocent!

And the people, who saw everything, bowed down before her, and she fell unconscious into the arms of her brothers, so exhausted was she with fear and pain.

Yes, she is innocent! - said the eldest of the brothers and told everything as it happened, and as he spoke, a scent filled the air, like from a million roses - every log in the fire took root and branches, and now in the place of the fire stood a fragrant bush, all in scarlet roses. And at the very top, a dazzling white flower shone like a star. The king tore it off and placed it on Eliza's chest, and she woke up, and there was peace and happiness in her heart.

Then all the bells in the city rang of their own accord, and countless flocks of birds flew in, and such a joyful procession reached the palace, such as no king had ever seen!

Page 1 of 5

Far, far away, in the country where swallows fly away from us for the winter, there lived a king. He had eleven sons and one daughter, Eliza.
The eleven prince brothers were already going to school; each had a star on his chest, and a saber rattled at his side; They wrote on gold boards with diamond leads and could read perfectly, whether from a book or by heart - it didn’t matter. You could immediately hear that real princes were reading! Their sister Eliza sat on a mirrored glass bench and looked at a picture book for which half the kingdom had been paid.
Yes, the children had a good life, but not for long! Their father, the king of that country, married an evil queen who disliked the poor children. They had to experience this on the very first day: there was fun in the palace, and the children started a game of visiting, but the stepmother, instead of various cakes and baked apples, which they always received in abundance, gave them a tea cup of sand and said that they could imagine, like it's a treat.
A week later, she gave her sister Eliza to be raised in the village by some peasants, and a little more time passed, and she managed to tell the king so much about the poor princes that he did not want to see them anymore.
- Let’s fly, hello, in all four directions! - said the evil queen. “Fly like big birds without a voice and look after yourself!” But she could not do them as much harm as she would have liked - they turned into eleven beautiful wild swans, flew out of the palace windows with a scream and flew over the parks and forests.
It was early morning when they flew past the hut, where their sister Eliza was still fast asleep. They began to fly over the roof, stretching out their flexible necks and flapping their wings, but no one heard or saw them; so they had to fly away with nothing. They soared high, high to the very clouds and flew into a large dark forest that stretched all the way to the sea.
Poor Eliza stood in a peasant hut and played with a green leaf - she had no other toys; she poked a hole in the leaf, looked through it at the sun, and it seemed to her that she saw the clear eyes of her brothers; when the warm rays of the sun slid across her cheek, she remembered their tender kisses.
Days passed after days, one after the other. Did the wind sway the rose bushes growing near the house and whisper to the roses: “Is there anyone more beautiful than you?” - the roses shook their heads and said: “Eliza is more beautiful.” Was there any old woman sitting at the door of her little house on Sunday, reading the psalter, and the wind turned the leaves, saying to the book: “Is there anyone more devout than you?” the book answered: “Eliza is more devout!” Both the roses and the psalter spoke the absolute truth.
But Eliza turned fifteen years old and was sent home. Seeing how pretty she was, the queen became angry and hated her stepdaughter. She would gladly turn her into a wild swan, but she could not do this right now, because the king wanted to see his daughter. And so early in the morning the queen went to the marble bathhouse, all decorated with wonderful carpets and soft pillows, took three toads, kissed each one and said first:
- Sit on Eliza’s head when she enters the bathhouse; let her become as stupid and lazy as you! And you sit on her forehead! - she said to the other. - Let Eliza be as ugly as you, and her father will not recognize her! You lie on her heart! - the queen whispered to the third toad. - Let her become malicious and suffer from it!
Then she lowered the toads into clear water, and the water immediately turned green. Calling Eliza, the queen undressed her and ordered her to enter the water. Eliza obeyed, and one toad sat on her crown, another on her forehead, and a third on her chest; but Eliza didn’t even notice it, and as soon as she came out of the water, three red poppies floated across the water. If the toads had not been poisoned by the witch’s kiss, they would have turned, lying on Eliza’s head and heart, into red roses; the girl was so pious and innocent that witchcraft could not have any effect on her.
Seeing this, the evil queen rubbed Eliza with walnut juice until she turned completely brown, smeared her face with stinking ointment and tangled her wonderful hair. Now it was impossible to recognize pretty Eliza. Even her father was scared and said that this was not his daughter. No one recognized her except the chained dog and the swallows, but who would listen to the poor creatures!
Eliza began to cry and thought about her expelled brothers, secretly left the palace and wandered all day through the fields and swamps, making her way to the forest. Eliza herself did not really know where she should go, but she yearned so much for her brothers, who were also expelled from home that she decided to look for them everywhere until she found them.
She did not stay long in the forest, but night had already fallen, and Eliza completely lost her way; then she lay down on the soft moss, read a prayer for the coming sleep and bowed her head on a stump. There was silence in the forest, the air was so warm, hundreds of fireflies flickered in the grass like green lights, and when Eliza touched some bush with her hand, they fell into the grass like a rain of stars.
All night Eliza dreamed of her brothers: they were all children again, playing together, writing with slates on golden boards and looking at the most wonderful picture book that was worth half a kingdom. But they didn’t write dashes and zeros on the boards, as had happened before - no, they described everything they saw and experienced. All the pictures in the book were alive: the birds sang, and people came off the pages and talked with Eliza and her brothers; but as soon as she wanted to turn the sheet over, they jumped back, otherwise the pictures would have become confused.

When Eliza woke up, the sun was already high; she couldn’t even see it well behind the thick foliage of the trees, but its individual rays made their way between the branches and ran like golden bunnies across the grass; a wonderful smell came from the greenery, and the birds almost landed on Eliza’s shoulders. The murmur of a spring could be heard not far away; It turned out that several large streams ran here, flowing into a pond with a wonderful sandy bottom. The pond was surrounded by a hedge, but in one place wild deer had made a wide passage for themselves, and Eliza could go down to the water itself. The water in the pond was clean and clear; If the wind did not move the branches of the trees and bushes, one would think that the trees and bushes were painted on the bottom, so clearly they were reflected in the mirror of the waters.