Six swans

Once upon a time, there had a king who ruled a beautiful country. The king liked hunting very much and course he was great in hunting. One day, he brought some courtiers go hunting. They went to a wood outside capital. That is great wood which not all people could be familiar with it. They all went to the familiar area with them. The king used to catch some small animals at there.
Dog trainers and their dogs went ahead while the king riding on his horse followed them. After him there were close courtiers riding horses in two like, they all brought archeries and arrows. Some soldiers with full of weapons were after all.
Dog trainer and soldiers scattered as they came to hunting place. They were on purpose chasing animals out of their hiding. Suddenly, a hart appeared. It raised its beautiful proud horn-head looked at them for awhile. Then, it leapt away. Immediately, the king and his courtiers forced their horsed to chase after it. Arrows shot to the hart but they could only touched its shadow. The hart ran too fast. It nearly left all people away after it but the king who was riding on his great horse, Afterwind.
The king and his horse were after the hart till they all went in very deep wood then the hart vanished. The king realized that he had lost and was alone.

Evening came he stood still, and looking round, seeking a path, he found none. Lucily, all at once he saw an old woman. The woman with odd old face, blood eyes and the bony body was approaching him and she was a witch.

"My good woman," he yelled, "can you show me the way out of the wood?"

"Oh yes, my lord king," answered she, glaring at him by awesome eyes, "certainly I can; but I must make a condition, and if you do not do it, you will never get out of the wood again, but die there of hunger."
"What is the condition?" asked the king.

"I have a daughter," said the old woman, "who is the most beautiful, and if you take her for your bride, and let her to be queen, I will show you the way out of the wood."
The king thought awhile but at last, he agreed because it's too difficult to him to lived in the wood. The old woman led him to go deeper. They went to her cottage. Her daughter was sitting by the fire and seemed to be waiting for him. She stood up and welcome him by a big smile. The king admitted she was very beautiful but it gave him a fearful feeling as he looked at her. Nevertheless, he took her on his horse, and the old woman showed him the way, and soon he was in his royal castle again, where the wedding was held.

The king had been married before, and his first wife had left seven children, six boys and one girl. They all were beautiful and they was people the loved better than all the world. Of course, their step-mother didn't like them she didn't like any child. On other side, the king was afraid that step-mother might not behave well to them, and perhaps would do them some mischief, so he sent them to a lonely castle standing in the middle of a wood where they were taken care by king's close servants. There they remained hidden, for the road to it was so hard to find out and including the king, he himself could not have found it if he didn't have clew of yarn, a magical clew of yarn. It's a gift a wise woman had given him. whenever he threw it down before him, it unrolled itself and showed him the way to the place he wanted.

The king went so often to see his dear children. Few times a week, he used to wear on black hood which covered whole his body, including his face; that no one could realize him. He left his royal castle in silent, brought no servant, came to edge of wood and threw his clew of yarn down. The clew of yarn unrolled. It moved ahead, led him into the hidden road which led to the castle the children were in. It took him an hours to come there. The shape of a person in black hood turned familiar with the children. They used to rushed, hugged and kissed their father as they saw him from distance. Honest, though the king and his children didn't lived together but all of them felt satisfied. Unfortunately, that the queen was displeased at his absence. She became curious and wanted to know what he went out into the wood for so often alone.
She forced, frightened, bribed king's servants with much money. She found all the ways to make them tell her king's secret. At last, she had what she wanted. Some servants showed her the secret because of money. They told her of the clew of yam, which alone could point out the way. She gave herself no rest until she had found out where the king kept the clew. After that, she started making little white silk shirts, and sewed a charm in each, she had learned witchcraft of her mother. Then, she waited. And once when the king had ridden, to the hunt, that's what she waited for. She found the way to take the clew, put on hood as the king then left the castle with no one in silent. She went toward the edge of wood. She stood still here, threw the clew down. It started unrolling and moving. Minutes later, the clew led her to the hidden road which was covered by magic. There had an ancient tree preventing on the way but it's a image. She and the clew went through the tree and vanished. They went in a small path. It was very small and wet that she could touched leaves aside as she walked. However, it couldn't prevent her to do her plan. She continued walking till she came to a wide empty place, saw the castle in the distance; that made her satisfied.
The children, now, were playing in front the castle. They were so happy, having no sign that they would be harmed after that. They saw some one in the distance, thought it was their dear father coming to see them. They came jumping for joy to meet him but at the moment they were few feet to the the wicked queen, she took out the shirt and threw over them. As soon as the shirts touched their bodies. They shrank and shrank, then feathers emerged from the bodies. It happened just few minutes but was so paint. At last, they all were changed into swans which scattered flying everywhere because of fear. The queen took of the hood out of her head, looked the swans vanish. She stood still there for a while, smiled and then she queen went back home, very pleased to think she had got rid of her stepchildren; but the maiden had not run out with her brothers, she stayed in the castle front of window and saw all the things happening to her brothers. The queen knew nothing about her. 
The next day the king went to see his children. The sight turned silent. He didn't see his children playing in front of castle, didn't see they run toward him and didn't get any hug and kiss. He went in castle and found nobody but his daughter.

"Where are your brothers?" asked the king.

"Ah, dear father," answered she, "they are gone away and have left me behind," and then she told him how she had seen from her window her brothers in the guise of swans fly away through the wood. She showed him the feathers which they had let fall in the courtyard, and which she had picked up. The king was grieved, but he never dreamt that it was the queen who had done this wicked deed, and as he feared lest the maiden also should be stolen away from him, he wished to take her away with him.
"I want you to go with me, my daughter. I want you to stay besides me. I will protect you." said the king.
"My dear father! Please, I want to stay here for one more night." said she, "I scare and don't want to meet the queen."
The king left. The sadness was upon his face, his shape. He went back his castle. 

"I must stay here no longer. I have to go and seek for my brothers." said she to herself.
And when the night came, she fled away and went straight into the wood. She went on all that night and the next day, until she could go no longer for weariness. At last she saw a rude hut, and she went in and found a room with six little beds in it; she did not dare to lie down in one, but she crept under one and lay on the hard boards and wished for night. When it was near the time of sun-setting she heard a rustling sound, and saw six beautiful swans come flying in at the window. They alighted on the ground, and blew at one another until they had blown all their feathers off, and then they stripped off their swan-skin as if it had been a shirt. And the maiden looked at them and knew them for her brothers, and was very glad, and crept from under the bed, rushed into and hugged them. She cried because of happiness. The brothers were not less glad when their sister appeared, but their joy did not last long.

"You must not stay here," said they to her; "this is a robbers' haunt, and if they were to come and find you here, they would kill you."

"And cannot you defend me?" asked the little sister.

"No," answered they, "for we can only get rid of our swan-skins and keep our human shape every evening for a quarter of an hour, but after that we must be changed again into swans." Their sister wept at hearing this, and said, "Can nothing be done to set you free?"
"Oh no," answered they, "the work would be too hard for you. For six whole years you would be obliged never to speak or laugh, and make during that time six little shirts out of aster-flowers. If you were to let fall a single word before the work was ended, all would be of no good." And just as the brothers had finished telling her this, the quarter of an hour came to an end, and they changed into swans and flew out of the window.
But the maiden made up her mind to set her brothers free, even though it should cost her her life. She left the hut, going into the middle of the wood. She found an ancient tree, clinmbed upon a branch , and spent here night there. The next morning, she woke up and set to work. She found and gathered asters and began sewing them together: as for speaking, there was no one to speak to, and as for laughing, she had no mind to it; so she sat down and started working.
When she had been going on like this for a long time, it happened that the king of that country went a-hunting in the wood where she was. The young handsome king riding on a white horse and some of his huntsmen came up to the tree in which the maiden sat. They saw her.
"Who are you?" They cried. But she gave no answer.
"Come down," cried they again; "we will do thee no harm." But she only shook her head, giving them no word. They continued tormenting her further with questions but she didn't answer them, she threw down to them her gold necklace, hoping they would be content with that. But they would not leave off, so she threw down to them her girdle, and when that was no good, her garters, and one after another everything she had on and could possibly spare, until she had nothing left but her smock. But all was no good, the huntsmen would not be put off any longer, and they climbed the tree, carried the maiden off, and brought her to the king.
"Who are you?" said the king gently, "What are you doing in the tree?"
She raised up, look at the king whom had the voice which made her feel warm and peace but she answered nothing. She bowed her head again and continued sewing.
The king was so kind and patient. He spoke to her in all the languages he knew, but she remained dumb. However, her beauty made others love. She looked harmless though her behaviors were strange. The king inclined to her, and he felt a great love rise up in his heart towards her; and casting his mantle round her, he put her before him on his horse and brought her to his castle. Then he caused rich clothing to be put upon her, and her beauty shone as bright as the morning, but no word would she utter. He seated her by his side at table, and her modesty and gentle mien so pleased him.
"This maiden I choose for wife, and no other in all the world," he said. After a few days, a wedding was held. Of course, she couldn't speak to agree and refuse.

But the king had a wicked mother, who was displeased with the marriage. She always spoke ill of the young queen.
"Who knows where the maid can have come from?" said she, "and not able to speak a word! She is not worthy of a king!"
However, the young queen was still loved by others and specially her husband who gave her great love. After a year had passed, and the queen brought her first child into the world, a pretty prince.
The little prince was brought away and hid by the old woman. She marked the queen's mouth with blood as she lay sleeping. Then she went to the king and declared that his wife was an eater of human flesh. The king would not believe such a thing, and ordered that no one should do her any harm.
"If she could speak, she could protect herself." said the king.
Though the queen was very pained as she was apart from her son and considered as an eater, he went on quietly, continued sewing the shirts. She had to freed her brothers. The next time that another fine boy was born, the old woman used the same deceit, but the king would give no credence to her words.
"She is too tender and good to do any such thing, and if she were only not dumb, and could justify herself, then her innocence would be as clear as day." he said.
The third child was born in the next year and it was also brought away by the old woman. She accused the queen, who was unable to say a word. The king, on other side, couldn't do other but give her up to justice. The love he gave her was great large but he couldn't have any explain for himself as three of his children all vanished as they just were born. Honestly, king's heart was broken. He wanted to protect his wife; he also wanted to see his children, take care of them and look them grow up. But he could not do neither. He fell in bad mood.
The young queen was sentenced to suffer death by fire. She was prisoned before was sentenced. The day she was carried out to sentence was also the last one of the sixth year of the years during which she had neither spoken nor laughed, to free her dear brothers from the evil spell. The six shirts were ready, all except one which wanted the left sleeve. She was led to the pile of wood. On her arm was six shirts. She walked toward the pile, mounted on it. The fire was about to be kindled. From distance, six swans was flying through the air toward her. Her heart beat up for joy she had waited for the moment for long time. The swans came close up to her with rushing wings, and stooped round her. She throw the shirts over them. As soon as the shirt touch on their body. The feathers fell off from their body and they all transformed into young handsome princes who all have crowns on their head. Her brothers stood before her in their own bodies quite safe and sound; but as one shirt wanted the left sleeve, so the youngest brother had a swan's wing instead of a left arm. At the moment the poor girl saw again her brothers face, saw them in shape of human being; she cried loudly, very loudly. She couldn't do it for six years though she wanted it thousands times in that great years. Her brothers approached, freed her out of the fire. They all hugged and gave his on her forehead. No word came out from them, they knew what their little sister had to stand up in six years. Later, the cry stopped; she fell in sleep in her brothers' arms. One of her brother went toward the king. He told him about the charm, explained him about her strange behaviors. The sentence was stopped. The young queen was brought in castle, laid on her bed, slept in peace and besides was her husband and brothers.
All things were clear as she woke up.  
 "Dearest husband, now I may dare to speak and tell you that I am innocent, and have been falsely accused," she said in very weak voice but it's very nice, "Our children were brought away and hidden by your stepmother..."
The old woman was summoned. Their children were found after that. The queen was reconciled to the king with great joy while and the wicked step-mother was bound to the stake on the pile of wood and burnt to ashes. And the king and queen lived many years with their six brothers in peace and joy.
The end.