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1872
FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN
THE　WILD　SWANS
by　Hans　Christian　Andersen
　
FAR　away　in　the　land　to　which　the　swallows　fly　when　it　is
winter；　dwelt　a　king　who　had　eleven　sons；　and　one　daughter；　named
Eliza。　The　eleven　brothers　were　princes；　and　each　went　to　school
with　a　star　on　his　breast；　and　a　sword　by　his　side。　They　wrote　with
diamond　pencils　on　gold　slates；　and　learnt　their　lessons　so　quickly
and　read　so　easily　that　every　one　might　know　they　were　princes。

Their　sister　Eliza　sat　on　a　little　stool　of　plate…glass；　and　had　a
book　full　of　pictures；　which　had　cost　as　much　as　half　a　kingdom。　Oh；
these　children　were　indeed　happy；　but　it　was　not　to　remain　so
always。　Their　father；　who　was　king　of　the　country；　married　a　very
wicked　queen；　who　did　not　love　the　poor　children　at　all。　They　knew
this　from　the　very　first　day　after　the　wedding。　In　the　palace　there
were　great　festivities；　and　the　children　played　at　receiving
company；　but　instead　of　having；　as　usual；　all　the　cakes　and　apples
that　were　left；　she　gave　them　some　sand　in　a　tea…cup；　and　told　them　to
pretend　it　was　cake。　The　week　after；　she　sent　little　Eliza　into　the
country　to　a　peasant　and　his　wife；　and　then　she　told　the　king　so
many　untrue　things　about　the　young　princes；　that　he　gave　himself　no
more　trouble　respecting　them。

〃Go　out　into　the　world　and　get　your　own　living；〃　said　the　queen。

〃Fly　like　great　birds；　who　have　no　voice。〃　But　she　could　not　make　them　ugly　as　she　wished；　for　they　were　turned　into　eleven　beautiful　wild　swans。　Then；　with　a　strange　cry；　they　flew　through　the　windows　of　the　palace；　over　the　park；　to　the　forest　beyond。　It　was　early
morning　when　they　passed　the　peasant's　cottage；　where　their　sister
Eliza　lay　asleep　in　her　room。　They　hovered　over　the　roof；　twisted
their　long　necks　and　flapped　their　wings；　but　no　one　heard　them　or　saw　them；　so　they　were　at　last　obliged　to　fly　away；　high　up　in　the　clouds；　and　over　the　wide　world　they　flew　till　they　came　to　a　thick；　dark　wood；　which　stretched　far　away　to　the　seashore。　Poor　little　Eliza
was　alone　in　her　room　playing　with　a　green　leaf；　for　she　had　no
other　playthings；　and　she　pierced　a　hole　through　the　leaf；　and
looked　through　it　at　the　sun；　and　it　was　as　if　she　saw　her　brothers'
clear　eyes；　and　when　the　warm　sun　shone　on　her　cheeks；　she　thought
of　all　the　kisses　they　had　given　her。　One　day　passed　just　like
another；　sometimes　the　winds　rustled　through　the　leaves　of　the
rose…bush；　and　would　whisper　to　the　roses；　〃Who　can　be　more
beautiful　than　you！〃　But　the　roses　would　shake　their　heads；　and　say；
〃Eliza　is。〃　And　when　the　old　woman　sat　at　the　cottage　door　on
Sunday；　and　read　her　hymn…book；　the　wind　would　flutter　the　leaves；　and　say　to　the　book；　〃Who　can　be　more　pious　than　you？〃　and　then　the　hymn…book　would　answer　〃Eliza。〃　And　the　roses　and　the　hymn…book　told　the　real　truth。　At　fifteen　she　returned　home；　but　when　the　queen　saw　how　beautiful　she　was；　she　became　full　of　spite　and　hatred　towards　her。　Willingly　would　she　have　turned　her　into　a　swan；　like　her
brothers；　but　she　did　not　dare　to　do　so　yet；　because　the　king　wished
to　see　his　daughter。　Early　one　morning　the　queen　went　into　the
bath…room；　it　was　built　of　marble；　and　had　soft　cushions；　trimmed　with　the　most　beautiful　tapestry。　She　took　three　toads　with　her；　and　kissed　them；　and　said　to　one；　〃When　Eliza　comes　to　the　bath；　seat　yourself　upon　her　head；　that　she　may　become　as　stupid　as　you　are。〃　
Then　she　said　to　another；　〃Place　yourself　on　her　forehead；　that　she　may　become　as　ugly　as　you　are；　and　that　her　father　may　not　know　her。〃　〃Rest　on　her　heart；〃　she　whispered　to　the　third；　〃then　she　will　have　evil　inclinations；　and　suffer　in　consequence。〃　So　she　put　the　toads　into　the　clear　water；　and　they　turned　green　immediately。　She　next　called　Eliza；　and　helped　her　to　undress　and　get　into　the　bath。　As
Eliza　dipped　her　head　under　the　water；　one　of　the　toads　sat　on　her
hair；　a　second　on　her　forehead；　and　a　third　on　her　breast；　but　she　did
not　seem　to　notice　them；　and　when　she　rose　out　of　the　water；　there
were　three　red　poppies　floating　upon　it。　Had　not　the　creatures　been
venomous　or　been　kissed　by　the　witch；　they　would　have　been　changed　into　red　roses。　At　all　events　they　became　flowers；　because　they　had　rested　on　Eliza's　head；　and　on　her　heart。　She　was　too　good　and　too　innocent　for　witchcraft　to　have　any　power　over　her。　When　the　wicked　queen　saw　this；　she　rubbed　her　face　with　walnut…juice；　so　that　she　was　quite　brown；　then　she　tangled　her　beautiful　hair　and　smeared　it　with　disgusting　ointment；　till　it　was　quite　impossible　to　recognize　the
beautiful　Eliza。

When　her　father　saw　her；　he　was　much　shocked；　and　declared　she　was　not　his　daughter。　No　one　but　the　watch…dog　and　the　swallows　knew　her；　and　they　were　only　poor　animals；　and　could　say　nothing。　
Then　poor　Eliza　wept；　and　thought　of　her　eleven　brothers；　who　were　all　away。

Sorrowfully；　she　stole　away　from　the　palace；　and　walked；　the　whole
day；　over　fields　and　moors；　till　she　came　to　the　great　forest。　She
knew　not　in　what　direction　to　go；　but　she　was　so　unhappy；　and　longed　so　for　her　brothers；　who　had　been；　like　herself；　driven　out　into　the　world；　that　she　was　determined　to　seek　them。　She　had　been　but　a
short　time　in　the　wood　when　night　came　on；　and　she　quite　lost　the
path；　so　she　laid　herself　down　on　the　soft　moss；　offered　up　her
evening　prayer；　and　leaned　her　head　against　the　stump　of　a　tree。　All
nature　was　still；　and　the　soft；　mild　air　fanned　her　forehead。　The
light　of　hundreds　of　glow…worms　shone　amidst　the　grass　and　the　moss；　like　green　fire；　and　if　she　touched　a　twig　with　her　hand；　ever　so
lightly；　the　brilliant　insects　fell　down　around　her；　like
shooting…stars。

All　night　long　she　dreamt　of　her　brothers。　She　and　they　were
children　again；　playing　together。　She　saw　them　writing　with　their
diamond　pencils　on　golden　slates；　while　she　looked　at　the　beautiful
picture…book　which　had　cost　half　a　kingdom。　They　were　not　writing
lines　and　letters；　as　they　used　to　do；　but　descriptions　of　the　noble
deeds　they　had　performed；　and　of　all　they　had　discovered　and　seen。
In　the　picture…book；　too；　everything　was　living。　The　birds　sang；　and
the　people　came　out　of　the　book；　and　spoke　to　Eliza　and　her
brothers；　but；　as　the　leaves　turned　over；　they　darted　back　again　to
their　places；　that　all　might　be　in　order。

When　she　awoke；　the　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens；　yet　she　could　not
see　him；　for　the　lofty　trees　spread　their　branches　thickly　over　her
head；　but　his　beams　were　glancing　through　the　leaves　here　and　there；
like　a　golden　mist。　There　was　a　sweet　fragrance　from　the　fresh　green
verdure；　and　the　birds　almost　perched　upon　her　shoulders。　She　heard
water　rippling　from　a　number　of　springs；　all　flowing　in　a　lake　with
golden　sands。　Bushes　grew　thickly　round　the　lake；　and　at　one　spot　an
opening　had　been　made　by　a　deer；　through　which　Eliza　went　down　to
the　water。　The　lake　was　so　clear　that；　had　not　the　wind　rustled　the
branches　of　the　trees　and　the　bushes；　so　that　they　moved；　they　would
have　appeared　as　if　painted　in　the　depths　of　the　lake；　for　every
leaf　was　reflected　in　the　water；　whether　it　stood　in　the　shade　or
the　sunshine。　As　soon　as　Eliza　saw　her　own　face；　she　was　quite
terrified　at　finding　it　so　brown　and　ugly；　but　when　she　wetted　her
little　hand；　and　rubbed　her　eyes　and　forehead；　the　white　skin
gleamed　forth　once　more；　and；　after　she　had　undressed；　and　dipped
herself　in　the　fresh　water；　a　more　beautiful　king's　daughter　could　not
be　found　in　the　wide　world。　As　soon　as　she　had　dressed　herself
again；　and　braided　her　long　hair；　she　went　to　the　bubbling　spring；　and
drank　some　water　out　of　the　hollow　of　her　hand。　Then　she　wandered
far　into　the　forest；　not　knowing　whither　she　went。　She　thought　of
her　brothers；　and　felt　sure　that　God　would　not　forsake　her。　It　is
God　who　makes　the　wild　apples　grow　in　the　wood；　to　satisfy　the　hungry；　and　He　now　led　her　to　one　of　these　trees；　which　was　so　loaded　with　fruit；　that　the　boughs　bent　beneath　the　weight。　Here　she　held　her　noonday　repast；　placed　props　under　the　boughs；　and　then　went　into　the　gloomiest　depths　of　the　forest。　It　was　so　still　that　she　could　hear　the　sound　of　her　own　footsteps；　as　well　as　the　rustling　of
every　withered　leaf　which　she　crushed　under　her　feet。　Not　a　bird　was
to　be　seen；　not　a　sunbeam　could　penetrate　through　the　large；　dark
boughs　of　the　trees。　Their　lofty　trunks　stood　so　close　together；　that；
when　she　looked　before　her；　it　seemed　as　if　she　were　enclosed　within
trellis…work。　Such　solitude　she　had　never　known　before。　The　night
was　very　dark。　Not　a　single　glow…worm　glittered　in　the　moss。
Sorrowfully　she　laid　herself　down　to　sleep；　and；　after　a　while；　it
seemed　to　her　as　if　the　branches　of　the　trees　parted　over　her　head；
and　that　the　mild　eyes　of　angels　looked　down　upon　her　from　heaven。

When　she　awoke　in　the　morning；　she　knew　not　whether　she　had　dreamt　this；　or　if　it　had　really　been　so。　Then　she　continued　her　wandering；　but　she　had　not　gone　many　steps　forward；　when　she　met　an　old　woman　with　berries　in　her　basket；　and　she　gave　her　a　few　to　eat。　Then　Eliza　askd　her　if　she　had　not　seen　eleven　princes　riding　through　the　forest。

〃No；〃　replied　the　old　woman；　〃But　I　saw