Household Tales · Chapter
The Six Swans explained
A king loses his way in a forest and is forced by a witch to marry her daughter.
What happens
A king loses his way in a forest and is forced by a witch to marry her daughter. The new queen, a witch herself, transforms the king's six sons into swans using enchanted shirts. The boys' sister escapes and learns from her brothers that she can break the spell by remaining silent and not laughing for six years while sewing six shirts of starwort. She is discovered by a king, who marries her despite her muteness. His wicked mother frames her three times for killing her own children, leading to a death sentence. On the final day of the six years, she completes the shirts, freeing her brothers, and reveals her innocence. The wicked stepmother is executed, and the family lives happily.
Themes in this chapter
Transformation and Redemption
The brothers are transformed into swans and later redeemed through their sister's sacrifice and silence.
Family Dynamics and Betrayal
The stepmother betrays the king's children, and the king's mother betrays the queen, highlighting familial treachery.
Virtue Rewarded and Vice Punished
The virtuous sister's silence and hard work free her brothers and lead to her vindication, while the wicked stepmother and mother are executed.
Characters to notice
- the girl
The sister of the six brothers; she remains silent and sews starwort shirts for six years to break the enchantment, enduring false accusations and a death sentence.
- the maiden
The witch's daughter who becomes queen; she uses magic to transform the king's sons into swans.
- the young King
The king who marries the silent maiden; he defends her against his mother's accusations but ultimately must sentence her to death.
- Unknown
The wicked mother of the young king; she frames the queen for killing her children and is later burned at the stake.
Key passages
“For six years thou mayst neither speak nor laugh, and in that time thou must sew together six little shirts of starwort for us. And if one single word falls from thy lips, all thy work will be lost.”
The brothers explain that their sister must remain silent and not laugh for six years while sewing six shirts from starwort; if she speaks even one word, the effort will fail.
This sets the central condition for breaking the swan enchantment.
“She is the one whom I wish to marry, and no other woman in the world.”
The king declares his love for the silent maiden and decides to marry her despite her muteness.
Highlights the king's devotion and the maiden's silent endurance.
“The six shirts were ready, only the left sleeve of the sixth was wanting.”
On the final day, the sister has completed all but the left sleeve of the sixth shirt.
The incomplete sleeve explains why the youngest brother retains a swan's wing.