Not long after Elisa entered the forest, night fell. She had wandered far away from roads and paths. She said her prayers and lay down on the soft moss, leaning her head against the stump of a tree. It was quiet, and the air was sweet. Hundreds of fireflies glittered like some kind of green fire above the grass and moss.12 When she gently touched a branch with her hand, glittering insects darted all around her like shooting stars.
All night long she had dreams about her brothers. 13 They were children again, playing together, writing with their diamond pencils on their golden tablets and looking at her wonderful picture book that had cost half a kingdom. But they were no longer just scribbling circles and lines as they once had. No, they were writing about their bold deeds and about everything they had seen and done. What was once in the picture book had come alive.14 Birds were singing, and people stepped out of the pages of the book and talked with Elisa and her brothers. But the moment she turned a page, they leaped back into place so that the pictures wouldn’t get out of order.
When Elisa awoke, the sun was already high overhead.15 She couldn’t actually see it through the dense branches of the tall trees around her, but the sun’s rays played through the tangle of branches like a golden veil aflutter. There was a fresh, green scent in the air, and the birds flew so close that they nearly perched on her shoulder. She could hear the sound of water splashing—many large springs flowed into a pond with the most beautiful sandy bottom. Thick bushes had grown all around, but in one spot deer had made a large opening, one wide enough to allow Elisa to reach the water. The pond was so clear that, if the wind had not stirred the branches and shrubs all around, you would have thought that they were painted on its surface. Every leaf—whether in the sun or in the shade—was reflected perfectly on the waters.
When Elisa saw her face in the water, she was frightened, for it was so stained and ugly. But when she dipped her little hand into the water and rubbed her eyes and forehead, the pale skin shone through again. She took off her clothing and stepped into the cool waters. You could not have found a more beautiful royal child16 anywhere in the world.
After Elisa put her clothes back on and braided her long hair, she went over to the sparkling spring and drank from the hollow of her hand. Then she wandered deeper into the woods, not knowing where she was going. She thought about her brothers and about the good Lord who would surely not abandon her. He had made wild apples grow to feed those who were hungry, and he led her to a wild apple tree, its branches weighed down by fruit. Here she ate her midday meal and propped up the tree’s branches. Then she entered the deepest part of the forest. It was so quiet that she could hear the sound of her own footsteps and every little dry leaf crushed under her foot. There were no birds in sight, and not a single ray of sunshine was able to penetrate the thick, dense tree branches all around. The tall trees were growing so closely next to each other that, when you looked straight ahead, it seemed as if a solid fence was surrounding you. Elisa had never before known such loneliness. 17
The night was pitch black, and not a single firefly could be seen in the moss. Feeling sad, Elisa lay down to sleep. Suddenly the branches above her seemed to part, and the good Lord was looking down kindly upon her. Little angels peeked out from above his head and under his arms.
When Elisa woke up the next morning, she had no idea whether she had dreamed what had happened or whether it was real. She had taken no more than a few steps when she met an old woman carrying a basket of berries. 18 The old woman gave her a few, and Elisa asked whether she had ever seen eleven princes riding through the forest.
“No,” the old woman said, “but yesterday I saw eleven swans with golden crowns on their heads floating down the river not far from this spot.”
The old woman led Elisa some distance away to a steep slope. Down below, a stream wound its way, and trees on both banks stretched their long, leafy branches toward each other. Wherever their limbs couldn’t touch, they had pulled their roots loose from the earth and leaned out over the water until their branches met. 19
Elisa took leave of the old woman and followed the river down to where it flowed into the great open sea.
The vast, beautiful sea lay in front of the young girl, but there was not a sail in sight, and not a boat to be seen. How could she possibly continue her journey? She looked at the countless pebbles on the beach, all washed round and smooth by the water. Glass, iron, rocks, everything that had washed up had been worn down by the water, and yet the water was so much softer than her delicate hand. “It keeps on rolling and never tires, and it smoothes out whatever is hard. I want to be just as strong! Thanks for the lesson, dear waves that rise and fall. My heart tells me that someday you will carry me to my beloved brothers!”
Scattered among the seaweed washed up on shore, Elisa found eleven white swan feathers, and she gathered them up into a little bundle. There were still drops of water on them, but she could not tell whether they were drops of dew or tears. It was lonely out there by the sea, but she didn’t mind, because the sea was always changing20—in a matter of hours it could change more dramatically than a freshwater lake does in an entire year. When a big black cloud appeared in the sky, the sea appeared to be saying: “I can also look threatening.” Then the wind would blow, and white crests would rise on the waves. But if the clouds turned crimson and the winds died down, the sea looked just like a rose petal. Sometimes it looked green, then it would turn white, but no matter how calm it might appear, there was always some kind of gentle movement at the shore. The water rose and fell softly, like the chest of a sleeping child.
W. HEATH ROBINSON
Elisa scans the vast horizon in search of a sail, but she remains isolated on the surface of the waters.
Just as the sun was setting, Elisa caught sight of eleven swans with golden crowns on their heads21 flying toward land. Like a long, white ribbon, they glided in, one after another. Elisa climbed up the slope and hid behind a bush. The swans landed near her and flapped their magnificent white wings.
When the sun had disappeared into the water, the swans shed their feathers, and there stood eleven handsome princes—Elisa’s brothers. Although they had changed a great deal, she knew in her heart that she was not mistaken. She uttered a loud cry, and rushed into their arms, calling them each by name. They were overjoyed to see their little sister, who had grown so tall and lovely. They laughed and they cried, and soon they understood exactly how badly their stepmother had treated all of them.
“We brothers,” said the eldest, “fly like wild swans as long as the sun remains in the sky. When it sets, we return to our human form. And so at sunset we must always try to find firm ground, because if we were still flying up in the clouds, we would come plunging down into the deep. This is not where we live. Beyond the sea there is another land as fair as this one, but it is far away. You have to cross the vast ocean to reach it and there is not a single island along the way to spend the night, just one little rock jutting up midway across. There’s barely room for us to stand on it, even when we are right next to each other. If the sea is rough, the water sprays right on us. But still we thank God for that one spot where we can rest as humans during the night. Otherwise we would never be able to visit our own dear homeland. It takes two of the longest days of the year for us to complete the journey. We can visit the home of our ancestors only once a year, and we don’t dare stay longer than eleven days.
“When we fly over this forest we can see the palace where Father lives and where we were born. We can see the high tower of the church where Mother lies buried. And even the trees and bushes feel like family to us. Wild horses gallop across the moors as they did when we were young, and the charcoal burner sings the same old songs to which we used to dance as children. This is our homeland. It draws us close, and here, dear sister, we have found you again. We can stay for just two more days, and then we must fly across the sea to a land which is quite beautiful, but not our own. How shall we ever manage to take you with us? We have neither
a ship nor a boat.”
“How will I be able to set you free?” their sister asked, and they talked for most of the night, sparing only a few hours for sleep.
The next morning Elisa awakened to the rustling of swans’ wings overhead. Her brothers had been transformed again, and they were flying in ever widening circles until finally they were out of sight. But one of them, the youngest, stayed behind. He rested his head in Elisa’s lap, and she stroked his white wings. They spent the entire day together. Toward evening the others returned, and when the sun set, they resumed their human shape.
“Tomorrow we must fly away from here,” one of the brothers said, “and we will not be able to return for a whole year. But we can’t leave you alone like this. Do you have the courage to come with us? My arm is strong enough to carry you through the forest, and surely the strength of our wings can be used to carry you across the sea.”
“Yes, take me with you!” Elisa said.
Together they spent all night braiding a net from the softest willow bark and the toughest rushes to be found, and they made it big and strong. Elisa lay down in it. When the sun rose and the brothers had been turned back into wild swans, they lifted the net with their bills and flew high up toward the clouds with their dear sister, who was still fast asleep.22 Since the sun’s rays were shining right down on her face, one of the swans flew overhead to provide shade with his broad wings.
They were still far from land when Elisa woke up. She thought she must be dreaming, because it was so strange to be high up in the air, flying over the sea. A bunch of tasty roots and a branch covered with delicious ripe berries were at her side. They had been gathered by the youngest of the brothers and placed there for her to eat. Elisa smiled at him with gratitude in her eyes, for she could tell that he was the one flying right above her and protecting her from the sun with his wings.
They were flying so high up that the first ship they caught sight of looked like a white seagull floating on the water. A large cloud rose up behind them, the size of a mountain. Elisa could see the gigantic shadows cast by herself and the eleven swans as they flew. It was the most magnificent sight she had ever seen. But as the sun rose higher and the clouds faded into the distance, the phantom shadows disappeared.
HARRY CLARKE
Lying in her net of willow bark and rushes, intertwined with decorative ribbons, Elisa flies up to the clouds and back down again with her brothers.
All day long the swans soared like arrows flying through the air. And yet, because they were carrying their sister, they were moving more slowly than usual. Evening was approaching, and a storm was brewing. With rising anxiety, Elisa noticed that the sun was beginning to set, and the solitary rock in the sea was still nowhere to be seen. It felt to her as if the swans were flapping their wings harder and harder. It was all her fault that they couldn’t fly faster. When the sun went down, they would turn into humans, plunge into the sea, and drown. She prayed to the dear Lord with all her might, but there was still no sign of the rock. Black clouds were gathering, and strong gusts of wind warned of a storm. The clouds formed one huge, menacing wave23 that came rushing toward them like a mass of molten lead. One lightning bolt after another flashed across the skies.
The sun was just reaching the rim of the sea. Elisa’s heart was beating like mad. Suddenly the swans took a quick downward plunge. Elisa was sure it was the end, but soon they were flying straight ahead again. The sun was halfway into the water when she caught sight of the little rock below them. It looked no larger than a seal poking its head out of the water. The sun was sinking so rapidly that it was now no bigger than a star. Just as Elisa’s foot touched solid ground, the sun went out like the last ember when a piece of paper finishes burning. She looked at her brothers, who were standing around her, arm in arm, and there was just enough space there for all twelve of them. The waves beat down on the rock and drenched all of them with sprays of water. The sky was lit up with fiery flashes, and thunderbolts kept crashing around them, one peal after another. Elisa and her brothers held hands and sang a hymn that gave them comfort and filled them with courage.
By dawn the air was clear and calm. As soon as the sun rose, the swans flew away with Elisa, leaving the rock behind them. The sea was still rough, and from the height at which they were soaring, the white crests of foam on the dark green waves looked like millions of swans floating on the waters.
As the sun rose higher, Elisa saw before them—almost hovering in the air—a mountain range. Its peaks were capped with glittering masses of ice, and from its midst rose a castle that seemed to be miles long, with one bold colonnade perched on another. Down below palm trees were swaying in the wind, and there were magnificent flowers as large as mill wheels24 below. She asked whether this was the land for which they were bound, but the swans shook their heads. What she had seen was Fata Morgana’s lovely castle25 in the air, a place that was always changing. They didn’t dare take anyone in there. When Elisa stared at it, the mountains, forest, and castle collapsed, and twenty splendid churches stood there, all exactly alike, with tall towers and arched windows. She thought she could hear the sound of an organ, but it was only the sea. As she drew closer to the churches, they turned into a fleet of ships sailing beneath her. She looked down again and saw nothing but sea mist drifting over the water. The scene kept changing before her eyes,26 and then at last she saw the actual country toward which she was headed. Lovely blue mountains with cedar forests, cities, and castles rose up before her. Long before sunset, she was sitting on a mountainside, in front of a cave carpeted with fine, green vines that looked like embroidered tapestries.
“Now we’ll see what you dream about tonight while you are here,” her youngest brother said, showing her where she was to sleep.
“If only I could dream about how to set you free,” she replied.
She was completely absorbed by this thought, and she was praying so ardently for God’s help that she was still speaking in her sleep. It seemed to her that she was flying to Fata Morgana’s castle in the air. The fairy who came out to meet her was dazzlingly beautiful, and she looked very much like the old woman who had given her the berries in the forest and who had told her about the swans with the golden crowns.
“You have the power to set your brothers free,” she said. “But do you have the courage and perseverance? The sea may well feel softer than your delicate hands, and yet it can still change the shape of hard stones. But it does not feel the pain that your fingers will feel. It doesn’t have a heart, and it doesn’t have to suffer the anguish and heartache that you will have to endure. Do you see these nettles in my hand? Many of them grow around the cave where you are sleeping. Listen carefully! You can only use the ones here and the ones that grow on churchyard graves. They will burn blisters on your skin, but you have to be sure to gather only those. Then crush the nettles with your feet, and you’ll get flax, which you must spin and weave into eleven shirts of mail with long sleeves. Throw those shirts over the eleven wild swans, and the spell will be broken. But remember! From the moment you start this task until it is finished, you may not speak.27 If you utter one word, it will pierce the hearts of your brothers like a deadly dagger. Their lives depend on your silence. Don’t forget what I have told you.”
At that instant, the fairy touched Elisa’s hand with a nettle. It burned her skin like fire and woke her up. It was broad daylight, and right near where she had been sleeping were nettles just like the ones she had seen in her dream. She fell to her knees to give thanks to God and left the cave to start her work.
With her lovely hands, Elisa picked the dreadful nettles that burned her hands and arms like fire, raising blisters on them. She did not mind as long as it meant that she would be able to free her beloved brothers. She crushed all the nettles with her bare feet and spun them into green flax.
When the brothers returned at sunset, they were alarmed to find that Elisa was unable to speak. They thought that their wicked stepmother had cast another spell, but when
they looked at her hands, it dawned on them what she was doing for them. The youngest of the brothers burst into tears. And when his tears touched Elisa, the pain was gone,28 and the burning blisters vanished.
Elisa toiled all night long, for she did not want to rest until she had freed her beloved brothers. The next day, while the swans were away, she sat in solitude, but never had time flown by so quickly. One shirt of mail was already finished, and she set to work on the next one.
All at once, the sound of a hunting horn echoed through the mountains. She grew quite frightened. The sound came closer, and she could hear hounds baying. Terrified, she ran inside the cave, put the nettles she had gathered and woven into a small bundle, and sat down on it.
Suddenly a huge hound came bounding in from the thicket, followed by a second, and then a third. All three were barking loudly and running back and forth. Before long, a band of hunters had gathered in front of the cave. The handsomest among them was the king of the land, and he walked over to Elisa. Never before had he seen a girl so beautiful.29
“How did you get here, you lovely child?” he asked. Elisa could only shake her head, for she did not dare to say a word. Her brothers’ lives and their freedom were at stake. She hid her hands under her apron so that the king would not see what she had to endure.
“Come with me,” he said to her. “You should not stay here. If you’re as good as you are beautiful,30 I shall clothe you in silk and velvet, put a golden crown on your head, and you shall live in my grandest palace.” And the king lifted her up onto his horse. Elisa wept and began wringing her hands. The king said to her: “My only wish is to make you happy. One day you will thank me for this.” Off he rode through the mountains, with Elisa seated in front of him on his horse, with the hunters galloping behind them.