The Witch and the Swans (For A Grimm Twist)
A King was out hunting in an old forest near his kingdom when he saw a white deer staring at him from across the mangled trunks of old trees. In his excitement the King ran his horse towards where he saw the deer and lost his hunting team. He followed the brief glimpses and cries of the deer until he looked around in a fog and didn't recognize where he was. His horse was harder to guide and fought back, not wanting to go on. The only thing that made the King continue was the white deer calling to him. He stumbled through the winding paths of the dark forest until he arrived a cottage in the middle of a clearing. The King could see the white flash of the deer darting around the corner of the twisted vines on the cottage. He followed and was only met with the doorway. The door opened and he was compelled to go inside.
The King was greeted by an old witch and her daughter. The young lady was standing in the corner by a loom with a veil on her head. The witch spoke like she was familiar with him and greeted him like a King. The daughter offered him something to drink in a smooth wooden goblet and he felt at ease after a few sips from it. He explained that he was lost and would be needing their assistance. The witch told him that she would help him for a price. “I can lead you out Lord King but you have to take my beautiful daughter with you and make her your Queen. If you do not accept, then you will never be able to leave the forest and probably die by beast or hunger.” The King found this proposal very odd, but with another drink from the goblet, he couldn't help but smile and consider it. He asked to see the daughter's face and when he lifted her veil he found her to be an ugly woman. Fighting a weakening sense of disgust, he accepted the terms and the witch led him behind the cottage where his horse was replaced with a white one. He got on the horse and waited for his new bride who was getting some final words from her mother. “We have finally made it, daughter. Our wretched lot in this life will improve if you take these with you and follow my instructions.” The witch gave her a pair of rings made from golden twine and pieces of old rope. “When you get married insist that you use these rings. When you put his on his finger he will be yours forever. After the wedding, take this rope and tie pieces of it around each tree in the royal courtyard and I will no longer be bound to this dreadful forest and will be able to join in your fortune.” Her daughter hugged her and got on the horse with the King. The old witch waved them goodbye with joy, but her expression was sullied when her daughter turned around and threw the binding rope into the forest. Her daughter waved at the witch with a smirk and left to become a Queen.
The witch's daughter became the new Queen and followed her mother's instructions. She received most of the Kings attention, but was annoyed, however, that the King still pampered his seven children. “The presence of those damned little runts must be affecting the magic of these rings,” she thought. There were six boys and one girl and they shared a strong bond with the King after going through the illness and death of the previous Queen. The King was concerned that his new Queen didn't like the kids and confirmed it when he witnessed her berating his daughter over a trivial matter and giving the boys dangerous chores and tasks. He grew scared for their safety as the Queen’s behavior became too erratic and sought out the old witch for help. He went on another hunting trip and wandered around the forest he got lost in until he saw a white crow staring at him from a tree. The crow flew to another branch and looked back at him. He evaded his men and followed the crow until he came upon the witch's cottage again. This time it looked like it was rotting away. He went inside where the witch greeted him with a snarl in her voice. She looked at him, grabbed his hand and tried to pry the ring that the Queen gave him off his finger but it wouldn't budge. He shoved her away and she retreated to a chair and sat down exhausted. The King calmed her down and told her of his troubles. He asked her if she knew a place where he could hide his kids. She thought for a moment and brightened up a bit. “That ungrateful spawn of mine will give you no more trouble. I know of an ancient castle in the bordering country that is very hard to get to. This will lead the way there no matter where you are. Just throw it down and let it unravel.” The witch put a ball of yarn to her mouth and whispered something he didn’t understand before giving it to him. He thanked her and rushed home. The next day he made a show of banishing the kids but then secretly led them to their new hiding place. The Queen was content.
The King left the kids in the ancient castle and they lived there for months in isolation and safety. He visited his kids and brought them food and tools while teaching them to support themselves. He was put at ease with the arrangement so he also and went out to hunt regularly. The Queen grew suspicious that all of the King's attention was still not hers and sent out some of her servants to follow him. They delivered the news of where he was going which greatly disturbed her. She commanded her servants to find out where the King kept the ball of yarn and in the meantime she sewed together seven shirts in the way her mother had taught her, adding some feathers to each one. When the King went out on his next hunt she sent her most trustworthy servant to dress up like the King and go visit the children to dispose of them. The servant put on the King’s cloak and used the yarn to find the castle. The children saw him approaching and thought him to be their father. Before they went out to meet him, he left the shirts out in front of the castle with the usual supplies. He also left a note saying that the Queen was suspicious so the King could not stay longer this time, then hid. The girl took the note and examined it finding it strange. Her brothers gave no mind to her worries. They tore open the food packets and put on the shirts. The girl stared in amazement as her brothers transformed into swans and flew away. The Queen’s servant glanced up, saw the swans, and was satisfied. He left to report to the Queen. The girl tried to chase her brothers, but it was impossible. She went back to the ancient castle and waited for her father. When the real King finally arrived some days later he asked her where her brothers were. “I do not know father. They put on the clothes you left and turned into swans. Then they flew away and left me!” The King did not believe her since he, of course, was not the one to deliver the clothes. He was saddened at first that his kids would run away, then angry at the story his daughter was giving him. In his grief he demanded that she tell him the truth. She didn't know what else to tell him and he yelled at her, threw the yarn down and left. His daughter called out to him with tears in her eyes but he did not slow down. With his faith in his children shattered, the King fully belonged to the Queen. The rings finally achieved their full effect.
The girl was distraught at how her father acted. She stayed in the ancient castle alone until she ran out of food. She knew she had to leave if she wanted to eat again but didn't know what to do after that. She knew her brothers were still alive so she decided to search for them. She packed up what she had and left. The ball of yarn reminded her of her father’s rage so she threw it on the ground away from her. It started unraveling itself into the forest and she decided to follow it. In a few days she arrived at the old witch's cottage. She was very hungry and knocked on the door. When the witch let her in and fed her, she broke down and told the witch what happened with her brothers. The witch recognized that must be that King's girl and pitied her since it was obvious her own daughter was the cause of her problems. She told the girl that she would help her and her brothers but the price was high. “I will do anything, Miss just tell me.” With some sadness in her voice the witch explained: “Listen closely, child. You have to sew six shirts out of starwort by hand. You must not talk, laugh, or even smile before the last shirt is finished. If you show emotion your work will be for nothing, understand?” The girl didn't think about it long before accepting. “Good girl. If only my daughter was as devoted to me as you are to your siblings... She has turned my heart cold but I am going to help you. You may live with me as my daughter and apprentice. I will try to locate your brothers while you work.”
The girl spent a few years learning from the witch. She learned the ways of the enchanted forest and only stopped sewing to gather the fresh starwort she needed. She didn’t talk or show any emotion as the witch advised her. The years passed and she grew into a fine maiden while the witch scoured the land with her creatures for the swans. In the beginning of the fifth year of work a young Prince wandered onto the maiden’s path while she was gathering starwort. He didn’t make his presence known since he couldn’t catch a glimpse of her face. He followed her back to the cottage, losing himself in his curiosity. The witch saw him approaching and, remembering what happened with her daughter, decided not to let the Prince in. The Prince banged on the door and yelled that he was lost. He hollered out his title and demanded that he be let in. The witch panicked and put a veil on the maiden's head and let the Prince in. He ordered her to get him food and drink before giving him directions out of the forest. While the witch was preparing this he found the maiden silently sewing in the corner. He saw that she was young and approached her but she didn't look up. The Prince asked for her name and she didn't answer. The witch told him that the maiden was touched in the head so he shouldn't bother with her. The Prince was skeptical of this and asked why she was under the veil. The witch told him that she was very ugly. He wanted to see for himself so he took it off her head. The Prince found her very beautiful and told the witch that he wanted to take the maiden away with him. The witch thought fast and responded that they were both cursed and tied to that forest and if they left, they would die. The Prince was bothered by this but wanted to take the maiden for himself. He insisted that the maiden go with him and he would build her a fine home at the edge of the forest. The witch tried to plead with the Prince that the maiden was the only person she had left but he did not pay attention to her. She could only watch as the Prince carried the maiden away with him to the outskirts of the forest since she really was bound to the cottage. The maiden didn't protest. She looked back and noticed a white fox following the Prince's horse and she was put at ease. She stopped sewing to point out the paths to take that wouldn’t put her too far away from the witch. The maiden knew the witch would always be watching.
The Prince had a house built in his country at the edge of the forest for the maiden. He gave her many rich gifts of jewels and clothes but she didn’t acknowledge them. He was infatuated by her but got annoyed that she wouldn't return his affection or even react to his words. She didn’t want to cause him any more anguish so one day she tried to leave. The Prince had his guards catch up with her and bring her back. The Prince was determined to tame her so he chained her up in the house and she lived on as a prisoner. The maiden reserved herself to sewing day and night. On one of his visits the Prince tried to win her over with more gifts but she just kept on sewing. He got so angry that he tore the shirt she was working on from her and destroyed it. She just gathered the materials up and started again as the Prince watched with fury welling up inside him. The Prince forcibly married her, giving no chance for escape. He united himself to her and the maiden became his Princess. He treated his wife like a lowly mistress from then on and only visited her for pleasure. She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, some months later. The Prince took the boy away to his castle to present as his heir and left the girl with the Princess. She tried to care for the baby as best she could while continuing to sew. The Prince tried once again to win her over and hoped their children would ease her cold feelings towards him, but she was always stoic when he was with her. His obsession grew into more rage and he killed their son and smeared blood around the house, on her mouth, and her hands when she slept. He gathered some Lords of his kingdom and accused her of being a man-eater. He used the blood as evidence and proposed that as a man-eater, and daughter of a witch, she should die by fire. The Princess did not cry out for her innocence or show any remorse so the Lords found her guilty.
The Princess was almost finished with the six shirts when the day of her execution came. She was propped up on top of the bloody house and it was set on fire. She was clutching the shirts in her hands as was only missing one sleeve on the last shirt. She could only shake as she scanned the assembled crowd for salvation but only found the Prince's grin as he held their daughter. Then he looked up at the sky and she followed his gaze. There was a loud cawing in the sky and she saw a white crow lead a wedge of six swans towards her. She threw the shirts in the air and when it touched the swans they were transformed back into humans. Her youngest brother got the shirt with the missing sleeve and a wing remained on his shoulder behind his arm. He was able to land next to the Princess and ease her down to the ground. The brothers then fought their way into the forest. The Prince and his guards tried to stop them but their weapons had no effect on the shirts. The magic of the devotion their sister put into the shirts made them into a strong armor. Some of the brothers took weapons from the guards and fought back. The Princess spoke for the first time in six years. “Save my daughter!” Her oldest brother was able to kill the Prince before he ran away with the baby. They locked the Lords inside the burning house and escaped into the forest.
They made their way to the witch's cottage. The witch was happy to see her adopted daughter return to her with her mission complete and a child of her own. The Princess mourned the death of her son and celebrated that she was together with her brothers again. She wanted to thank the witch for her help so she encouraged her brothers to move to the ancient castle where their father hid them long ago. She lifted the witch’s curse and took her with them to their new home. With some effort they founded their own country based around the ancient castle and the enchanted forest. They lived together in happiness and peace for many years.
