ATU 451

“The Six Swans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 4-8.

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 22:33:02 +0000

“The Six Swans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 4-8. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 07/13/2024 - 16:33

Tale Summary

There was once a King who at long last had a beautiful daughter, and he gave her the name Fairer-than-a-Fairy. The fairies of his kingdom thought this was disrespectful, and when she was seven years old she was kidnapped along with her dog and cat by the eldest fairy. Her name was Lagree, and she was ill-natured and so old she only had one eye and one tooth which she had to keep in strengthening liquid at night. The girl was brought to a pretty room in a splendid palace and given two orders: she must never let the fire in the grate die out, and she must always take great care to protect two glass bottles which she was given which contained the evil fairy’s strengthening potion. She lived peacefully there for several years and forgot all about her old life. One day she stopped to admire a rainbow which had formed on the surface of a garden fountain, when she heard a young man’s voice speak from the rays. He told her that he was a prince, but that Lagree had kidnapped him and deprived him of his human form, and that he had fallen in love with the princess. She returned his affections, and never missed a chance to talk to him when the light hit the water just right. One such conversation kept her away from the fire for too long and it went out, causing Lagree to act with cruelty. She ordered the girl to go to a horrible monster, named Locrinos, for fire. On her way, Fairer-than-a-Fairy heard a bird tell her to pick up a shiny pebble, which she did. Upon arrival, only the monster’s wife was home, who was pleased by the girl’s manners and the shiny pebble, and so let her have the fire without harm, as well as exchanged her shiny pebble for another. Her lover had heard of the adventure from a fairy who protected him, and had devised a plan to meet with her more easily. Every morning, she filled a basin with water and set it on her windowsill so that the early sun would create a rainbow, and the lovers were able to talk freely without worrying about the fire or the two bottles. One day, Prince Rainbow appeared to tell the girl that he was to be banished and he did not know where to. The next morning was cloudy, with the sun only appearing for a few short minutes, and the only liquid Fairer-than-a-Fairy had was in the two bottles. She did not hesitate to pour them into the basin, and she and the prince said their goodbyes. After he had disappeared, the girl started off with her pets, a sprig of myrtle, and her pebble. Lagree followed in pursuit and overtook the girl while she took refuge in a cave, but her dog bit her and broke off her only tooth, giving Fairer-than-a-Fairy time to escape. She went on for as long as she could but became so tired that she sank to the ground. When her sprig of myrtle touched the earth, it turned into a tree and gave her shade to rest in. Lagree then caught up with her, but the princess’s cat bit out her only eye and Fairer-than-a-Fairy was forever free of Lagree. The girl was soon overwhelmed by hunger and thirst and found refuge in a little green and white house where a kind woman treated her very well and gave her a nut that she should only open in urgent need. After more time on her journey, she was received in another pretty house by a lady exactly like the one she had met before, who gave her a golden pomegranate. She then rested in a third house, and a lady just like the other two gave her a crystal smelling-bottle. These three women were fairy sisters, who loved to help those in misfortune. Fairer-than-a-Fairy came to a wonderful silver castle suspended above ground which she wanted to enter but could see any doors. She opened the nut and out came a porter who had a silver chain and a tiny golden key. He took him with her as she climbed to the castle, and he unlocked a hidden door and let her in, where she found Prince Rainbow in a deep, magical slumber on a rainbow couch suspended from the ceiling. The girl dared not look at his human form, and was hurt at the indifference she thought he was showing her as she tried to recount her adventures. She opened the golden pomegranate, which released many tiny violins which flew up and played for the Prince, who opened his eyes but was not completely awake. Impatient, Fairer-than-a-Fairy opened the crystal scent-bottle, and a little siren flew out and whispered the girl’s story to Prince Rainbow, who awoke and threw himself at the girl’s feet. The room transformed to reveal a golden throne, and as a magnificent Court assembled, several elegant carriages arrived. The first bore the prince’s mother who embraced him and informed him that his father had died and he should return to reign as King. Then the three fairy sisters appeared and revealed the secret of the girl’s nobility, and the Queen took the lovers back to the capital of the kingdom where they were married.

Fairy Tale Title

The Six Swans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers

Tale Classification

ATU 451

Page Range of Tale

pp. 4-8

Full Citation of Tale

“The Six Swans.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 4-8.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2024

Book Title

The Yellow Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1906

Decade Published

1900-1909

Publisher City

London
New York
Bombay

Publisher Country

United Kingdom
United States
India

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.

Traditional

White

“The Six Swans.” The Fairy Book, Dinah Maria Mulock, New York: Mayflower Books, 1979, pp. 216-221.

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 19:22:45 +0000

“The Six Swans.” The Fairy Book, Dinah Maria Mulock, New York: Mayflower Books, 1979, pp. 216-221. Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 06/10/2023 - 13:22

Dinah Maria Mulock

Tale Summary

There once was a king who became lost in a forest, and was so desperate to find his way home that he made a promise to a witch that he would marry her daughter. The king already had six boys and a girl from a previous marriage, and as he was worried that their stepmother may cause them some harm, he hid them in a castle in the middle of the woods, so well that he needed a certain skein of thread to find his way there. His wife became curious as to where he went during the day, and after bribing some servants, heard of the castle and the skein, and made some little white silk shirts, which she had enchanted, to take with her. As she approached the boys thought it was their father coming to visit and ran out to greet him, when the witch's daughter threw the shirts over each of their heads, and they all turned into swans and flew away. When the king next came to visit he found only his daughter, who had not run out when her stepmother came, and learned that his sons had flown away as birds. He wished for his daughter to come home with him, but she persuaded him to let her stay one more night in the castle, during which she snuck off to find her brothers. The next evening she was tired from looking and went inside a little house to rest, finding six little beds. When the sun set, six swans flew through the window and blew off their feathers to reveal themselves as her six brothers, who warned her that they were in a robber's house, and also told her that for a quarter hour every evening they could remove their skins. After entreating them, the boys revealed to her that she could save them under the condition that she not speak or laugh for six years, and in that time make six shirts out of stitchweed. The girl left and gathered the plants, setting herself up in a tree to work. A long time later, the king of that land passed nearby and his hunters found the maiden in the tree, and demanded she climb down. She would not speak to them, nor come down, and instead threw pieces of her clothing at them in hopes it would satisfy them. The hunters grabbed her and took her to the king, whom she also would not speak to, but because of her beauty he fell in love instantly and took her to his castle and married her. The king had a wicked mother who disapproved of the queen, and after the maiden’s first child was born the woman stole it away and smeared blood on the maiden's mouth. She went to the king and accused his wife of eating their child, but he did not believe it, but this happened again after their second child was born. He still would not believe that his wife did this, but after the third child was stolen away he could not defend her and she was condemned to death by fire. The day that she was to be executed was the day that marked the end of the maiden’s six year sentence, and she had finished all six shirts (except for one that was missing the sleeve). Just before the fire was lit, six swans flew to her and were turned back into her brothers after she dressed them in the shirts (except for the youngest, whose left arm remained a wing where the shirt was unfinished). The queen spoke for the first time and told the king of his mother’s deceit, and so their three children were safely brought back and the wicked woman was burnt to ashes. The king and queen lived happily thenceforth with her six brothers.

Fairy Tale Title

The Six Swans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Dinah Maria Mulock

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Common Tale Type

The Maiden who Seeks Her Brothers

Tale Classification

ATU 451

Page Range of Tale

pp. 216-221

Full Citation of Tale

“The Six Swans.” The Fairy Book, Dinah Maria Mulock, New York: Mayflower Books, 1979, pp. 216-221.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

The Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Dinah Maria Mulock

Illustrator(s)

Warwick Goble

Publisher

Mayflower Books

Date Published

1979

Decade Published

1970-1979

Publisher City

New York

Publisher Country

United States

Language

English

Rights

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

A collection of classic tales, some English, and some from Perrault, d'Aulnois, and Grimm

Traditional

White

Brothers Grimm. "The Six Swans." Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Walter Crane and E. H. Wehnert, Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co., 1896.

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:40:08 +0000

Brothers Grimm. "The Six Swans." Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Walter Crane and E. H. Wehnert, Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co., 1896. Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/17/2023 - 10:40

Tale Summary

There was once a King who met an old woman while lost in the woods. She was a witch and promised to show him the way out as long as he took her daughter for his bride. He had seven children from a previous marriage, six boys and one girl whom he adored more than anything. They were sent to a castle in the woods for he feared their new stepmother would treat them poorly, and the queen soon began to wonder where her husband so frequently went. She bribed some servants and set out for the castle, and brought with her some silk shirts with enchanted charms. The boys thought it was their father returning and ran out to meet him, and the witch threw the shirts on each of them, turning them into swans. The next day, the king went to visit his children but found only his daughter. The king wished to take her with him to protect her, but because she was scared of his wife, she was allowed to spend one more night in the castle. That night, she resolved to find her brothers and went far into the woods until she was too weary to go on, and entered a hut she found. At sunset, six swans flew to the window and took off their swan-skins to reveal her brothers, who warned her she was staying in a robber’s hut, and that they could only be boys for fifteen minutes every day. They told her that in order to set them free, she would not be allowed to speak or laugh for six years, and in that time make six shirts out of aster flowers. She worked on this for a while, until some huntsmen of that country came by her tree and she was called to. She did not speak, and instead offered pieces of what she was wearing in the hopes of contenting them, but she was instead taken in front of the king. She did not answer him either, but she was so beautiful that he began to fall in love with her and they were soon married. However, he had a wicked mother who thought ill of the maiden, and when she bore her first child to the queen, the woman stole the baby away and smeared blood on the maiden’s mouth. The king did not believe his mother’s entreaty that his wife ate the child, and after their next child was born, the same trick was played. He still did not believe this was possible, but after the third baby disappeared, he condemned his wife to death by fire. On the day she was sentenced, it was the very last day of the six years, and she had finished all but one shirt, which needed its left sleeve. She cried out when the kindling started, for she saw six swans flying. She threw the shirts over them and they turned back into boys (although the one who wore the shirt with the sleeve missing had a wing instead of one of his arms). She told the king all that had happened, and the wicked woman was burned in her stead. The maiden and the king lived happily together with the six brothers for many years.

Fairy Tale Title

The Six Swans

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Brothers Grimm

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Walter Crane
Edward Henry Wehnert

Common Tale Type

The Maiden who Seeks Her Brothers

Tale Classification

ATU 451

Page Range of Tale

pp. 31-34 (on document)

Full Citation of Tale

Brothers Grimm. "The Six Swans." Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by Walter Crane and E. H. Wehnert, Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co., 1896.

Original Source of the Tale

Brothers Grimm

Tale Notes

When her brothers tell the maiden what she can do to save them, they tell her they think it will be too difficult for her.

Research and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

Brothers Grimm

Illustrator(s)

Walter Crane
Edward Henry Wehnert

Publisher

Donohue, Henneberry & Co.

Date Published

1896

Decade Published

1890-1899

Publisher City

Chicago

Publisher Country

United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Link to Digital Copy

Available at the University of Florida Digital Library

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White