use she was so beautiful,
the king's heart was moved, and he fell deeply in love with her. He
wrapped his cloak round her, took her before him on his horse, and
brought her to his castle. Then he had her dressed in rich clothes,
and she shone in her beauty like bright sunshine; but they could not
get a word out of her. He set her by him at the table, and her modest
look and proper behaviour pleased him so much, that he said, "I will
marry her, and no one else in the world," and after a few days he was
married to her.

But the king had a wicked mother, who was not pleased with this
marriage, and spoke ill of the young queen. "Who knows where the girl
comes from," said she, "she cannot speak; she is not good enough for a
king."

A year after, when the queen brought her first child into the world,
the old mother took it away, and smeared her mouth with blood while
she was asleep. Then she went to the king, and accused her of eating
her child. The king would not believe it, and would not let anyone do
her any harm. And she always sat and sewed the shirts, and took no
notice of anything else. Next time, when she had another beautiful
baby, the wicked stepmother did the same as before; but the king could
not resolve to believe what she said.

He said, "My wife is too pious and good to do such a thing; if she
were not dumb, and if she could defend herself, her innocence would be
made clear."

But when for the third time the old woman took away the new-born
child, and accused the queen, who could not say a word in her own
defence, the king could not help himself; he was forced to give her up
to the court of justice, and she was condemned to suffer death by
fire.

When the day came upon which the sentence was to be executed, it was
exactly the last day of the six years, in which she might not speak or
laugh; and she had freed her dear brothers from the power of the
spell. The six little shirts were finished, except that on the last
one a sleeve was wanting. When she came to the place of execution, she
laid the shirts on her arm, and when she stood at the stake, and the
fire was just going to be lit, she looked round, and there came six
swans flying through the air. Then her heart leaped with joy, for she
saw that her deliverance was near.

The swans flew to her, and crouched down, so that she could throw the
shirts over them; as soon as the shirts were touched by them, their
swan's-skins fell off, and her brothers stood