the Wild Swans野天鵝

　　When Eliza saw all these things which lay so near her heart， a smile played around her mouth， and the crimson blood rushed to her cheeks. She thought of her brothers， and their release made her so joyful that she kissed the king's hand. Then he pressed her to his heart. Very soon the joyous church bells announced the marriage feast， and that the beautiful dumb girl out of the wood was to be made the queen of the country. Then the archbishop whispered wicked words in the king's ear， but they did not sink into his heart. The marriage was still to take place， and the archbishop himself had to place the crown on the bride's head； in his wicked spite， he pressed the narrow circlet so tightly on her forehead that it caused her pain. But a heavier weight encircled her heart—sorrow for her brothers. She felt not bodily pain. Her mouth was closed； a single word would cost the lives of her brothers. But she loved the kind， handsome king， who did everything to make her happy more and more each day； she loved him with all her heart， and her eyes beamed with the love she dared not speak. Oh！ if she had only been able to confide in him and tell him of her grief. But dumb she must remain till her task was finished. Therefore at night she crept away into her little chamber， which had been decked out to look like the cave， and quickly wove one coat after another. But when she began the seventh she found she had no more flax. She knew that the nettles she wanted to use GREw in the churchyard， and that she must pluck them herself. How should she get out there？ “Oh， what is the pain in my fingers to the torment which my heart endures？” said she. “I must venture， I shall not be denied help from heaven.” Then with a trembling heart， as if she were about to perform a wicked deed， she crept into the garden in the broad moonlight， and passed through the narrow walks and the deserted streets， till she reached the churchyard. Then she saw on one of the broad tombstones a group of ghouls. These hideous creatures took off their rags， as if they intended to bathe， and then clawing open the fresh graves with their long， skinny fingers， pulled out the dead bodies and ate the flesh！ Eliza had to pass close by them， and they fixed their wicked glances upon her， but she prayed silently， gathered the burning nettles， and carried them home with her to the castle. One person only had seen her， and that was the archbishop—he was awake while everybody was asleep. Now he thought his opinion was evidently correct. All was not right with the queen. She was a witch， and had bewitched the king and all the people. Secretly he told the king what he had seen and what he feared， and as the hard words came from his tongue， the carved images of the saints shook their heads as if they would say. “It is not so. Eliza is innocent.”

But the archbishop interpreted it in another way； he believed that they witnessed against her， and were shaking their heads at her wickedness. Two large tears rolled down the king's cheeks， and he went home with doubt in his heart， and at night he pretended to sleep， but there came no real sleep to his eyes， for he saw Eliza get up every night and disappear in her own chamber. From day to day his brow became darker， and Eliza saw it and did not understand the reason， but it alarmed her and made her heart tremble for her brothers. Her hot tears glittered like pearls on the regal velvet and diamonds， while all who saw her were wishing they could be queens. In the mean time she had almost finished her task； only one coat of mail was wanting， but she had no flax left， and not a single nettle. Once more only， and for the last time， must she venture to the churchyard and pluck a few handfuls. She thought with terror of the solitary walk， and of the horrible ghouls， but her will was firm， as well as her trust in Providence. Eliza went， and the king and the archbishop followed her. They saw her vanish through the wicket gate into the churchyard， and when they came nearer they saw the ghouls sitting on the tombstone， as Eliza had seen them， and the king turned away his head， for he thought she was with them—she whose head had rested on his breast that very evening. “The people must condemn her，” said he， and she was very quickly condemned by every one to suffer death by fire. Away from the gorgeous regal halls was she led to a dark， dreary cell， where the wind whistled through the iron bars. Instead of the velvet and silk dresses， they gave her the coats of mail which she had woven to cover her， and the bundle of nettles for a pillow； but nothing they could give her would have pleased her more. She continued her task with joy， and prayed for help， while the street-boys sang jeering songs about her， and not a soul comforted her with a kind word. Towards evening， she heard at the grating the flutter of a swan's wing， it was her youngest brother—he had found his sister， and she sobbed for joy， although she knew that very likely this would be the last night she would have to live. But still she could hope， for her task was almost finished， and her brothers were come. Then the archbishop arrived， to be with her during her last hours， as he had promised the king. But she shook her head， and begged him， by looks and gestures， not to stay； for in this night she knew she must finish her task， otherwise all her pain and tears and sleepless nights would have been suffered in vain. The archbishop withdrew， uttering bitter words against her； but poor Eliza knew that she was innocent， and diligently continued her work.

the little mice ran about the floor， they dragged the nettles to her feet， to help as well as they could； and the thrush sat outside the grating of the window， and sang to her the whole night long， as sweetly as possible， to keep up her spirits.

It was still twilight， and at least an hour before sunrise， when the eleven brothers stood at the castle gate， and demanded to be brought before the king. They were told it could not be， it was yet almost night， and as the king slept they dared not disturb him. They threatened， they entreated. Then the guard appeared， and even the king himself， inquiring what all the noise meant. At this moment the sun rose. The eleven brothers were seen no more， but eleven wild swans flew away over the castle.

And now all the people came streaming forth from the gates of the city， to see the witch burnt. An old horse drew the cart on which she sat. They had dressed her in a garment of coarse sackcloth. Her lovely hair hung loose on her shoulders， her cheeks were deadly pale， her lips moved silently， while her fingers still worked at the GREen flax. Even on the way to death， she would not give up her task. The ten coats of mail lay at her feet， she was working hard at the eleventh， while the mob jeered her and said， “See the witch， how she mutters！ She has no hymn-book in her hand. She sits there with her ugly sorcery. Let us tear it in a thousand pieces.”

And then they pressed towards her， and would have destroyed the coats of mail， but at the same moment eleven wild swans flew over her， and alighted on the cart. Then they flapped their large wings， and the crowd drew on one side in alarm.

“It is a sign from heaven that she is innocent，” whispered many of them； but they ventured not to say it aloud.

As the executioner seized her by the hand， to lift her out of the cart， she hastily threw the eleven coats of mail over the swans， and they immediately became eleven handsome princes； but the youngest had a swan's wing， instead of an arm； for she had not been able to finish the last sleeve of the coat.

“Now I may speak，” she exclaimed. “I am innocent.”

then the people， who saw what happened， bowed to her， as before a saint； but she sank lifeless in her brothers' arms， overcome with suspense， anguish， and pain.

“Yes， she is innocent，” said the eldest brother； and then he related all that had taken place； and while he spoke there rose in the air a fragrance as from millions of roses. Every piece of faggot in the pile had taken root， and threw out branches， and appeared a thick hedge， large and high， covered with roses； while above all bloomed a white and shining flower， that glittered like a star. This flower the king plucked， and placed in Eliza's bosom， when she awoke from her swoon， with peace and happiness in her heart. And all the church bells rang of themselves， and the birds came in GREat troops. And a marriage procession returned to the castle， such as no king had ever before seen.