Wild Swans in English | Stories for Teenagers | @EnglishFairyTales

Summary

In this enchanting tale, a princess named Eliza sets out to rescue her 11 brothers, cursed by a wicked stepmother. The curse turns them into swans during the day, and only a brave and silent Eliza can break the spell. After enduring painful trials and a series of twists, including being accused of witchcraft, Eliza completes her task, restoring her brothers to their human form. The truth is revealed, and with the king's apologies, they live happily ever after, with justice served to the evil queen. A story of love, sacrifice, and perseverance triumphing over evil.

Takeaways

• 😀 The king had 11 sons and a daughter named Eliza, all of whom were bright and quick learners.
• 😀 The king remarried after his wife’s death, but the new queen turned out to be a wicked witch who mistreated the children.
• 😀 The queen tricked the king into sending Eliza away to a peasant couple, and she cast a spell on the 11 princes, turning them into swans.
• 😀 Eliza, now living in a remote village, longed for her brothers and eventually set out to find them after being thrown out of the castle by the king.
• 😀 After meeting an old lady in the forest, Eliza followed a river to find her brothers, who were cursed to transform into swans by day and humans by night.
• 😀 Eliza learned from a dream that the curse could be broken if she wove 11 coats from stinging nettles, but she must remain silent during the task to save her brothers.
• 😀 Eliza bravely endured the painful task of weaving the coats, with help from a mouse who fetched more nettles for her.
• 😀 Eliza was caught by the king's men while collecting nettles and was accused of being a witch, leading to her imprisonment and pending execution.
• 😀 Just before her execution, Eliza completed the final coat, and the 11 swans returned to their human form when the coats were thrown over them.
• 😀 Eliza cleared her name, the king apologized for mistreating her, and she married him, while her brothers were freed from the curse, leading to a happily-ever-after ending.

Q & A

Why did the king decide to remarry?

The king remarried because he was feeling lonely after the death of his wife.

How did the queen treat the children?

The queen was wicked and mistreated the children, particularly wanting to get rid of them to secure her power.

What did the queen do to Eliza and her brothers?

The queen sent Eliza away with a peasant and cast a spell on the 11 princes, turning them into swans, intending to separate them from their family.

How did Eliza end up finding her brothers after being thrown out of the castle?

Eliza met an old lady in the forest who directed her to a river where she found 11 swans with crowns, which turned out to be her brothers.

What did the fairy instruct Eliza to do in order to break the curse?

The fairy told Eliza to weave 11 coats from nettles, without speaking a word during the entire process, to break the curse on her brothers.

Why was Eliza forced to remain silent while completing her task?

Eliza had to remain silent because if she spoke, her brothers would die, as per the fairy’s instructions.

Who helped Eliza with her task of weaving the coats?

A mouse helped Eliza by collecting nettles and assisting her in completing the task.

What happened when Eliza was captured by the king's men?

Eliza was accused of being a witch and sentenced to death. She was sent to be banished on an island far from the castle.

How did Eliza finally break the curse?

Eliza completed the weaving of all 11 coats and threw them over her brothers, turning them back into princes and breaking the curse.

What happened to the evil queen after Eliza's brothers were freed from the curse?

The evil queen was imprisoned for the rest of her life, and the king and Eliza married, ruling over the kingdom together.