The Wild Swans

King Hildebrand and his hunters chase a wild deer into a forest that turns out to be cursed. The deer suddenly becomes a withered tree, and no help comes despite his horn calls. An old witch appears and warns that Greta may be the one who knows the way out, if the king fulfills Greta's wish.

The old witch explains Greta is the only one who knows how to escape the forest and will help only if the king grants Greta a wish. Greta hints that she could become queen if he finds her pretty, and the king agrees to consider. This marks the beginning of Greta's plan to seize the throne through marriage.

Hildebrand's wife dies, leaving seven children: six princes and a 12‑year‑old princess named Eliza. The children are raised in a castle hidden in the forest, and their mother leaves magical yarn balls, one of which knows the way to the castle.

A maid reveals the king's secret about visiting his children, and Greta steals the magic ball of yarn. She travels to the castle the next morning when the king is away, intending to use the ball to fulfill her plan and claim the throne.

Greta arrives at the castle and uses six enchanted white cloths to turn the six princes into swans. Eliza escapes and hides deep in the woods as her brothers fly away, her heart aching for them yet determined to rescue them.

Winter sets in and Eliza travels to a distant cave, while her six brothers can briefly become human at night. They explain the terms of their curse and the plan to break it, and her tears become elves that offer courage and help in her mission.

The princes tell Eliza that to lift the spell she must be mute for six years and knit six shirts from nettle yarn. If she speaks or cries while knitting, the brothers will be lost to the spell. She accepts the vow and sets out to keep silent for the duration.

Eliza remains silent and knits, gathering nettle yarn into shirts while the brothers are away. She completes five shirts during the long ordeal and hides in a hollow tree to avoid discovery, holding fast to her promise.

Six years later, just as Eliza is about to finish the last shirt, two hunters and a pack of hounds from a neighboring country find her. King Friedrich of that kingdom sees her beauty and brings her to his court to marry him.

Back home, Greta is expelled by Hildebrand when she turns his six sons into swans and schemes to win another king. The old witch adds to Greta's plan by casting a disease spell on the river near Friedrich's country, hoping to destabilize Eliza's future.

The old witch and Greta burn Eliza's remaining yarn to prevent her from finishing the shirts. Eliza is arrested for picking nettles in the cemetery at night and burned at the stake, with the crowd presiding over her execution.

Just as the flames close in, the six princes arrive and throw six shirts to Eliza. They fit her and become humans again; the swan feathers fall and extinguish the fire. Eliza speaks for the first time, shocking the crowd and lifting the spell.

The old witch tries to push for Eliza's execution, but the executioner overpowers her, breaking her wand. The brothers reveal the truth to King Friedrich, and Greta and the old witch are captured and expelled from the wilderness.

Eliza asks Friedrich to expel the witches, and he grants the request. She marries King Friedrich and is welcomed back by her father and brothers, and they all live happily ever after with the people’s blessings.