Description

There was once a hunter who used often often went hunting at night. Suddenly he heard, high up in the air, a whirring of wings and thought the ducks were coming. But instead of ducks there appeared seven maidens all clad in robes made of feathers, and they alighted on the banks of the lake, and taking off their robes plunged into the waters in the lake. of them all the youngest pleased most the hunter's eye, and he crept forward from the bushes and seized her dress of plumage and took it back with him into the bushes. After they had bathed to their heart's delight, they came back to the bank wishing to put on their feather robes again; and the six eldest found theirs, but the youngest could not find hers. They searched until at last the dawn began to appear, and the six sisters called out to her, "We must away; 'tis the dawn; you meet your fate whatever it be." and they flew away and away. Swan smaller was no longer Swan and mourned by the lake every night.