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202 GRIMM S FAIRY TALES.
she, "and not able to speak a word! She is not worthy of a
king !”
After a year had passed, and the queen brought her first
child into the world, the old woman carried it away, and
marked the queen’s mouth with blood as she lay sleeping. |
Then she went to the king and declared that his wife was an |
eater of human flesh. The king would not believe sucha |
thing, and ordered that no one should do her any harm. And ©
the queen went on quietly sewing the shirts and caring for |
nothing else. The next time that a fine boy was born, the ©
wicked step-mother used the same deceit, but the king would |
give no credence to her words, for he said, )
‘She is too tender and good to do any such thing, and if |
she were only not dumb, and could justify herself, then her ©
innocence would be as clear as day.” ;
When for the third time the old woman stole away the ©
new-born child and accused the queen, who was unable to say ©
a word in her defence, the king could do no other but give |
her up to justice, and she was sentenced to suffer death by fire. /
The day on which her sentence was to be carried out was ©
the very last one of the sixth year of the years during which she ©
had neither spoken nor laughed, to free her dear brothers from ©
the evil spell. The six shirts were ready, all except one which ©
wanted the left sleeve. And when she was led to the pile of wood, |
she carried the six shirts on her arm, and when she mounted ©
the pile and the fire was about to be kindled, all at once she |
cried out aloud, for there were six swans coming flying through |
the air; and she saw that her deliverance was near, and her ©
heart beat for joy. The swans came close up to her with
rushing wings, and stooped round her, so that she could throw ©
the shirts over them; and when that had been done the swan- '
skins fell off them, and her brothers stood before her in their |
own bodies quite safe and sound; but as one shirt wanted the ©
left sleeve, so the youngest brother had a swan’s wing instead ©
of a left arm. They embraced and kissed each other, and the ©
queen went up to the king, who looked on full of astonishment,
and began to speak to him and to say,
‘¢ Dearest husband, now I may dare to speak and tell you that —
I am innocent, and have been falsely accused,” and she related ©