Then she saw a little
house, and went in, and found a room with six little beds; she did not
dare to lie down in any, but crept under one of them, laid herself on
the hard floor, and meant to pass the night there. But when the sun
was just going to set, she heard a rustling, and saw six swans come
flying in at the window. They sat down on the floor, and blew at one
another, and blew all their feathers off, and took off their
swan's-skins like shirts. Then the little girl saw them and recognised
her brothers, and was very glad, and crept out from under the bed.
The brothers were not less rejoiced when they saw their little sister,
but their joy did not last long.
"You cannot stop here," said they to her, "this is a house belonging
to robbers; if they come home, and find you, they will kill you."
"Cannot you protect me?" asked the little sister.
"No," answered they, "we can only take off our swan's-skins for a
quarter of an hour every evening, and have our natural shape for that
time, but afterwards we are turned into swans again."
The little sister cried and said, "Cannot you be released?"
"Oh, no!" answered they, "the conditions are too hard. You must not
speak or laugh for six years, and must make for us six shirts out of
stitchweed during that time. If while you are making them a single
word comes from your mouth, all your work will be of no use.
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