He said, "My wife is too pious and good to do such a thing; if she
were not dumb, and if she could defend herself, her innocence would be
made clear."
But when for the third time the old woman took away the new-born
child, and accused the queen, who could not say a word in her own
defence, the king could not help himself; he was forced to give her up
to the court of justice, and she was condemned to suffer death by
fire.
When the day came upon which the sentence was to be executed, it was
exactly the last day of the six years, in which she might not speak or
laugh; and she had freed her dear brothers from the power of the
spell. The six little shirts were finished, except that on the last
one a sleeve was wanting. When she came to the place of execution, she
laid the shirts on her arm, and when she stood at the stake, and the
fire was just going to be lit, she looked round, and there came six
swans flying through the air. Then her heart leaped with joy, for she
saw that her deliverance was near.
The swans flew to her, and crouched down, so that she could throw the
shirts over them; as soon as the shirts were touched by them, their
swan's-skins fell off, and her brothers stood before her. They were
all grown up, strong and handsome; only the youngest had no left arm,
but instead of it a swan's wing.
They hugged and kissed their sister many times, and then the queen
went to the king, and began to speak, and said, "Dearest husband, now
I may speak, and declare to you that I am innocent and falsely
accused;" and she told him about the deceit of the old mother, who had
taken away her three children, and hidden them.
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