Fairy Tale Friday

The Wild Swans

Stave 1

Far away across the water,

Where swans migrate in winter,

A king had eleven sons,

Elisa was his only daughter,

And they lived happily together

Until he married an evil queen.

During the wonderful wedding feast,

She gave the royal children sand to eat

And the very next day,

She sent Elisa away

To live with peasants.

To the eleven princes she said:

‘Fly into the world

Never be found!

Fly like great birds

Without a sound!’

The princes shed their royal wear,

Spread snowy wings

And rose into the air

As eleven wild swans.

Out of the castle window they flew.

It was early in the morning

When they descended

To the secluded cottage

Where Elisa was sleeping.

No one saw them hovering,

Twisting their necks,

Beating their wings,

So they rose

Towards the clouds

And a dark forest

That stretched

All the way

Down to the sea.

 

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

The Wild Swans by Anton Lomaev found on www.pinterest.com