For everybody, he had the birds sing and the flowers bloom. For everybody, he showed beautiful pictures, which changed every hour.
The king had many beautiful daughters. They were often called swan maidens, because they rode upon beautiful white swans.
When the swan maidens were with their father they wore soft white or gray dresses.
Sometimes the king saw that the grass was brown, or the buds were not coming out. Then he said, “Swan maidens, who will go and work to-day?”
Almost before he was through speaking, many of them had rushed away. Sometimes more of them came than could work upon the grass and buds.
Then some of them ran off to play. But the best of them went down to feed the roots and the worms. They worked out of sight.
But they always went back to their father, the king.
Now it is very hard work to catch a swan maiden on her way back home.
A boy is sure he saw one of them on a ring in the tea-kettle steam. How many of them get away is a secret.