Seven brothers were turned into swans by an evil spell cast by their stepmother. It could only be broken if their sister would weave them each a shirt, with not a sound passing her lips.

The little sister sat up in the tree, intent on her work. She was discovered by the King of that land, who was so taken with her beauty that he married her.

The King's mother, jealous, could not find anything good to say about her. A year after, when the couple's first child was born, the mother took it away, and told the King that his wife was a murderess, but the King would not believe it. This happened again with a second and third child.

By this time the whole kingdom was upset, and the King was obliged to let her be tried, and sentenced to be burned at the stake. It happened that on that day, the shirts were ready, all except the seventh which was lacking an arm. Her brother's restored to her (the youngest with a swan's wing instead of an arm), she was at last able to speak in her own defence. The King's mother took her place at the stake, and was burned to ashes.