literature

The Silent Sister

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Literature Text

The spinning wheel turns round and round -
She listens to its whirring sound
and dreams of summers yet unfound
as she pulls the fine white thread.

The swans fly silent through the sky -
they set their wings to land nearby.
She dare not stop to sing or sigh
with the curse upon their head.

The loom clicks as the shuttle flies
the tears fall silent from her eyes -
bespelled brothers take to the skies -
tears spot the loom's white shed.

Nettle linen she sews by day
though why she does she may not say -
or else the swans will go away.
Her hands are sore and red.

What will she say when the task is done
the last stitch made, the last thread spun
and her brothers stand man-shaped in the sun -
Will she scream the spell is dead?


This is based on the folk story, The Six Swans, where a young woman labors six years making shirts of nettle linen to break the spell that turns her brothers into swans by day.  During this time, she may not speak at all; she is almost burned at the stake, but in the end, she saves her brothers
A sister labors under a magic obligation to save her brothers - what will she do when the spell is broken?
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Sartosis's avatar
I got to say again, that is my most favourite work on the site, and that I must look through you're gallery more!

Truly, I have never said that before.