“Well，” said he， “I have kept watch; and this evening I went among the rushes where Ithought the marshy ground would bear me， and while I was there three swans came.Something in their manner of flying seemed to say to me， 'Look carefully now; there is onenot all swan， only swan's feathers.' You know， mother， you have the same intuitive feelingthat I have; you know whether a thing is right or not immediately.”
“Yes， of course，” said she; “but tell me about the princess; I am tired of hearing aboutthe swan's feathers.”
“Well， you know that in the middle of the moor there is something like a lake，” said thestork-papa. “You can see the edge of it if you raise yourself a little. Just there， by the reedsand the GREen banks， lay the trunk of an elder-tree; upon this the three swans stoodflapping their wings， and looking about them; one of them threw off her plumage， and Iimmediately recognized her as one of the princesses of our home in Egypt. There she sat，without any covering but her long， black hair. I heard her tell the two others to take greatcare of the swan's plumage， while she dipped down into the water to pluck the flowers whichshe fancied she saw there. The others nodded， and picked up the feather dress， and tookpossession of it. I wonder what will become of it? thought I， and she most likely askedherself the same question. If so， she received an answer， a very practical one; for the twoswans rose up and flew away with her swan's plumage. 'Dive down now!' they cried; 'thoushalt never more fly in the swan's plumage， thou shalt never again see Egypt; here， on themoor， thou wilt remain.' So saying， they tore the swan's plumage into a thousand pieces，the feathers drifted about like a snow-shower， and then the two deceitful princesses flewaway.”
“Why， that is terrible，” said the stork-mamma; “I feel as if I could hardly bear to hearany more， but you must tell me what happened next.”
“the princess wept and lamented aloud; her tears moistened the elder stump， which wasreally not an elder stump but the Marsh King himself， he who in marshy ground lives andrules. I saw myself how the stump of the tree turned round， and was a tree no more， whilelong， clammy branches like arms， were extended from it. Then the poor child was terriblyfrightened， and started up to run away. She hastened to cross the GREen， slimy ground;but it will not bear any weight， much less hers. She quickly sank， and the elder stump divedimmediately after her; in fact， it was he who drew her down. Great black bubbles rose up outof the moor-slime， and with these every trace of the two vanished. And now the princess isburied in the wild marsh， she will never now carry flowers to Egypt to cure her father. It wouldhave broken your heart， mother， had you seen it.”
“You ought not to have told me，” said she， “at such a time as this; the eggs mightsuffer. But I think the princess will soon find help; some one will rise up to help her. Ah! if ithad been you or I， or one of our people， it would have been all over with us.”
“I mean to go every day，” said he， “to see if anything comes to pass;” and so he did.
A long time went by， but at last he saw a GREen stalk shooting up out of the deep，marshy ground. As it reached the surface of the marsh， a leaf spread out， and unfoldeditself broader and broader， and close to it came forth a bud.
One morning， when the stork-papa was flying over the stem， he saw that the power ofthe sun's rays had caused the bud to open， and in the cup of the flower lay a charming child—a little maiden， looking as if she had just come out of a bath. The little one was so like theEgyptian princess， that the stork， at the first moment， thought it must be the princessherself， but after a little reflection he decided that it was much more likely to be the daughterof the princess and the Marsh King; and this explained also her being placed in the cup of awater-lily. “But she cannot be left to lie here，” thought the stork， “and in my nest there arealready so many. But stay， I have thought of something： the wife of the Viking has nochildren， and how often she has wished for a little one. People always say the stork brings thelittle ones; I will do so in earnest this time. I shall fly with the child to the Viking's wife; whatrejoicing there will be!”
And then the stork lifted the little girl out of theflower-cup， flew to the castle， picked a hole withhis beak in the bladder-covered， window， and laidthe beautiful child in the bosom of the Viking's wife.Then he flew back quickly to the stork-mamma andtold her what he had seen and done; and the littlestorks listened to it all， for they were then quite oldenough to do so. “So you see，” he continued， “that the princess is not dead， for she must havesent her little one up here; and now I have found ahome for her.”
“Ah， I said it would be so from the first，” replied the stork-mamma; “but now think alittle of your own family. Our travelling time draws near， and I sometimes feel a little irritationalready under the wings. The cuckoos and the nightingale are already gone， and I heard thequails say they should go too as soon as the wind was favorable. Our youngsters will gothrough all the manoeuvres at the review very well， or I am much mistaken in them.”
the Viking's wife was above measure delighted when she awoke the next morning andfound the beautiful little child lying in her bosom. She kissed it and caressed it; but it criedterribly， and struck out with its arms and legs， and did not seem to be pleased at all. At lastit cried itself to sleep; and as it lay there so still and quiet， it was a most beautiful sight tosee. The Viking's wife was so delighted， that body and soul were full of joy. Her heart felt solight within her， that it seemed as if her husband and his soldiers， who were absent， mustcome home as suddenly and unexpectedly as the little child had done. She and her wholehousehold therefore busied themselves in preparing everything for the reception of her lord.The long， colored tapestry， on which she and her maidens had worked pictures of theiridols， Odin， Thor， and Friga， was hung up. The slaves polished the old shields that servedas ornaments; cushions were placed on the seats， and dry wood laid on the fireplaces in thecentre of the hall， so that the flames might be fanned up at a moment's notice. The Viking'swife herself assisted in the work， so that at night she felt very tired， and quickly fell into asound sleep. When she awoke， just before morning， she was terribly alarmed to find thatthe infant had vanished. She sprang from her couch， lighted a pine-chip， and searched allround the room， when， at last， in that part of the bed where her feet had been， lay， notthe child， but a GREat， ugly frog. She was quite disgusted at this sight， and seized a heavystick to kill the frog; but the creature looked at her with such strange， mournful eyes， thatshe was unable to strike the blow. Once more she searched round the room; then she startedat hearing the frog utter a low， painful croak. She sprang from the couch and opened thewindow hastily; at the same moment the sun rose， and threw its beams through thewindow， till it rested on the couch where the great frog lay. Suddenly it appeared as if thefrog's broad mouth contracted， and became small and red. The limbs moved and stretched outand extended themselves till they took a beautiful shape; and behold there was the prettychild lying before her， and the ugly frog was gone. “How is this?” she cried， “have I had awicked dream? Is it not my own lovely cherub that lies there.” Then she kissed it and fondledit; but the child struggled and fought， and bit as if she had been a little wild cat.