The Wild Swans
A young girl's life is marked by her mother's cruel treatment and her own longing for love and acceptance. She is sent away to a distant land where she marries a prince and bears him seven sons, but their happiness is short-lived due to the curse that afflicts them. The curse causes the brothers to transform into wild swans at night, forcing the girl to care for them alone.
By Hans Christian Andersen · First published 1838 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Children's Literature · 6,827 words
First lines
FAR away, in the land to which the swallows fly when it is winter, dwelt a king who had eleven sons, and one daughter, named Eliza.
The eleven brothers were princes, and each went to school with a star on his breast and a sword by his side. They wrote with diamond pencils on golden slates and learned their lessons so quickly and read so easily that every one knew they were princes. Their sister Eliza sat on a little stool of plate-glass and had a book full of pictures, which had cost as much as half a kingdom.
What this Textopian page supports
The Wild Swans is listed on Textopian as a short story by Hans Christian Andersen, dated 1838 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Hans Christian Andersen
- Date: 1838 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Adventure, Mythology
- Length: 6,827 words
- Structure: 1 section, 75 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Wild Swans?
- How does this short story by Hans Christian Andersen fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features magical elements, such as transformation spells and enchanted creatures, typical of fairy tales.
- Fantasy — The narrative includes fantastical elements like swan transformations and magical tasks, fitting the fantasy genre.
- Children's Literature — The story is written in a style and with themes suitable for children, including moral lessons and simple language.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a journey filled with challenges and quests to save her brothers, characteristic of adventure stories.
Tags
FairyTale · MagicRealism · Fantasy · Mythology · Swans · Wildlife · Nature · Beauty · Love · Sacrifice · Transformation · ComingOfAge