There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter.Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and small thatthey thought she could not live; but they said she should at once bechristened.

So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get somewater, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be first atdrawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let theirpitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking atone another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. In themeantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made theyoung men stay so long. 'Surely,' said he, 'the whole seven must haveforgotten themselves over some game of play'; and when he had waitedstill longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wishedthem all turned into ravens. Scarcely had he spoken these words when heheard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens asblack as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see his wishso fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone, andcomforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven sonswith his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and every daymore beautiful.

For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers; forher father and mother took care not to speak of them before her: but oneday by chance she heard the people about her speak of them. 'Yes,' saidthey, 'she is beautiful indeed, but still 'tis a pity that her brothersshould have been lost for her sake.' Then she was much grieved, and wentto her father and mother, and asked if she had any brothers, and whathad become of them. So they dared no longer hide the truth from her, butsaid it was the will of Heaven, and that her birth was only the innocentcause of it; but the little girl mourned sadly about it every day, andthought herself bound to do all she could to bring her brothers back;and she had neither rest nor ease, till at length one day she stoleaway, and set out into the wide world to find her brothers, whereverthey might be, and free them, whatever it might cost her.

She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and motherhad given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry, a littlepitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a little stoolto rest upon when she should be weary. Thus she went on and on, andjourneyed till she came to the world's end; then she came to the sun,but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; so she ran away quickly tothe moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'I smell fleshand blood this way!' so she took herself away in a hurry and came to thestars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her, and each star satupon his own little stool; but the morning star rose up and gave her alittle piece of wood, and said, 'If you have not this little piece ofwood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on the glass-mountain,and there your brothers live.' The little girl took the piece of wood,rolled it up in a little cloth, and went on again until she came to theglass-mountain, and found the door shut. Then she felt for the littlepiece of wood; but when she unwrapped the cloth it was not there, andshe saw she had lost the gift of the good stars. What was to be done?She wanted to save her brothers, and had no key of the castle of theglass-mountain; so this faithful little sister took a knife out of herpocket and cut off her little finger, that was just the size of thepiece of wood she had lost, and put it in the door and opened it.

As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, 'What are youseeking for?' 'I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,' answered she.Then the dwarf said, 'My masters are not at home; but if you will waittill they come, pray step in.' Now the little dwarf was getting theirdinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven little plates, andtheir drink in seven little glasses, and set them upon the table, andout of each little plate their sister ate a small piece, and out of eachlittle glass she drank a small drop; but she let the ring that she hadbrought with her fall into the last glass.

On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and thedwarf said, 'Here come my masters.' When they came in, they wanted toeat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then saidone after the other,

'Who has eaten from my little plate? And who has been drinking out of mylittle glass?'

'Caw! Caw! well I ween Mortal lips have this way been.'

When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there thering, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father's and mother's,and said, 'O that our little sister would but come! then we should befree.' When the little girl heard this (for she stood behind the doorall the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an instant allthe ravens took their right form again; and all hugged and kissed eachother, and went merrily home.