ied.

And this thought possessed her mightily, and she prayed ardently for
help; yes, even in her sleep she continued to pray. Then it seemed to
her as if she were flying high in the air to the cloudy palace of Fata
Morgana; and the fairy came out to meet her, beautiful and radiant; and
yet the fairy was quite like the old woman who had given her the berries
in the wood, and had told her of the swans with golden crowns on their
heads.

"Your brothers can be released," said she. "But have you courage and
perseverance? Certainly, water is softer than your delicate hands, and
yet it changes the shape of stones but it feels not the pain that your
fingers will feel; it has no heart, and cannot suffer the agony and
torment you will have to endure. Do you see the stinging nettle which I
hold in my hand? Many of the same kind grow around the cave in which you
sleep: those only, and those that grow upon churchyard graves, are
serviceable, remember that. Those you must pluck, though they will burn
your hands into blisters. Break these nettles to pieces with your feet,
and you will have flax; of this you must plait and weave eleven shirts
of mail with long sleeves: throw these over the eleven swans, and the
charm will be broken. But recollect well, from the moment you begin this
work until it is finished, even though it should take years to
accomplish, you must not speak. The first word you utter will pierce
your brothers' hearts like a deadly dagger. Their lives hang on your
tongue. Remember all this!"

And she touched her hand with the nettle; it was like a burning fire,
and Eliza awoke with the smart. It was broad daylight; and close by the
spot where she had slept lay a nettle like the one she had seen in her
dream. She fell upon her knees and prayed gratefully, and went forth
from the cave to begin her work.

With her delicate hands she groped among the ugly nettles. These stung
like fire, burning great blisters on her arms and hands; but she thought
she would bear it gladly if she could only release her dear brothers.
Then she bruised every nettle with her bare feet and plaited the green
flax.

When the sun had set her brothers came, and they were frightened when
they found her dumb. They thought it was some new sorcery of their
wicked stepmother's; but when they saw her hands, they understood what
she was doing for their sake, and the youngest brother wept. And where
his tears dropped she felt no more pain and the bur