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The little daughter which their mother the queen had given
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birth to, was now grown up. She was good of heart, and fair of
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face, and had a golden star on her forehead. Once, on a great
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washing, she saw twelve men's shirts among the things, and asked her
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mother, to whom do these twelve shirts belong, for they are far
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too small for father. Then the queen answered with a heavy
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heart, dear child, these belong to your twelve brothers. Said the
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maiden, where are my twelve brothers, I have never yet heard
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of them. She replied, God knows where they are, they are
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wandering about the world. Then she took the maiden and opened
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the chamber for her, and showed her the twelve coffins with the
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shavings, and the death pillows. These coffins, said she,
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were destined for your brothers, who went away secretly before you
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were born, and she related to her how everything had happened.
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Then said the maiden, dear mother, weep not, I will go and seek
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my brothers.
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So she took the twelve shirts and went forth, and straight into
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the great forest. She walked the whole day, and in the evening she
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came to the bewitched hut. Then she entered it and found a young
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boy, who asked, from whence do you come, and whither are you
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bound, and was astonished that she was so beautiful, and wore
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royal garments, and had a star on her forehead. And she answered,
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I am a king's daughter, and am seeking my twelve brothers, and
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I will walk as far as the sky is blue until I find them. And she
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showed him the twelve shirts which belonged to them. Then
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benjamin saw that she was his sister, and said, I am benjamin, your
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youngest brother. And she began to weep for joy, and benjamin
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wept also, and they kissed and embraced each other with the
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greatest love. But after this he said, dear sister, there is still
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one difficulty. We have agreed that every maiden whom we meet
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shall die, because we have been obliged to leave our kingdom on
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account of a girl. Then said she, I will willingly die, if by so
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doing I can save my twelve brothers.
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No, answered he, you shall not die. Seat yourself beneath this
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tub until our eleven brothers come, and then I will soon come to
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an agreement with them.
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She did so, and when it was night the others came from hunting,
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and their dinner was ready. And as they were sitting at table, and
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eating, they asked, what news is there. Said benjamin, don't
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you know anything. No, they answered. He continued, you have
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been in the forest and I have stayed at home, and yet I know
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more than you do. Tell us then, they cried. He answered, but
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promise me that the first maiden who meets us shall not be killed.
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Yes, they all cried, she shall have mercy, only do tell us.
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Then said he, our sister is here, and he lifted up the tub, and
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the king's daughter came forth in her royal garments with the
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golden star on her forehead, and she was beautiful, delicate and
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fair. Then they were all rejoiced, and fell on her neck, and kissed
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and loved her with all their hearts.
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Now she stayed at home with benjamin and helped him with
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the work. The eleven went into the forest and caught game, and
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deer, and birds, and wood-pigeons that they might have food, and
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the little sister and benjamin took care to make it ready for them.
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She sought for the wood for cooking and herbs for vegetables, and
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put the pans on the fire so that the dinner was always ready when
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the eleven came. She likewise kept order in the little house, and
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put beautifully white clean coverings on the little beds and the
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brothers were always contented and lived in great harmony with her.
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Once upon a time the two at home had prepared a wonderful
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feast, and when they were all together, they sat down and ate and
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drank and were full of gladness. There was, however, a little
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garden belonging to the bewitched house wherein stood twelve lily
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flowers, which are likewise called student-lilies. She wished to
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give her brothers pleasure, and plucked the twelve flowers, and
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thought she would present each brother with one while at dinner.
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But at the self-same moment that she plucked the flowers the twelve
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brothers were changed into twelve ravens, and flew away over the
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forest, and the house and garden vanished likewise. And now the
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poor maiden was alone in the wild forest, and when she looked
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around, an old woman was standing near her who said, my child,
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what have you done. Why did you not leave the twelve white
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flowers growing. They were your brothers, who are now forevermore
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changed into ravens. The maiden said, weeping, is there no way of
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saving them.
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No, said the woman, there is but one in the whole world, and
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that is so hard that you will not save them by it, for you must be
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dumb for seven years, and may not speak or laugh, and if you speak
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one single word, and only an hour of the seven years is wanting, all
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is in vain, and your brothers will be killed by the one word.
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Then said the maiden in her heart, I know with certainty that
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I shall set my brothers free, and went and sought a high tree and
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seated herself in it and spun, and neither spoke nor laughed. Now
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it so happened that a king was hunting in the forest, who had a
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great greyhound which ran to the tree on which the maiden was
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sitting, and sprang about it, whining, and barking at her. Then
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the king came by and saw the beautiful king's daughter with the
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golden star on her brow, and was so charmed with her beauty that
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he called to ask her if she would be his wife. She made no answer,
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but nodded a little with her head. So he climbed up the tree
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himself, carried her down, placed her on his horse, and bore her
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home. Then the wedding was solemnized with great magnificence and
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rejoicing, but the bride neither spoke nor smiled. When they had
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