The White Duck

The prince left on a long journey, while the princess stayed behind to care for the garden. An unfamiliar sorceress invited her to a spring and asked her to try…

The prince left on a long journey, while the princess stayed behind to care for the garden. An unfamiliar sorceress invited her to a spring and asked her to try on an embroidered cape. When the princess refused, the visitor waved a twig and turned the lady of the palace into a white duck; then she put on a similar garment herself and hurried to the palace. The duck memorized the path and resolved to find a way to regain her own form.

On a small island, the white duck met three children who had lost their boat in the fog. She showed them berries and safe paths and sheltered them beneath her wings in the evening. The children began calling her their river mother. The two older children built a new boat, while the youngest watched the current and noticed things the others missed. When the boat was ready, they all sailed toward the prince’s shore to ask for help.

In the courtyard, the sorceress recognized the duck and invited the children into an empty room. The youngest noticed that the door locked from the outside and suggested that they continue their game in the garden. The children went out and told the guards about the strange invitation. The sorceress tried to send them away, but the duck sang a lullaby familiar to the prince three times. He heard the melody and ordered everyone to remain while he investigated for himself.

The prince went into the garden and saw the duck protecting the children. He recognized the lullaby, held out his hands, and spoke the family blessing. The duck stepped toward him of her own accord. A white birch grew behind her, and the true princess appeared before the prince. The gardeners confirmed her account of the spring. Realizing that her deception had been exposed, the sorceress returned the cape along with the twig that held the spell.

The princess broke the twig over the spring, and the water washed away the last of the magic. Instead of punishing the sorceress, she asked her to repair the harm by taking the children home and restoring the plants. The sorceress agreed and accompanied the boat to the village. The children promised to visit the princess and sail to the island together. The palace held a family celebration, and at the spring everyone was reminded: each person must ask permission and respect another person’s answer.