Swan Sister

More about Swan Sister

Inspired by "The Third Wish," a short story by the children's author, Joan Aiken. I read it at the age of 11--it was the first story that ever made me cry and I became a fan of Aiken's children's fiction ever since (I read two of her books at bedtime stories to my own son when he was still little).

In the story a forest-dwelling loner demands three wishes of an elvin king whom he rescues. Despite being warned that wishes only bring regret, the hero demands a wife as beautiful as the forest. The king grants the wish, disappearing just as a fair skinned, green-eyed, dark-haired woman steps out of from the trees and presents herself as his wife. The hero is handsome and kind so there is love between the couple--and yet he senses his wife is not happy. In fact, she spends most of her time by the edge a nearby pond communing with swans. One day he overhears her talking to one of the birds: tears are in both her and the swan's eyes. When he asks about the bird, his wife says that it's her sister, in the process admitting she WAS a swan before being transformed by his wish.

Unwilling to base his happiness on another's pain, the hero frees his wife with his second wish. He never remarries but for the rest of his life he is visited by the swans. He never uses the third wish and dies a contented old man in his bed while outside the swans sing a lament to his passing.