Once upon a time there were twelve royal children – eleven brothers and one older sister, Elisa.

Жили-были двенадцать детей короля – одиннадцать братьев и старшая сестра, Элиза.

One day the mother died, and some time later the king married again. The new wife, however, was an evil witch.

Однажды их мать умерла, и через некоторое время король женился снова. Но новая жена была злой ведьмой.

She turned the eleven princes into swans and sent them far away to a distant land beyond the large forest.

Она заколдовала одиннадцать принцев в лебедей и отправила их в далекую страну, за широкие леса.

She dressed the girl in rags and smeared an ointment onto her face that turned her so ugly, that even her own father no longer recognized her and chased her out of the castle.