wehaveneithershipnorboat."

"howcanibreakthisspell?"saidtheirsister.andthenshetalkedaboutitnearlythewholenight,onlyslumberingforafewhours.elizawasawakenedbytherustlingoftheswans'wingsastheysoaredabove.herbrotherswereagainchangedtoswans,andtheyflewincircleswiderandwider,tilltheywerefaraway;butoneofthem,theyoungestswan,remainedbehind,andlaidhisheadinhissister'slap,whileshestrokedhiswings;andtheyremainedtogetherthewholeday.towardsevening,therestcameback,andasthesunwentdowntheyresumedtheirnaturalforms."to-morrow,"saidone,"weshallflyaway,nottoreturnagaintillawholeyearhaspassed.butwecannotleaveyouhere.haveyoucouragetogowithus?myarmisstrongenoughtocarryyouthroughthewood;andwillnotallourwingsbestrongenoughtoflywithyouoverthesea?"

"yes,takemewithyou,"saideliza.thentheyspentthewholenightinweavinganetwiththepliantwillowandrushes.itwasverylargeandstrong.elizalaidherselfdownonthenet,andwhenthesunrose,andherbrothersagainbecamewildswans,theytookupthenetwiththeirbeaks,andflewuptothecloudswiththeirdearsister,whostillslept.thesunbeamsfellonherface,thereforeoneoftheswanssoaredoverherhead,sothathisbroadwingsmightshadeher.theywerefarfromthelandwhenelizawoke.shethoughtshemuststillbedreaming,itseemedsostrangetohertofeelherselfbeingcarriedsohighintheairoverthesea.byhersidelayabranchfullofbeautifulripeberries,andabundleofsweetroots;theyoungestofherbrothershadgatheredthemforher,andplacedthembyherside.shesmiledherthankstohim;sheknewitwasthesamewhohadhoveredoverhertoshadeherwithhiswings.theywerenowsohigh,thatalargeshipbeneaththemlookedlikeawhitesea-gullskimmingthewaves.agreatcloudfloatingbehindthemappearedlikeavastmountain,anduponitelizasawherownshadowandthoseoftheelevenswans,lookinggiganticinsize.altogetheritformedamorebeautifulpicturethanshehadeverseen;butasthesunrosehigher,andthecloudswereleftbehind,theshadowypicturevanishedaway.onwardthewholedaytheyflewthroughtheairlikeawingedarrow,yetmoreslowlythanusual,fortheyhadtheirsistertocarry.theweatherseemedinclinedtobestormy,andelizawatchedthesinkingsunwithgreatanxiety,forthelittlerockintheoceanwasnotyetinsight.itappearedtoherasiftheswansweremakinggreateffortswiththeirwings.alas!shewasthecauseoftheirnotadvancingmorequickly.whenthesunset,theywouldchangetomen,fallintotheseaandbedrowned.thensheofferedaprayerfromherinmostheart,butstillnoappearanceoftherock.darkcloudscamenearer,thegustsofwindtoldofacomingstorm,whilefromathick,heavymassofcloudsthelightningburstforthflashafterflash.thesunhadreachedtheedgeofthesea,whentheswansdarteddownsoswiftly,thateliza'sheadtrembled;shebelievedtheywerefalling,buttheyagainsoaredonward.presentlyshecaughtsightoftherockjustbelowthem,andbythistimethesunwashalfhiddenbythewaves.therockdidnotappearlargerthanaseal'sheadthrustoutofthewater.theysunksorapidly,thatatthemomenttheirfeettouchedtherock,itshoneonlylikeastar,andatlastdisappearedlikethelastsparkinapieceofburntpaper.thenshesawherbrothersstandingcloselyroundherwiththeirarmslinkedtogether.therewasbutjustroomenoughforthem,andnotthesmallestspacetospare.theseadashedagainsttherock,andcoveredthemwithspray.theheavenswerelightedupwithcontinualflashes,andpealafterpealofthunderrolled.butthesisterandbrotherssatholdingeachother'shands,andsinginghymns,fromwhichtheygainedhopeandcourage.intheearlydawntheairbecamecalmandstill,andatsunrisetheswansflewawayfromtherockwitheliza.theseawasstillrough,andfromtheirhighpositionintheair,thewhitefoamonthedarkgreenwaveslookedlikemillionsofswansswimmingonthewater.asthesunrosehigher,elizasawbeforeher,floatingontheair,arangeofmountains,withshiningmassesoficeontheirsummits.inthecentre,roseacastleapparentlyamilelong,withrowsofcolumns,risingoneaboveanother,while,aroundit,palm-treeswavedandflowersbloomedaslargeasmillwheels.sheaskedifthiswasthelandtowhichtheywerehastening.theswansshooktheirheads,forwhatshebeheldwerethebeautifulever-changingcloudpalacesofthe"fatamorgana,"intowhichnomortalcanenter.elizawasstillgazingatthescene,whenmountains,forests,andcastlesmeltedaway,andtwentystatelychurchesroseintheirstead,withhightowersandpointedgothicwindows.elizaevenfanciedshecouldhearthetonesoftheorgan,butitwasthemusicofthemurmuringseawhichsheheard.astheydrewnearertothechurches,theyalsochangedintoafleetofships,whichseemedtobesailingbeneathher;butasshelookedagain,shefounditwasonlyaseamistglidingovertheocean.sotherecontinuedtopassbeforehereyesaconstantchangeofscene,tillatlastshesawthereallandtowhichtheywerebound,withitsbluemountains,itscedarforests,anditscitiesandbeforethesunwentdown,shesatonarock,infrontofalargecave,onthefloorofwhichtheover-grownyetdelicategreencreepingplantslookedlikeanembroideredcarpet."nowweshallexpecttohearwhatyoudreamofto-night,"saidtheyoungestbrother,asheshowedhissisterherbedroom.

"heavengrantthatimaydreamhowtosaveyou,"shedthisthoughttooksuchholduponhermindthatsheprayedearnestlytogodforhelp,andeveninhersleepshecontinuedtopray.thenitappearedtoherasifshewereflyinghighintheair,towardsthecloudypalaceofthe"fatamorgana,"andafairycameouttomeether,radiantandbeautifulinappearance,andyetverymuchliketheoldwomanwhohadgivenherberriesinthewood,andwhohadtoldheroftheswanswithgoldencrownsontheirheads."yourbrotherscanbereleased,"saidshe,"ifyouhaveonlycourageandperseverance.true,waterissofterthanyourowndelicatehands,andyetitpolishesstonesintoshapes;itfeelsnopainasyourfingerswouldfeel,ithasnosoul,andcannotsuffersuchagonyandtormentasyouwillhavetoendure.doyouseethestingingnettlewhichiholdinmyhand?