shenoticedhowthecountlesspebblesonthesea-shorehadbeensmoothedandroundedbytheactionofthewater.glass,iron,stones,everythingthatlaytheremingledtogether,hadtakenitsshapefromthesamepower,andfeltassmooth,orevensmootherthanherowndelicatehand."thewaterrollsonwithoutweariness,"shesaid,tillallthatishardbecomessmooth;sowillibeunweariedinmytask.thanksforyourlessons,brightrollingwaves;myhearttellsmeyouwillleadmetomydearbrothers."onthefoam-coveredsea-weeds,layelevenwhiteswanfeathers,whichshegatheredupandplacedtogether.dropsofwaterlayuponthem;whethertheyweredew-dropsortearsnoonecouldsay.lonelyasitwasonthesea-shore,shedidnotobserveit,fortheever-movingseashowedmorechangesinafewhoursthanthemostvaryinglakecouldproduceduringawholeyear.ifablackheavycloudarose,itwasasiftheseasaid,"icanlookdarkandangrytoo;"andthenthewindblew,andthewavesturnedtowhitefoamastheyrolled.whenthewindslept,andthecloudsglowedwiththeredsunlight,thenthesealookedlikearoseleaf.buthoweverquietlyitswhiteglassysurfacerested,therewasstillamotionontheshore,asitswavesroseandfelllikethebreastofasleepingchild.whenthesunwasabouttoset,elizasawelevenwhiteswanswithgoldencrownsontheirheads,flyingtowardstheland,onebehindtheother,likealongwhiteribbon.thenelizawentdowntheslopefromtheshore,andhidherselfbehindtheswansalightedquiteclosetoherandflappedtheirgreatwhitewings.assoonasthesunhaddisappearedunderthewater,thefeathersoftheswansfelloff,andelevenbeautifulprinces,eliza'sbrothers,stoodnearher.sheutteredaloudcry,for,althoughtheywereverymuchchanged,sheknewthemimmediately.shesprangintotheirarms,andcalledthemeachbyname.then,howhappytheprinceswereatmeetingtheirlittlesisteragain,fortheyrecognizedher,althoughshehadgrownsotallandylaughed,andtheywept,andverysoonunderstoodhowwickedlytheirmotherhadactedtothemall."webrothers,"saidtheeldest,"flyaboutaswildswans,solongasthesunisinthesky;butassoonasitsinksbehindthehills,werecoverourhumanreforemustwealwaysbeneararestingplaceforourfeetbeforesunset;forifweshouldbeflyingtowardsthecloudsatthetimewerecoveredournaturalshapeasmen,weshouldsinkdeepintothesea.wedonotdwellhere,butinalandjustasfair,thatliesbeyondtheocean,whichwehavetocrossforalongdistance;thereisnoislandinourpassageuponwhichwecouldpass,thenight;nothingbutalittlerockrisingoutofthesea,uponwhichwecanscarcelystandwithsafety,evencloselycrowdedtogether.iftheseaisrough,thefoamdashesoverus,yetwethankgodevenforthisrock;wehavepassedwholenightsuponit,orweshouldneverhavereachedourbelovedfatherland,forourflightacrosstheseaoccupiestwoofthelongestdaysintheyear.wehavepermissiontovisitouthomeonceineveryyear,andtoremainelevendays,duringwhichweflyacrosstheforesttolookoncemoreatthepalacewhereourfatherdwells,andwherewewereborn,andatthechurch,whereourmotherliesburied.hereitseemsasiftheverytreesandbusheswererelatedtous.thewildhorsesleapovertheplainsaswehaveseentheminourchildhood.thecharcoalburnerssingtheoldsongs,towhichwehavedancedaschildren.thisisourfatherland,towhichwearedrawnbylovingties;andherewehavefoundyou,ourdearlittlesister.,twodayslongerwecanremainhere,andthenmustweflyawaytoabeautifullandwhichisnotourhome;andhowcanwetakeyouwithus?