Long ago, there was a king who had eleven sons and one daughter named Liser. The royal family once lived in peace and happiness. After the queen died, the king married again, not knowing his new wife was a cruel witch. Out of jealousy and hatred, she cast a spell that turned the eleven princes into swans and forced them to flee the palace. They flew toward a dark forest by the sea, leaving young Liser behind to grow up alone in poverty.
When Liser turned fifteen, she was allowed to return to the palace. Her beauty immediately angered the wicked queen, who feared Liser’s presence. Unable to use magic openly, the queen covered Liser with filth, darkened her skin, and ruined her hair so she could not be recognized. Even the king failed to recognize his own daughter and rejected her. Brokenhearted, Liser ran away from the palace to search for her brothers.
After wandering for many days, Liser washed herself in a clear lake, and her true beauty returned. An old woman soon told her about eleven swans wearing golden crowns seen nearby. At sunset, Liser found them. When night fell, the swans shed their feathers and became her brothers again. Their reunion was joyful but short, because by day they were swans and only at night could they live as men.
The eldest brother warned Liser that they could not stay long and asked if she had the courage to travel with them. Without hesitation, Liser chose to follow her brothers. The brothers wove a strong net and carried her across the sea as swans. They reached a distant land of mountains, forests, and hidden caves where they could live in safety.
Liser’s greatest wish was to break the curse. One night, a fairy appeared in her dream and revealed the only way to save her brothers. Liser had to gather stinging nettles from graveyards, weave eleven long sleeved shirts, and remain completely silent until the last shirt was finished. The pain would be terrible, and if she spoke even once, her brothers would die.
Liser began her task at once. Her hands blistered and bled, but she endured everything in silence. While she was weaving, she was discovered by the king of that land. Moved by her beauty and gentle spirit, he fell in love with her and made her his queen, even though she could not speak. Still, Liser continued weaving in secret every night.
An evil archbishop, who had long hated Liser, accused her of witchcraft, claiming her silence and secret nightly work were signs of dark magic. He spread fear and suspicion among the people and the court, whispering that the queen had brought disaster upon the kingdom. Influenced by his lies, the royal council ordered Liser to be seized and thrown into a dark prison, even though the king himself still doubted her guilt.
As the days passed, the archbishop demanded punishment, and under growing pressure from the church and the people, the king was forced to sign the order for her execution. Just as Liser finished weaving the final shirt, soldiers dragged her from her cell and sentenced her to be burned at the stake. Even in prison, surrounded by chains and stone walls, she never spoke a single word and continued weaving, determined to save her brothers no matter the cost.
On the day of her execution, eleven swans appeared in the sky. As Liser was led to the fire, she threw the shirts over them, and the curse was broken instantly. The swans became princes again, though the youngest still had one swan wing because his shirt was unfinished.
At last, Liser spoke and told the truth. Her brothers confirmed her story, and she was proven innocent. Exhausted by suffering and silence, she collapsed but was saved. The king embraced her, the people rejoiced, bells rang by themselves, and birds filled the sky. A great celebration honored courage, sacrifice, and the power of love that defeated dark magic.