When the day came on which the sentence was to be executed , it was the last day of the six years in which she must not speak or laugh , and now she had freed her dear brothers from the power of the enchantment . The six shirts were done ; there was only the left sleeve wanting to the last . When she was led to the stake , she laid the shirts on her arm , and as she stood on the pile and the fire was about to be lighted , she looked around her and saw six swans flying through the air . Then she knew that her release was at hand and her heart danced for joy . The swans fluttered round her , and hovered low so that she could throw the shirts over them . When they had touched them the swan-skins fell off , and her brothers stood before her living , well and beautiful . Only the youngest had a swan 's wing instead of his left arm . They embraced and kissed each other , and the Queen went to the King , who was standing by in great astonishment , and began to speak to him , saying , ` Dearest husband , now I can speak and tell you openly that I am innocent and have been falsely accused . ' She told him of the old woman 's deceit , and how she had taken the three children away and hidden them . Then they were fetched , to the great joy of the King , and the wicked mother came to no good end . But the King and the Queen with their six brothers lived many years in happiness and peace . THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH -LRB- 2 -RRB- -LRB- 2 -RRB- ` Der Norlands Drache , ' from Esthnische Mahrchen . Kreutzwald . Very long ago , as old people have told me , there lived a terrible monster , who came out of the North , and laid waste whole tracts of country , devouring both men and beasts ; and this monster was so destructive that it was feared that unless help came no living creature would be left on the face of the earth . It had a body like an ox , and legs like a frog , two short fore-legs , and two long ones behind , and besides that it had a tail like a serpent , ten fathoms in length . When it moved it jumped like a frog , and with every spring it covered half a mile of ground . Fortunately its habit , was to remain for several years in the same place , and not to move on till the whole neighbourhood was eaten up . Nothing could hunt it , because its whole body was covered with scales , which were harder than stone or metal ; its two great eyes shone by night , and even by day , like the brightest lamps , and anyone who had the ill luck to look into those eyes became as it were bewitched , and was obliged to rush of his own accord into the monster 's jaws . In this way the Dragon was able to feed upon both men and beasts without the least trouble to itself , as it needed not to move from the spot where it was lying . All the neighbouring kings had offered rich rewards to anyone who should be able to destroy the monster , either by force or enchantment , and many had tried their luck , but all had miserably failed .
Once a great forest in which the Dragon lay had been set XXXXX fire ; the forest was burnt down , but the fire did not do the monster the least harm .
In as at before behind besides from like on that