The Swan Maidens | based on the tale by Joseph Jacobs
A huntsman observes seven swan maiden sisters as they remove their feathered robes to bathe in a river. Finding the youngest maiden to be especially enchanting, he steals her robe. Since they cannot fly without their feathered garments, the six elder sisters must leave the youngest behind.
The huntsman tells the maiden that he has her robe, but he hides it from her. Without it, she must marry him. She settles into life with the huntsman, and they have two children. One day, their daughter discovers the feathered robe and takes it to her mother. The woman explains that she is leaving, and if the child’s father wants to find her, he must journey to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. She then dons the robe and flies away.
The hunter sets out to find his wife, and after some difficulty, he locates her homeland. Although his wife looks exactly like her sisters when wearing her feathered gown, he identifies her by the indentation of a needle on her right forefinger, made from stitching their children’s clothing. They return to the huntsman’s home and live happily ever after.