Wild swans (fairy tale)

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Wild Swans ( Russian Гуси-лебеди , Gussi Lebedi) is a folk tale ( AaTh 451) from Russia and is popular there, especially in the tradition of the fairy tale collector Alexander Nikolayevich Afanassjew .

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In the fairy tale, a girl's little brother is kidnapped by wild swans. She had left him alone to play with other children instead of taking care of him. In pursuit of the swans, she passes an oven, an apple tree and a milk flow, but she does not receive their support because she ignores their instructions out of comfort and arrogance.

Finally she arrives at the hut of the witch Baba Jaga and learns that she had sent the swans and of her cannibalistic tendencies. Before she can be eaten by the witch, she flees with her brother and is pursued by the witch's swans. On the way back she receives help from the milk flow, the apple tree and the oven, because her adventure has refined her negative behavior. With the help, she can get home safely.

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