The Seventh Swan by Nicholas Stuart Gray and The Swan’s Wing by Ursula Synge are two very different stories about what happened to the brother left with the swan’s wing in the fairytale ”The Wild Swans.” The Seventh Swan is a charming story of a shy boy who can’t accept his fate and the two friends who help him on his journey to self acceptance. Excellent read for young adults!
The Swan’s Wing tells of a young man with the wing of a swan befriended by a sculptor and a goose girl who help him find his way to his true form, after he escapes the clutches of a countess who likes exotic lovers. According to Altman and Voss in Tales Then and Now, this novel offers “an exploration of religious expectations as well as faith, love and friendship.”
Song of the Countess from The Swan’s Wing
The Lady lay within her bower
And toyed with her wedding ring
She called to her lover at the midnight hour
And he covered her…he covered her with his wing.
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