Listen or read along. “The Six Swans” is a free
classic fairy tale for ages 4–6, narrated aloud in about 5 minutes.
The full text is below, and the Sleepfox app reads it to your child with a
calm voice, a dimming screen and a gentle sleep timer.
Once upon a time, a king got lost in a deep, quiet forest.
The trees whispered softly all around him.
An old woman found him and said she would help him find his way home…
If he promised to marry her daughter.
The king was tired and said yes.
The old woman's daughter was kind, but she had a worried heart.
The king had six sons and one daughter from long ago, and he loved them very much.
He kept them safe in a castle in the woods, where they played and laughed together.
But the new queen felt lonely…
She wished the children would like her, but she didn't know how to ask.
One day, the queen found six special shirts made of starlight and silk.
The old woman had whispered a strange idea to her.
The queen brought the shirts to the castle, not knowing they held old, sleepy magic.
When the six brothers put on the shirts, something gentle and surprising happened…
They turned into six beautiful white swans.
The swans stretched their soft wings and flew up into the sky.
They weren't afraid, just confused and dreamy.
The little sister saw everything from her window.
She loved her brothers so much, and she decided to help them.
She walked through the forest, following the swans as they glided overhead.
At last, she found them resting by a quiet lake.
They were still her brothers, even with feathers and wings.
A kind fairy appeared in the silvery moonlight.
"To break the spell," the fairy whispered, "you must make six little shirts from starflowers, and you must stay very quiet and gentle while you work."
The sister nodded.
She was brave and patient.
She gathered soft starflowers that glowed in the meadow.
She sat by the lake, sewing and sewing, while her swan brothers swam nearby.
The queen, back at the castle, felt sorry for what she'd done.
She came to the lake and said softly, "I was wrong. I just wanted to be part of your family."
The sister smiled at her and kept sewing.
Days passed like a lullaby.
At last, the six little shirts were finished.
The sister placed them gently on her swan brothers.
The magic lifted like morning mist…
And the six brothers stood there, themselves again, smiling and stretching.
Everyone hugged, even the queen, who promised to be kinder.
They all walked home together through the sleepy forest.
The king was so happy to see them safe.
That night, all seven children snuggled into their cozy beds.
The swans were only a dreamy memory now.
The sister yawned and closed her eyes.
Outside, six white feathers drifted down from the stars…
And everyone slept safely, loved and warm, under the quilts.
The end.
Listen to it free in the app
Sleepfox narrates every story aloud, dims the screen, and fades out with a
gentle sleep timer. A brand-new story is added free every night.
Black Beauty
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Pinocchio
The Ebony Horse