King Lir lived long ago in Ireland. He had four children, two boys and two girls, whom he loved dearly. However, their stepmother was jealous. She wove a spell that turned the children into swans.

    Lir was heartbroken. His beard and hair turned white. With grief he searched for his children. One day he saw four swans. He did not realize who they were, although they recognized him as their father.

    The spell could only be broken if the mountain in the North was joined to the one in the South. This seemed impossible, but after many years all the birds flew into the air and formed an arc between the mountains. The swans were transformed and Lir saw his children once more. They were no longer young, but had grown old, with his hair as white as their father's.

Source: shortkidstories.com

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