Seven Crows in English | Stories for Teenagers | @EnglishFairyTales

Setting and Family

A woodsman and his wife live in a green valley crossed by a clear stream. They dwell in a stone house at the edge of the woods.

• Their daughter is kind and helpful.
• Their seven sons are rude, disobedient, and quarrelsome—especially when their father is away.
• The mother tries to shield her husband from worry, but the boys only worsen, humiliating and tormenting their little sister too.

The Cruelty That Triggers the Curse

One day, the sons commit their worst cruelty: they mix dangerous wild grass into the goats’ and cow’s food, causing the animals to bloat and become helpless.

When the mother realizes her sons have ruined the family’s milk and cheese-making, she breaks down in desperation and blurts out:

“I wish you were crows rather than sons of mine!”

The instant she speaks the curse, the boys transform into seven large crows and fly away. Their mother is left terrified, full of regret.

Years of Waiting and a Search Through the Wild

Afterward, life becomes heavy. Their sister grows older, still thinking of her brothers and rarely smiling.

Eventually, she asks permission to go looking for them, convinced they are calling to her. She travels for days through woods and mountains, nearly starving, until she finds a gloomy cottage shrouded in mist.

Inside, she discovers:

• seven bowls
• seven beds

Clues that the “crows” are nearby. Hungry, she eats what she can and waits.

The Sister Meets the Crows (and the Truth)

The crows return and realize someone has eaten their soup. They find her asleep among the beds and, with tenderness, realize she is their sister.

When she wakes, they speak kindly, encouraging her not to fear. They reveal:

• They long for home
• They are ashamed of what they did
• They regret their wickedness
• They want to return if their mother will accept them

The sister insists she will—and persuades them to go back.

The Sparkling Stones and the Dramatic Reunion

Before leaving, the youngest crow brother suggests something special for their mother. The brothers carry down sparkling stones—things they’ve stolen whenever they spot shiny objects.

When the family returns, the reunion is initially frightening for the sister: the crows fly safely with her held firmly in their claws. At home, she surprises her mother in the courtyard—only to find her mother crying, overwhelmed with grief and shock that the children are back.

A Second Miracle: Back to Boys

The reunion becomes a second miracle. As their mother embraces them:

• the seven brothers transform back from crows into boys
• their father rushes out, having heard the commotion
• everyone cries, apologizes, and promises change

Over time, the brothers become responsible. The “stolen” treasure—those sparkling stones—turns out to be valuable, allowing the family to live better.

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Notable Highlights / Jokes / Key Reactions

• The sons’ cruel “experiment” with stomach-bloating wild grass, and the mother’s panic when she realizes the family’s milk and cheese are ruined.
• The curse lands at a moment of extreme desperation, and the transformation into crows happens immediately.
• The crows’ chant-like, repeating calls to their sister (“our sister…”) alongside their emotional regret.
• The comedic-but-sincere reason for bringing sparkling stones: crows can’t resist shiny things—yet it becomes meaningful later.
• The sister’s fear and relief as she reunites with the “ugly birds” that are actually her brothers, followed by the final return to human form.

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Main Personalities

• The Woodsman (father)
• The Wife / Mother
• The Daughter / Sister (the young heroine who searches for her brothers)
• Seven Sons / Seven Crows (the brothers in two forms)