In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Six Swans,” the sister sews shirts for her transformed brothers.
A wicked stepmother uses magic to turn six princes into swans. Their sister learns that she can restore them, but only by sewing shirts for them while remaining completely silent for six years. She has no ordinary opportunity to explain herself, so the task becomes both a test of endurance and a means of breaking the enchantment.
The sister completes the garments, although one shirt is unfinished when the deadline arrives. Five brothers regain human form completely, while the sixth keeps a swan wing because his shirt is incomplete. This partial transformation is a key feature of the story and helps separate it from “The Seven Ravens,” another Grimm tale involving silent sewing and enchanted brothers.
The tale was collected by the Grimms as KHM 49 and reflects the recurring folklore motif of enchanted siblings rescued through sacrifice.