A man had seven sons, but he really wanted a daughter. Finally, a daughter was born. She was very beautiful but very small and weak. The parents feared she might die, so they decided to baptize her immediately.
The father sent one son to the spring to get water. The other six brothers ran with him. Each boy wanted to be the first to catch the water, and in the struggle, the water pitcher fell into the deep well. The brothers stood there, not knowing what to do. They were too afraid to go home without the water.
At home, the father became angry because the boys were taking so long. "They must be playing games and have forgotten their sister!" he shouted. In his anger, he cried out, "I wish they would all turn into ravens!"
Suddenly, he heard a sound above his head. He looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away. The father was shocked and sad, but he could not change the curse.
As the years passed, the daughter grew strong and beautiful. For a long time, she didn't know she had brothers. One day, she heard people talking about her. "She is beautiful," they said, "but it is a pity her seven brothers were lost because of her."
The girl was very upset. She went to her parents and asked the truth. They told her what had happened. From that moment, the girl felt she had to find her brothers and save them.
She set out into the wide world. She took only a ring from her parents, a loaf of bread, a small bottle of water, and a chair to rest on. She walked for a long time until she reached the end of the world.
She went to the Sun, but it was too hot. She went to the Moon, but it was cold and scary. Finally, she went to the Stars. The Stars were kind and friendly. The Morning Star gave her a small piece of wood and said, "Without this, you cannot open the Glass Mountain where your brothers are living."
The girl wrapped the wood in a cloth and walked until she reached the Glass Mountain. But when she opened the cloth, the wood was gone! She had lost the key. She wanted to save her brothers, so she took a knife and cut off her own little finger. She used it as a key, and the door opened.
Inside, a small dwarf greeted her. "What are you looking for?" he asked.
"I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens," she replied.
The dwarf said, "The lords are not home, but you may wait." He was preparing their dinner. He put food on seven plates and wine in seven glasses. The sister ate a tiny bit from each plate and drank a tiny drop from each glass. In the last glass, she dropped the ring she had brought from home.
Suddenly, she heard wings in the air. "My masters are coming," said the dwarf.
The ravens entered and wanted to eat. They looked at their plates and glasses. "Who has been eating from my plate?" they asked. "And who has been drinking from my glass?"
When the seventh raven reached the bottom of his glass, the ring rolled out. He recognized his father’s ring and cried, "Oh, I wish our sister were here! Then we would be free."
Hearing this, the girl stepped out from behind the door. Immediately, the ravens turned back into her seven brothers. They hugged and kissed each other, and they all went home happily together.