The Seven Ravens

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

For school-age kids, it’s a powerful ‘I will not give up’ story. The sister’s courage can feel protective at bedtime—especially when you read gently and emphasize the safe reunion.

Story Synopsis

A poor man has seven sons and finally a baby girl. When the girl becomes ill, he sends the boys to fetch water for a christening. The boys argue and take too long. Worried and upset, the father blurts a terrible wish—that the boys would turn into ravens. The moment the words leave his mouth, the curse takes hold and the seven brothers fly away. Years pass. The little sister grows up hearing whispers about her missing brothers and sensing the sadness in her parents’ home. Instead of blaming anyone, she chooses love. She decides to find her brothers and set them free, even if the path is dangerous. Her journey leads her through forests and toward the edge of the world. Along the way she meets helpers—often the sun, the moon, and the stars—who point her onward and offer gifts. At last she reaches the glass mountain or the faraway place where ravens gather, and she learns the spell can be broken only with a key. When the key is lost or unreachable, she makes a startling choice: she sacrifices a piece of herself (often a finger) to open the door. Inside, she finds seven plates and cups and leaves a sign of her love. When the ravens return, they recognize her devotion. The curse lifts, and the brothers become human again. The Seven Ravens is a tale about the weight of words—and the healing power of steady love that refuses to abandon family.

Story Excerpt

There was once a man and a woman who had seven sons. Their home was lively and loud with seven pairs of feet running over the floor, seven voices calling at once, and seven heads bending together over every small wonder. But the father wished for a daughter, too — one little girl to hold and sing to. Again and again he hoped, and at last his wife told him, with shining eyes, that a baby was coming. When the child was born, it was a girl. The joy in the house was so great it seemed to fill every corner. Yet the baby was very small and weak, and the parents grew worried. They decided she must be baptized at once, quietly and quickly, while she still had strength. “ Fetch water from the spring, ” the father told one of the boys. “ Hurry, my son. ” “ I’ll go! ” the boy cried. And because brothers are brothers, the other six sprang up at once. “ We’re coming too! ” They ran together, their shoes tapping over the path, their voices tumbling over each other. At the spring, each wanted to be first to dip the jug. “ I’ll do it! ” “ No, me! ” “ Move — let me — ” In the jostling, the jug slipped. Plop. Down it went, straight into the well. The seven brothers froze and stared into the dark circle of water. “ It’s gone, ” one whispered. “ What do we do now? ” said another. They peered and reached,…

In One Glance