She said no more.

"The 7th Swan," by Jaida Jones, is an odd (long) short story that incorporates fairy tales into both its main storyline and stories told by the characters. It is primarily based on The Wild Swans, but also uses Leir of Britain (or King Lear), Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, The Three Heads of the Well, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Tinderbox, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Cinderella.

Courage leans against the windowsill and looks out over the land, its sectioned geometry, the red soil beneath all that greenery. ‘It’s a good story,’ he agrees, ‘but I’ve always thought it somehow dishonest.’

‘Dishonest?’

‘There must have been times—many times—when they still thought of the wounds they’d dealt each other. Closed, healed; it doesn’t matter. You always remember the hurt. That’s what people are: they exist to remember what losses they suffered once, and what blows they were dealt.’

‘They were happy,’ I counter.

‘Oh, surely,’ says Courage. ‘Things were right between them again.’

‘And what did the father have to forgive his youngest daughter for?’

‘For being stubborn,’ Courage says. ‘For refusing to see how he needed to be loved.’

While beautifully written, it isn't one of my favorite short stories. It often feels as though the characters are merely moving from one tale into another without a great deal of their own structure and narrative to guide the story—but I have a feeling that was the intent. I also take issue with the ending for reasons I won't reveal here. It is still worth a read, though. The language is lovely, and it's fascinating seeing how each of the fairy tales is used.

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