With birth control being somewhat rudimentary in 18th century Germany, a king finds himself saddled with 12 sons. Once his beloved daughter arrives, he takes a rather drastic approach to ensuring she gets her share of his fortune.

Fast forward and we find ourselves in a magic forest. Ravens, lillies, witches and tales of sibling love. A confusing story, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

It’s a classic “I heard it from these girls who heard it from a woman who heard it in her husband’s pub”. Such Chinese whispers might explain the older story fragments we find in this tale.

Confused? Read the story here.