Swan Maiden, the Hunter’s analysis.

In the Fairy tale titled, Swan Maiden, the hunter is the protagonist. Though, he does not appear to be a very good man. He is sneaky, conniving, kidnaps and threatens a woman in order to make him his wife, and he is a thief. Overall, the hunter is observant. When the maidens make their decent to the pond he is watching, the hunter notices that one is younger, smaller, and fairer than the rest. He also was able to find her robe, though they all looked the same. When the fair girl could not find her robe, her sisters flew off without her and the hunter swooped in with her clothes in hand, threatening that he would never give it back if she would not be his wife. Being sneaky, he hid the robe from her. Their daughter eventually found it and gave it back, allowing her mother to fly home. Then the hunter began his journey. This is where you find the hunter is kind. A man is fallen on the road and the hunter helps him, staying with him until he is well. That man turns out to be the king of beasts, and they help him on his way. Eventually the hunter finds a forest where two men are fighting over their inheritance. He takes the items, a cap that turns you invisible, and shoes that make you quick, and tricks the men into running a race letting the winner decide who gets what. As soon as the men run, the hunter dons the cap and shoes and disappears. Our hunter has now reached the land of his wife, and he calls on her father, the king of the land. The father, hoping to outsmart the hunter lines up all his daughters, that now look exactly the same, and asks him to guess which is his wife. Being observant, the hunter recalls that his wife had needle pricks on her fingers from sewing the children’s clothing. Taking each woman by the hand, he finds his wife, and they live happily ever after.