My baby daughter was fidgety and noisy and I could not quiet her. She wanted to be in my arms, and every time I put her down, she cried. Finally, I became impatient with her. I went to the window, and when I saw the ravens flying around the palace, I said, “I wish you were a raven and would fly away and give me some rest.”

I had scarcely spoken when my arms were full of wings, and before I could catch her, she had flown out the window and into the dark forest.

Queen Mother of the Raven in The Raven, Grimms. Illustration by Walter Crane.