But an envious wicked witch lured her into the garden and into a pool, and turned her into a white duck, herself taking the queen's own form and place.

Meanwhile, the white duck built a nest, laid three eggs, and hatched two fluffy ducklings and one little drake.

She told of a bottle in the nest in the garden—or, they sent a magpie for magic water—which, sprinkled on the ducklings and drake, turned them into three lovely children.

[5] Soon after he developed his classification of folktales, Finnish folklorist Antti Aarne published, in 1912, a study on the collections of the Brothers Grimm, Austrian consul Johann Georg von Hahn, Danish folklorist Svend Grundtvig, Swiss scholar Laura Gonzenbach and Afanasyev.

According to this primary system, developed in 1910, the tale fits type 403, "The White and the Black Bride": the antagonist throws the maiden in the water and takes her place as the hero's bride; the maiden transforms into a dove or a type of water fowl (duck, goose).