Book excerpt: In our little green Ireland in days of old A story of magic and courage was told There once stood a fortress, four children lived here Along with their father, the mighty King Lir ... This charming rhyming story tells the legend of The Children of Lir, who were turned into swans by their wicked stepmother and forced to wander across Ireland for 900 years. The Children of Lir is a story from long, long ago, part of an ancient oral tradition, handed down from generation to generation. It's Ireland's best-loved legend: the story of Fionnuala Aodh. Fiachra and Conn - the children of King Lir - and how they were turned into swans and cursed to wander until the toll of a bell broke the spell and freed them from the enchantment.