The beginning is a lot less complicated –

 

            Prince Siegfried goes a-hunting for a swan

            And is about to bag it when it turns

            Into Odette (a princess, naturally)

 

            They fall in love

            But there’s a hitch:

            She’s only human during nights

            Because a bad guy’s cast a spell on her

            (And lots of friends, it turns out too)

            That’s hard to break unless

            The prince will love her for eternity

 

            So far so good

 

            Siegfried prepares for marriage

            But is duped into declaring his intentions

            For Odile

            A double who has masqueraded as his girl

 

            Thus the spell is reinforced

 

            The prince discovers the duplicity

            And begs forgiveness of Odette

            To whom he dedicates his heart

            Too late

            She drowns herself and Siegfried joins her in the lake,

            Rothbart (the evil sorcerer) is destroyed

            And all the incidental swans return to human form

 

            In other versions

 

            Siegfried dies, Odette remains a swan

 

            Or she’s restored to human form

            To marry him

 

            Or Siegfried’s left alone to mourn

            Her death by suicide

 

            Or both turn into swans after they kill themselves

 

            There’s even one where

            Rothbart kills his rival and escorts Odette

            To heaven

 

            They’re happy all the same

            No matter which

 

            They have to be

            When laundry’s been eliminated from the list