There was the shyest dryad br Lived in the forest wild; br A spider sewed her clothing, br A wolf thought her, its child. br br A hawk was her hunter, br An owl was her guard: br She slept inside a Yew tree br Whenever she grew tired. br br A nymph was her neighbor, br A naiad bathed her clean, br As she grew up strong and healthy, br Hid in the forest green. br br She prayed to the Sun-god br To bring to her a love, br And he sent her a Woodsman, br Her heart just to move. br br But he chopped down her tree br To make her his bride, br And the tree kept her life- br While she died, half-inside. br br The Woodsman he wept tears br To drown a forest-glen; br And the whole woods went under, br When the sky joined in. br br The heaven's convened a meeting, br They must save the land; br And granted him a promise, br And the dryad a new plan. br br So she became a woman; br Sometimes hard, sometimes soft: br Sometimes hard, the outside- br Inside, of softer cloth. br br She loved her a Woodsman br More than her life, br And wearing all green, br She soon became his wife. br br They had many children, br Who ran mostly wild- br For they were half of Woodsman br And half a dryad-child br br And there was a sign- br If you looked deep in their eyes- br A wildness that was in there br You knew would never die.