The Willow Maid and Other Stories

The Willow Maid

"Take care my son," an elderly woman called from the door of her woodland home.

"I'll be sure to bring back something tasty for dinner!" Her son waved goodbye as he trekked further into the deep forest. He was out there for at least an hour, setting up traps and tracking animals when he heard the most beautiful tune.

The young man followed the sound of the song and soon came across the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes upon. The maiden ceased her singing upon the boy's arrival, staring  at him from her place beneath her home.

He introduced himself promptly," hello, my name is August. And you are?"

The beautiful lady sat quietly, seemingly pondering if she should tell him her name or not. "I am Maerial."

"Maerial, what a beautiful name." The man was enraptured with her looks. He loved the way her long crimson hair glistened in the afternoon light and her calm demeanor.

"Why are you here?" Maerial questioned, smiling slightly.

"I followed the sound of your marvelous voice. How long have you been here? You must come with me before it gets dark." He beckoned. "Come with me, my maiden. Come from the willow bed."

She looked at him serenely, from a ring of toadstools red, and only shook her head. "Don't ask me to follow where you lead, sir."

"What must I do to get you to leave?" He seemed anxious.

"Nothing, for I will not be leaving." She answered him.

"Fine then, I shall return tomorrow with a plan that is sure to make you come with me." The lovestruck male trudged home with only a few rabbits to eat. He would need to go hunting again.

When he returned home, his mother checked him over for injury. Normally he'd have brushed her off by now but he just stood there as she look him over.

The mother knew the glint in his eye, he was troubled by something. "What is wrong, August?"

"I met someone today, Mother." Her son snapped out his daze and quickly began to speak about the beautiful lady he had encountered in the forest.

"Who was it?" The old woman sat down in a chair to listen to her boy's troubles.

"A beautiful girl by the name of Maerial." He reminisced.

"Sounds like you're in love," The lady chuckled.

"Yes," He sighed.

The next morning, August dressed himself in a stylish green coat and picked the most beautiful flower from his mother's garden, with her permission of course.

The lovestruck man met his love beneath her weeping willow and presented the yellow bloom. "Girl, my heart you've captured. For I would be your groom."

The lovely lady shook her head once again," I will wed you never, not near, nor far, nor soon."

"But why not, my beautiful maiden?" He seemed saddened by her blunt rejection.

"Here beneath this willow, I was born. And here beneath this willow, I shall perish." She answered, looking up into the tree.

"Fine then, I shall return tomorrow my love," August smiled, leaving with a heart broken.

The next morning, the man was overcome with rage. The woman he had fallen for would be his, no matter what he had to do. Late in the afternoon, the young man set out once again. This time with an axe sharp as a knife. "I'll take the green eyed fairy, for she shall be wife! With her, I'll raise my children. With her, I'll live my life!"

Maerial wept when she heard him, when he said he'd set her free. Her tears did not faze him as trudged closer to the beautiful willow. He took his axe and used it to cut down her ancient tree. "Now your willow's fallen, now you belong to me." He practically yelled to the crying girl, grabbing her by the wrist and leading her from the forest.

They were halfway to August's home when the maiden collapsed upon the earth, her limbs too weary to go on. Her feet had walked but a distance from the green land of her birth. And there beneath the full moon, the fire haired girl was transformed into a lovely flower that would bloom for one bright eve.

August stared in disbelief at the beautiful bloom and recalled the words his father had taught him as a young lad, 'you cannot take from the forest what was never meant to leave, my son.' Realizing his foolish mistake, the young lad once again returned home empty-handed with nothing but a wondrous story to share...

DISCLAIMER!! I don't have any rights to this beautiful song. The only things I own are the little bits of unconfirmed detail I have added to make the story sound better without the lovely tune.