The Forever Tree

There was a girl that lived in that house once. I watched her grow up here, she was a little princess. And she called me the Forever Tree. She was born a long, long time ago; November it was when her mother Melissa, the more graceful of the twin girls who grew up here before the tiny princess, had a child. She was still a child herself mind you, only sixteen she was. Her lover Jason was only a few years older than she, but they loved the tiny pricess all the same. They named her Samantha, and Gods Listener she was indeed. She listened to her parents bicker and she listened to the birds sing in the morning and she listened to the crickets sing at night; And she listened to me. What stories I told my little Princess Samantha as she sat in my branches and ate my fruit. I told her about the fae in the woods just beyond her home, I told her if she was ever to venture past the iron of her country home that they woud most certainly snatch her up.

"Oh Dear," She would exclaim, she was quite frightened. "And what could they want with me?" She asked

So I told her what she had to know. I told her that she was a little princess and those horrible beasties would snatch her up in an instant, and take her to their home in the wood and make her do foolish things and see things that weren't truely there. I told her true, and she listened to me for a good many years until Princess Samantha turned fourteen.

Her hair had grown from the small patch on her head to a long chestnut wave down her back. She sat under my branches, too big to climb them now, but still she came to visit me and eat my fruit and make dandilion crowns. She had been sitting there silently until she asked a strange question.

"What do you suppose is back there, Forever Tree?"

Back where I asked, absent mindedly sweeping the hair from her face. The tiny princess was having a bit of trouble with her mother latley, Melissa was a bit of a drinker she was, and she had concieved another child not four years ago. That child was no princess though, she would never live up to what my little princess was at that age. This one pulling leaves and chacing cats, yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs at all hours of the night, gave me a bloody head ake it did.

"In the woods."

You mustn't go there dearie. Do not wonder, there are things back there. Not good things either, love. I cooed

"Yes but, the whole town says there are faeries back there."

And its true little princess! I cried, its true! They'll take you away, you'll never be back.

"I thought fearies grant wishes."

They can love, but it isn't worth what they could ask in return.

"They have a prince you know."

I know indeed! Such a prince. Not your kind at all miss, not at all.

"They say there's a water horse back there, and if you get on his back he takes you to heaven to see your lost loved ones."

Oh dearie me, can they! You'll go see your lost loved ones and never return. That horse will drownd you in the stream and eat your tummy out of your body. You're out of you mind messing about with a Kelpie.

"Kelpies? Is that what you call them?"

I've had enough of this I said. Quite enough.

"But I've got so many questions."

Enough stories for today little princess.

And that was that, she sighed and finished her apple, said good night and was off to bed. That was the first time my tiny listener princess didn't heed my words. I told her not to enter the wood, I told her not to eat the faerie's food, And I told her to stay far away from their courts. The only time she didn't listen.

The day after she asked me about the Kelpie, a blue bird told me she had wandered into the woods late at night. She looked almost enchanted, glowing she was, wearing a white flowing gown. Barefoot she walked down the cobblestones and into the wood. Her chestnut hair trailing behind her, in the soft summer air.

So I wept, I knew my princess would never return. The fruit fell from my branches and my leaves all drooped to the ground. I slouched and sobbed for my tiny princess, but she was already gone.

Months later it was told she was to be wed to that prince. What did he want with a human anyhow? She was just a girl, just a tiny, tiny girl. Mortal. She was my girl, and he stole her from me. Enchanted she walked indeed. Past the glowing mermaids and the wicked Kelpie and into the arms of a prince. My tiny princess was to be wed to that prince. But she was alive, surely she would come home again, if not for me, for her things.

Years pasted and Tiny Princess Samantha, never returned to the Forever Tree