After a long time
The boy came back again.
“ I’m sorry, Boy,” said the tree, “but I have nothing left to give you –
My pomegranates are gone.”
“My teeth are too weak for pomegranates,” said the boy.
“My branches are gone,” said the tree. “ You can’t swing on them –“
“ I’m too old to swing on branches,” said the boy.
“ My trunk is gone,” said the tree.
“You can’t climb –“
“ I’m too tired to climb,” said the boy.
“ I’m sorry,” sighed the tree.
“ I wish that I could give you something………
But I have nothing left, I’m just an old stump. I’m sorry……..”
“ I don’t need anything for myself now,” said the boy.
“But my grand-daughter is very ill and the doctors weren’t able to heal her. Can you cure her?.”
The tree said, “ I only have my last breath of life left and my magic is also waning. But I also can’t see you unhappy. Very well, dig up my roots and crush them into powder. Three nights from now, go to the south-western fringe of this forest and there will emerge a magical fairy ring made up with wild-mushrooms. Place your grand-daughter in the middle of it and sprinkle my root-powders on her and on the edges of the ring. And when the moon shines in it’s brightest point, say this evocation spell.” The boy learned the spell.
After three nights, he sought out the fairy ring and lay down his grand-daughter in the circle. He sprinkled the root's dust and when the moon shined its brightest, he chant up the spell:
O great, noble and magnificent mother of nature………
By the Luna’s favour and thy grace………
Dew your orbs of magic upon the gilded greens………
Take a life…… Vow a return to living…….
Cure her in thy shade………
O glorious mother, heed my call………
In your grace lays life’s savours …………
Suddenly, the fairy ring became a ring of light and the moon-light became so bright that the boy closed his eyes. When he opened them, the forest has returned to its previous serenity and the fairy ring had vanished. His grand-daughter is cured. He left with her without turning to look back even once.
The gentle rustling of the leaves in the breeze returned the forest into tranquility.
But in all this tranquility, there lingers a sigh and as if someone is saying, “hope you are happy now.”