The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-08-15
Forest Myths.

OuCt upOn u = n lale Nlutll
spread in Asia-four travellers spent q
night in a forest, and agreed that one
Of them should keep watch by tnrn;
while the others slept. The first watcher
was a carpenter. By way Of passing
the time, he took his axe, and, out Of
the stem Of a tree lying PROSTATE hard
by, fashioned the form OF a woman
shapely In figure and comedy in face.
Then he woke n of his comrades, and
lay down to rest. The second watcher
was a tailor. And when he saw the
wooden woman lying bare on the
ground, he produced his work basket
and bundle of stuifs, and clothed her
handsomely from head to foot. Then
he, too, resumed his slumber, after
having aroused the third Of the party,
who was a jeweler. And the jeweler
was struck by the sight of the fair and
well-dressed female form leaning against
a neighboring tree, and he opened his
caskets and decked her with rings and
necklaces and bracelets. Then he called
the last Of the party, who was a holy
man, strong In prayer and incarnation,
and went to sleep. And when the fourth
watcher saw the wooden woman, so
we'll dressed and decked, he set to
work, and by spells and prayers turned
her wood into flesh and blood, and in
spired her with life. just then his
three companions awoke, and gazed
with wonder and admiration at the
lovely creature who stood before them,
simultaneously each Of the four
travellers claimed her as his wife; the
carpenter because he had framed her,
the tailor because he had dressed her,
the jeweler because he had adorned
her, and the holy man because he had
given her life. A fierce dispute arose.
The authorities of the neighboring
village were in vain appealed to; the
problem, as to which OF the four had
most claim to the hand of the disputed
bride, was too difficult for them to
solve. At last it was resolved to submit
the case to a higher court. The claim
ants, the judges, and the audience all
went out to the cemetery, and there
prayed for a decision from on high.
While the prayer went up the woman
leaned against a tree. Suddenly the
tree opened, and the woman entered it,
and was seen no more AS she disap-
peared, a voice from on high was heard
saying, "To its origin shall every
created thing return" The mythology
cal core of this story is the idea that
human and tree life may be connected.
The rest of 1t has been supplied by
teachers, who wished to inculcate the
doctrine that all things return to their
first elements, and narrators DESTROYS
Of framing one of the numerous stories
involving a problem or puzzle capable
of various solutions. The leading idea
has been better presented in the follow
ing modern Greek folk-tale There
was once a childless wife, who used to
lament saying, "If only | had a child,
were it but a laurel berry!" And
heaven sent her a golden laurel berry,
but its value was not recognized, and it
was thrown away. From it sprang a
laurel tree which CLEANED with golden
twigs. AT 1t a Prince, while following
the chase, wondered greatly. And
determining to return to it, he ordered
his cook to prepare a dinner for him
beneath its shade. He was obeyed. But
during the temporary absence OF the
cook the tree opened, and forth came a
maiden, who strewed a handful of salt
over the viands, and then returned into
the tree, which immediately'closed upon
her. The Prince returned and scolded
the cook for oversalting the dinner.
The cook declared his innocence, but in
vain. The next day just the same oc-
Cured. So on the next day the Prince
kept watch. The tree opened, and the
maiden came forth. But before she
could return into the tree the Prince
caught hold of her and carried her of.
After a time she escaped from him, ran
back to the tree, and called upon it to
open. But it remained shut. So she
had to return to the Prince. And after
a while he deserted her, 1t was not till
after long wandering that she found
him again, and became his royal con-
sort. Hahn thinks this story is founded
on the Hellenic belief in Dryads; but
it belongs to an earlier neurological
family than the Hellenic, though the
Dtyad and the Laurel-maiden are I'M
doubleday kinswomen. Long before
the Dryads and breads had received
from the sculpturesque Greek mind
their perfection of human form and
face, trees were credited with woman
like inhabitants capable Of doing good
and ill, and with powers of their own,
apart from those possessed by the
supernatural tenants, of banning and
blessing.