Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-09-29
THE ANCIENT LEGEND
OF Weeping WILLOW
Which Tells How 1t Came To Be So
Named

Once upon time. long, long while
ago, forester went into .the deepest
d lrkest portion of great woods to
look for brands to keep his fire going.
! Here be gathered together as much as
be could carry, and after resting bit
and sitting still to listen to all the wild
things that made music and seemed as
though they would gladly have him
abide with them. be started home, bear
Ing his great bundle of frewoOd with
him.
Now, just where the forest gave
place to the thinner cOpse which skirt
9 a smooth, green meadow. the man
met wInsome little maiden, who
smiled in his face and said: Good
morrow, Master hope that all is we'll
with thee"
The forester answered civiIy, and as
he did so slender branch loOsened it.
self from his bundle and trailed on the
ground to some length, so be caught it
impatiently and tossed it aside, lest it
trip his feet and cause him to fall.
| Seeing this, the maid asked in the
sweetest tone the man had ever heard:
GOOD Master, may have. the branch
1t VIII be trodden underfoot it left
here.''
"Ye may without the asking, so be |
it ye'stoop for 1t; but what is the use
o. a thing like to that? 1t will ma
grow
"Oh, will plant and tend it," an
swered the maid, holding the long
green twig between her finger tips.
"Who may tell? We know not the sec.
rets he'd in the hearts O. such as this;
indeed, we know them not"
The man passed on his way silently
looking back once or twice at the little
maid as she stood in the forest path,
with her wind blown curls of gold and
her eyes with the blue of heaven in
their clear depths.
. When he had quite disappeared the
little maid went her way across the
green meadow, carrying with her the
long, slender twig, and reaching the
little garden, which was all her own,
she planted the twig, whispering low
Ing words as she did so, and begged it
not to die, but to try its best to like the
garden and grow there as her friend
and companion.
Now, every day she watered the twig
and every day she said tender words,
aud saw that no one was rough with
it, that no beast came near to frighteD
it or crush out it's tender life, and after
a while the tWigs seeming to under .
stand ali she said and to feel her loving !
care. took root and began to grow. :
Then, day by day. it grew stronger and 8
sturdier, and the little maid loved it as
she had never loved tree or plant be
fore.
Summer time came. then winter and r
spring again; then another year passed G
and many came in wonder to see the -.
beautiful tree which belonged to the
maid, for such had never been seen in
this country before.
But one day, after the tree had grown ;
to some size and was known in all the I
villages round, there came cold wind
blowing from the dark mountains and
the thick forest. The trees
bent and mOaned and complained
among themselves, for the wind was ,
bitter and cruel and tore their limbs
aud snapped off their heads and did
great damage TO many of them. But
the tree in the garden of the maid only
swung back and laughed at the wind,
for it was sheltered from the storm
and did not fear.
But the little maid-was it the storm?
Was it the frost king that pressed his
chilling kisses upon her lips? No one
could say-but she grew very pale one
day. and after little while the lids,
with their long, siken lashes, dropped,
and then she did not answer when they
called, and they said: The maid is
dead.''
Now, they prepared resting place
for the maid beneath the tree she had
loved so well, thinking she would sleep
sweetly under its low. dropping branch
es. But it was seen at once that the
tree dropped and languished, and on
the zephyrs came mCurnful signing
and sobbing, while every branch quiv.
cred and trembled as though it's heart
Was grieving too deep for human be-
ing to understand.
And now, while they watched, every
branch of the tree turned to the earth,
as though to embrace the maid sleep
ing below, and every leaf turned down.
ward, while all whispered in low tones
among themselves.
See how the tree is grievlng," said |
one Of those standing near. ''She call
ed it the willow. 1t were fitting now
to call it the Weeping Willow"
And so the tree was from that day |
called the Nv eeping Willow" FIX.
change.