Запретный лес

           Thefarmersaremostlynewmen,andeventhepeasant,whoshouldbetheenduringstock,hasshiftedhisslowbones.IlearnedfromthepostmanthatinWoodileeto-daytherewasnoMonfries,noSprot,butonePennecuik,andonlytwobearersofthenamesofRitchieandShillinglaw,whichhadoncebeenplentifulasragwort.Insucharenovatedworlditwasidletohopetofindsurvivingthetaleswhichhadperplexedmychildhood.NoonecouldtellmewhenorwhythekirkbytheCrossbasketmarchbecamearuin,anditsgravestoneslayburiedinweeds.Mostdidnotevenknowthatithadbeenakirk.

           Iwasnotgreatlysurprisedbythis,forthekirkofWoodileehadnotbeenusedforthebetterpartofthreecenturies;andevenasachildIcouldnotfindmanytotellmeofitslastminister.Thethinghadsunkfromataletoan"owercome,"aformofwordswhicheveryoneknewbutwhichfewcouldinterpret.ItwasJessBlane,thegrieve’sdaughter,whofirststirredmycuriosity.InawhirlofwrathatsomeofmydoingssheprayedthatthefateoftheministerofWoodileemightbemine--afatewhichsheexpoundedastobe"claughtbytheDeilandawa’wi’."Alittlescared,Icarriedtheaffairtomynurse,whowasgravelyscandalized,anddenouncedJessasa"shamefu’tawpie,fylingthewean’smindwi’herblacklees.""Dinnayoubefeared,dearie,"shereassuredme."ItwasnatheDeilthatcam’fortheministero’Woodilee.I’veayeheardtellthathewasaguidmanandakindman.ItwastheFairies,hinny.Andheleev’dhappywi’themanddee’dhappy,andneverdrankouto’anemptycup.