The Goddess of the Three Forests

The Goddess of the Three Forests looked down on her people, and she was happy. For she was loved by her people, and she loved them in return. Indeed, how could it be any other way? For to look at the face of the Goddess was to know love, and to see her people was to know joy.

Every forest labored in the love of their Goddess, that they might grow warmer in her favor and live closer to her light.

In the Forest of the Wise, they watched all the events of the world, and wrote them down in books to give knowledge to their children and their Goddess.

In the Forest of the Strong, they trained their children to chop wood and protect each other, so that all of them would have homes, and the land of their Goddess would be safe from any who wished them harm.

In the Forest of the True, they sang songs of joy and told all people about the wonders of the Goddess, so that the Forests could have music and others could know their happiness.

There was no happier world than this, and no happier Goddess in it.

She shared her smiles equally with all of the Three Forests, to let them know of her happiness.

One day, she was walking the Forest of the Wise in human form, and she came across a Wise Man. She saw that he was reading a book, and she said, “May I read your book?”

The Wise Man looked up, saw a beautiful woman, and said, “Of course you may! Knowledge is for all, and is to be shared equally.” The Goddess read a few pages of the book, and laughed because she was happy.

Upon hearing her laugh, the Wise Man realized that this was the Goddess! He rushed back to his town to get the other people of the Forest of the Wise, and he brought them back with him. They all came to where the Goddess was, and presented her with many books. She laughed at all of them, even if they were very serious.

Some of the Wise Men frowned when she laughed at their serious books, though. They said, “But those are serious, do not laugh!”

In response, the Goddess giggled in a very high voice, and smiled at the serious Wise Men, who frowned at her a little more. So she laughed and laughed and laughed, until she realized that the serious Wise Men were now very unhappy.

When she realized that she had upset them, she became unhappy, too! So she disappeared back into the sky, and did not walk in the Forest of the Wise anymore.

However, she was not unhappy for long, and another day found her skipping in the Forest of the Strong, where she came across a Strong Man chopping wood. She said to him, “May I borrow your axe?”

The Strong Man looked up, saw a beautiful woman, and said, “Of course you may! All should grow strong, that they may build homes and protect the forests!” He handed her the axe, and she gave him a hug in thanks.

The Strong Man was completely smitten with the beautiful woman as soon as she touched him, for such was the power of the Goddess. And when she felled a dead tree in one blow, he realized who she was! He said (though he knew it was silly), “Goddess, will you come live with me in my home of wood that I have made myself?”

She laughed in reply, and skipped away toward his town. He ran after her, desiring always to be near his Goddess and love!

When they reached the town, many people saw the Strong Man chasing after a beautiful woman, and they laughed. “How weak he looks,” they said, “chasing like a dog always after her!” The Goddess laughed with them because she loved her people, and when they joked it was funny.

But the Strong Man did not laugh. He was hurt. And when the Goddess skipped by his house, he realized that she was not going to live with him, but was only skipping into the town to see her people.

The Goddess saw this, and turned to the Strong Man and said, “Don’t worry. It will be okay.” But deep in her heart, she knew that she had accidentally hurt the Strong Man. So, she disappeared and tried to avoid skipping in the Forest of the Strong from then on.

Now, she did not know what to do about the Strong Man, but she could not go to the Forest of the Wise and get knowledge, because she had upset some of the Wise Men. So, her only choice was to wander in the Forest of the True in search of something to help her.

And in time, indeed she found a True Man playing his flute, sitting against an old oak tree. She said to him, “Could you play me a song?”

The True Man only smiled and began to play, for they rarely needed words in the Forest of the True. He played her a song of Wisdom, a song of Strength, and a song of Truth. She felt herself uplifted by the melody, and smiled at him with all the warmth that a Goddess can show.

The True Man smiled in return. He had known that this was the Goddess from the moment she appeared; the smile only confirmed his knowledge.

They sat for a long time while he played the flute and she smiled. The sun set, and rose, and set, and rose again while the melody never stopped. The True Man had found his purpose, and the Goddess was happy with what she had found in the Forest of the True.

They walked together for many weeks, sometimes in the forest, and sometimes in the town. There were few people in the Forest of the Truth, but all who saw her knew her as the Goddess, and were happy for the True Man who walked with her. He played the flute, and sometimes she would sing through her smile, a glorious sound.

After the sun had risen many more times, the True Man finally found his words. He turned to the Goddess and said, “I love you, Goddess, and would know if you feel the same.”

She giggled, and said, “But of course! I love you just as I love all my people!”

But the True Man had meant something more, and was devastated at these words. He fled into the forest speaking words to himself for a time, for he no longer trusted that his melodies would bring truth to him.

And now the Goddess had nowhere to go, for in all her good intentions she had upset the Wise Men, hurt a Strong Man, and fooled a True Man. So, she disappeared into her palace in the sky, and tried to smile at all her people from there.

How do I know all of this? Well, dear reader, I was there. And I hear rumors that sometimes she comes out of the palace even now, but disguised in many ways.

So, keep an eye out. You never know when you might see her, skipping through your Forest, laughing and smiling and wanting everybody to be happy.

-Max