So be it then. There once did live a boy, The only child of needy forest-folk, Who grew up in the woodland solitudes; Few souls he knew beside his parents twain. His build was slender, and his skin well-nigh Transparent; marvels of the spirit hid Deep in his eye; long could one gaze therein. And though few human beings ever came Into the circle of his daily life, The lad was well befriended none the less. When golden sunshine bathed the neighbouring hills, With thoughtful eyes he drew the spirit-gold Into his soul, until his heart became Kin to the morning glory of the sun. But when the morning sunshine could not break Through dense dark banks of cloud, and heaviness Lay on the hills around, his eye grew sad, And sorrow took possession of his heart. Thus his attention only centred on The spirit-fabric of his narrow world, A world that seemed as much a part of him As did his limbs and body. Woodlands all And trees and flowers he felt to be his friends; From crown and calyx and from tops of trees, The spirit beings spake full oft to him, And all their whisperings were lucid speech. Marvels and wonders of the hidden worlds Disclosed themselves unto the boy when he Held converse in his soul with many things By men deemed lifeless. Evening often fell, And still the boy would be away from home, And cause his loving parents much distress. At such times he was at a place near by In which a spring rose gushing from the rocks, To fall in misty spray upon the stones. When silver moonbeams would reflect themselves, A miracle of colour and of light, Full in the rush of hasting waterdrops, The boy could spend beside the rock-born spring Hour after hour, till spirit-shapes appeared Before the vision of the youthful seer Where moonbeams shivered on the falling drops. They grew to be three forms in woman's shape, Who spoke to him about those things in which His yearning soul made known its interest. And when upon a gentle summer night The lad was once more sitting by the spring, A myriad particles one woman took From out the coloured web of waterdrops And to the second woman handed them. She fashioned from the watery particles A gleaming chalice with a silver sheen And handed it in turn unto the third. She filled the vessel with the silver rays Of moonlight and then gave it to the boy, Who had beheld all this with inner sight. During the night which followed this event He dreamed a dream in which he saw himself Robbed of this chalice by some dragon wild. After this night had passed, the boy beheld But three times more the marvel of the stream. Then the three women stayed away from him Although he sat and mused beside the spring That gushed beneath the moonlight from the rock.