Guardian of the River

Deep in forbidden woods

beneath a wide oak tree

there ran a river so pure

that the forest made a decree,

Let there live a troll

as ancient as the sea;

in my forest he will reside

and this river's protector he shall be.

From my forest he is made -

rocks, dirt, and moss too -

and if ever he is bested

I shall take back what is due.

Curious villagers wandered close

to the mystical river's edge

and there the troll would be waiting,

perched on a nearby ledge.

"If you wish to cross," he'd say,

"there is a price;

answer my riddle in one guess,

not twice and not thrice."

Many tried to cross the river

but not one could succeed

to solve the forest troll's riddles

and with their journeys proceed.

One day a young girl stopped

on the banks for a drink

when she heard a gravelly voice

that made her heart sink.

"I am the troll of the forest

and protector of the stream;

you have drank from sacred waters

and for your sins you must redeem.

Answer 'yes' to one question

if you wish to walk free,

and only if you are truthful

will I honor this decree."

The girl agreed to listen

for she had no choice,

and stood tall as she waited

for the command of the troll's voice.

"In this world of wonder,

there exists both joy and fright,

but is there such a thing

as love at first sight?"

The troll felt smug as he waited

for a reply from the young maid,

for he knew with no lovers

she had thus far laid.

At last the girl spoke

and her voice was sure,

"I do believe in love at first sight,

it is real and pure-".

"Liar," the troll cheered,

"You are far too young!

What of love

could you possibly know,

innocent one?"

The girl smiled at him

with her eyes shining bright,

and she spoke with soft wonder

in the warm summer light.

"When I wake in the morning

to my one room cottage,

I see my mother folding clothes

and my brother stirring porridge.

When I hear the goats mew

as the sun begins to set,

I see my father return from the fields

and up to greet him I get;

When my sister runs home

with a full pale of water,

my heart leaps with joy

knowing she's near and not farther.

Love at first sight,

yes -

I believe it is true;

for each time that I see them

my love starts anew."

The troll released a sudden cry

and clutched at his heart

for the young girl had spoken true

and it was him she'd outsmart.

With a groan the troll grew

legs of oak and branches too,

soaring to the sky until

the highest branch was out of view.

In the troll's place now stood a tree

with leaves that touched the clouds,

a twin to the ancient oak

that stood beside it, tall and proud.

A bridge appeared over the river

in the silence that fell,

inviting the young girl to pass over

the current's roaring swell.

The girl took one look at the bridge

before turning to leave,

"The sun will soon set," she said,

"I must be home before eve'."

Without another word she took off,

taking a left and then a right -

quickening her pace towards home

where she'd again find love at first sight.