• my mother told me of this beautiful woman once.
    she would live up in the mountains where animals would be the most abundent. she never harms them though; she simply cares for them.
    my mother told me if she ever sees me i musn't be rude. the maiden would ask me to sit and have tea with her. we should make small talk and then she would disappear leaving a pot full of gold for those who are kind.
    when i walked through the village today i heard that one of the hunters died today. witnesses says that he was about to kill a fox pup until this young and beautiful maiden showed up. they told me that she was furious and sent an oni to eat him.
    another time i heard another couple sighing over their loss.
    they said that they lost their daughter who wandered into the mountians and decided not to come back home. they told me that she was not an ordinairy girl.
    as the years went by i got older and the girl was still on my mind. my mother died when i was twenty and i needed to feed my brothers and sisters. one day i decided to go up in the mountains for food.
    the air was thin and cold but like any other mountain boy i was used to it.
    i came upon a waterfall at the edge of a Sakura tree. it was there i saw a deer.
    i raised my bow and arrow to fire until someone cried: "STOP!"
    i spun around and to my surprise i saw the maiden who looked exactly what she did 13 years ago.
    she walked up to me and placed her cold hand on my cheek. her eyes were deep and now cold.
    before i could say anything i heard a roaring sound. i looked up and saw an oni with its teeth snarling. i was scared but the maiden called it off then looked at me again.
    "Leave now," she said. "I will not kill you, but if i see you trying to harm anything in the mountains again i will kill you"
    with those cold words she disappered in a blanket of Sakura petels and i found myself back home again.
    i walked back to the couple who have lost their daughter and asked about her.
    they told me that she was a child of the earth and she will never stand if anyone tried to harm any living thing.
    as the years gone by rumors began.
    villigers started to see the young maiden. when someone tried to chop down one of her trees its roots came alive and strangled the person.
    whe someone tried to drink her water without asking it would come alive and drown him.
    but i stayed quiet. now i've grown so old that i can't walk now.
    my time has come and if i have one wish i would like to see her again.
    out of a cloud of Sakura petels she appeared still looking young and beautiful.
    she kneels over at me with gentle eyes now.
    "You have kept your word and i thank you deeply" she said. "I am sorry though; i can not revive your body but at least i can give you another chance to live"
    she leaned over and kissed me. those soft beautiful lips until we found ourselves at the Sakura tree. her oni placed me under it and started to dig my grave.
    "Keep this tree alive and let its life run through yours" she said.
    i nodded then the earth was finally upon me. but i wonder through every season of the identidy of that beautiful girl.
    to this day i still wonder as she sits below my branches.
    i still wonder.