Did none of you ever question why Robin Hood could melt into the trees?
Unless he had a ton of rope or great upper body strength, how did he escape?
It is time to tell our story, but it may not make you happy.
Your idol, your rebel, your outlaw and his band of heroes were mere leaves on the wind.

For you see, when we were young trees, my sisters and I played at make believe.
Our two male cousins often joined us, but most forget the drys.
We were kids, and our magic was weak then.
My cousins created Much and Friar Tuck; they could build bigger shapes.

Only one of us had enough power to make long skirts, so
Robin pranced around the woods with his merry men.
Our parents found it harmless, and they laughed at our magical creations.
At first, we sent our leafy figures into town to test our magic.

Could we fool anyone? What would the people see?
We were shocked by the poverty, the toil, and the starvation.
Knowing only we wanted to help, we broke mere human laws.
We had no use for gold, and we did not understand why the Sheriff needed so much of it.

It was easy for us to block the road, dancing back into the trees before the guards could react.
We gave our first spoils to the townspeople; we could see their fear.
They took a close look at our figures, and yes, they noticed that Robin had twigs for hair.
Will Scarlet’s cloak was merely woven maple leaves.

The people exchanged glances, and we saw the elders nod.
The leader bowed to Robin and thanked him for his service.
When the Sheriff questioned anyone, they refused to help, but even if they had,
wealthy men would never have believed a story about dryads at play.

We got our people through the harsh years of John’s treachery and Richard’s absent rule.
By the time we outgrew the game, the people did not need us anymore.
But occasionally, they tell our stories, not legends of Robin Hood, but the truth about the trees.
Then a little one will wander in seeking a friend, and an outlaw always escorts them safely home.