The Lost Dryad

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Lost Dryad by Frank Richard Stockton. There was once
a dryad who was truly lost. The summer was drawing
to close, the nights were becoming cool. She had no home,
and she did not know where she was. Not long before,
while she was still in her oak tree, there had
been a terrible storm. The tree had been dashed to
the ground and splintered to pieces, while the poor dryad

(00:21):
had been blown away in a way, in a way
she did not know where. Now she was looking for
another oak tree to live in, but she was lost,
absolutely lost. One tree she found what she thought might
shell to her, but while she examined it, she found
that it was getting old and its trunk was badly cracked.
After her terrible experience, she was afraid to go into
a cracked tree, and so she kept on her way.

(00:43):
At a little distance, she saw a village shaded by trees,
and the thought came to her that she might possibly
find a home in a big oak there. That would
be fine. Truly, she had never lived in a village.
It would be a new experience. So she kept on.
But when she reached the place, she found that few
of the trees were oaks, and these were not very
well grown and too small for her. It was nearly

(01:04):
supper time in the village, and therefore there were not
many people in the street. But presently she met a
big man with a cross face. Oh ho, oh ho,
he cried, who are you? You cannot go about the
street like that. The poor dryad was terribly frightened. Like
what she asked? You must go home and dress, he said,
I am dressed, said she. These are all the clothes

(01:26):
I ever wear. Do you call these clothes? He said?
Come along with me. I am a constable. I will
take you to the lock up. You must be crazy,
but they will take care of you there, and at
any rate will dress you properly. The poor dryad trembled
from head to foot. She did not know what a
lock up was, but she knew it must be a
terrible place, and she had never seen anyone look so
cruel as this man. He had already seized her by

(01:48):
the arm, and if his grasp should have been tighter,
she believed her arm would break in two. Poor, weak,
beautiful dry head. What could she do? She thought of something.
It was her only hope. It must be remembered that
there is a peculiar property pertaining to the kiss of
a dryad. Whenever a dryad kisses a human being, that
person becomes ten years younger. So all good mothers are

(02:10):
very careful to keep their children away from large oak trees.
If a girl of a dozen years were to sit
in the shade of one of those trees, she might
attract the attention of an affectionate tree dweller. And then
if this dryad should kiss her, the little toddler of
two years might go home if perchance she remembered where
she lived, and astound her parents. But if a child
who was not yet ten should be kissed, it would

(02:32):
disappear utterly. The dryad remembered her rare gift as she
looked up tearfully into the stern face of the constable. Please, sir,
said she don't take me away. I shall be frightened
to death if you do. I have something to tell you,
but only you must hear it. Please let me whisper
it to you. The constable looked at her. He was
fond of hearing secrets, and it was quite proper that

(02:53):
people should confide in him, So he bent down his
head to hear what the dryadad to say. In a moment,
she kissed him twice, and he had time to notice
the change. He was a man of thirty years of age,
vigorous and handsome. He released his grasp upon her arm
and stood up straight and tall. Oh ho, he cried.
And who are you? Put down your head, said the
dry head, And let me tell you, And she gave

(03:14):
him two more kisses. Now they stood before her, a
boy of ten, very much troubled. I don't know what
is the matter with my clothes, said he. My breeches
are all down about my feet. They are like an
old man's trousers. And my shoes and stockings. Where did
I get such big shoes and stockings? And this great
jerkin is too big for me. I'm going to throw
it off. That is right, little boy, said the dryad.

(03:36):
Throw it off and pull off those shoes and stockings.
You can walk a great deal better in your bare feet.
You must have been asleep, and in a dream you
put on your father's clothes. I expect that was it,
said he. It must have been that I run along home,
little boy, said the dry head, And carry carefully your
father's jerkin and his shoes and stockings. Perhaps if you
put them where you found them, he may never know.

(03:58):
Now run along, and the little boy ran along. The
dryad was now alone, but she was still frightened. She
was sure there were no trees here which would suit her,
and she was afraid of meeting some other cruel person.
So she slipped into a side street, and there she
saw a light coming through a glass door. This was
the only light in the street, and she went up
to it and looked in. Inside was a small room,

(04:20):
not very well furnished, but by a table with a
light on it. There sat a girl trimming a hat.
The dryad smiled with pleasure. She was not afraid of
a girl, especially one who was so pretty and looked
so gentle. Perhaps she might tell her where there was
a good oak tree. So she opened the door without
making any noise and stepped in. At first, the girl
was startled and dropped the hat she was trimming, But

(04:41):
when the dryad quickly told her who she was and
what a sad plight she was in, she was reassured.
She had heard of dryads and was glad to see one.
But you must remember this, she exclaimed, On no account,
must you kiss me? I am engaged to be married,
and I would not have you kiss me for the world.
Oh no, no, no, said the dryad, No matter how
could you are me. I shall be very careful. Can

(05:02):
you tell me where there is a large oak tree?
I do not remember any, said the girl, but I
expect you sorely need one, for you must feel cold
in the evening. Oh no, said the dryad. I am
not cold. But what a beautiful hat you are making.
Such a lovely silken lace you were putting on it. Yes,
said the girl, holding up the hat for the lamp.
I am trying to make it pretty, but this silk

(05:23):
is tarnished. It has lost a good deal of its color.
My stepmother thinks it is good enough for me, and
so I must do the best I can with it,
poor girl, said the dryad. She ought to give you
the nicest stuffs there are in the village. You're so
pretty and moved by pity and affection. She was about
to give the girl a kiss of sympathy, but remembering
just in time that that would never do, she kissed

(05:44):
the hat instantly. The silk in the lace were as
bright and new as if they had just come out
of the shop. The dryad exclaimed with delight. Look, look,
she cried, did you ever see more charming colors? The
girl had never seen more charming colors, but her countenance fell.
They are very pretty, she said, But what an old
fashioned hat. It looks like one of those hats people
used to wear ten years ago. Now, the poor dryad

(06:06):
was greatly troubled. Have I spoiled it? She said? Oh,
I shall be too sorry if I have done that.
The girl turned the hat around and looked at it
on every side. Of course, I could not wear it
as it is, she said, But I am sure I
can alter it, as I can change the shape, and
then with these new trimmings, it will be perfectly lovely.
I thank you ever so much, but please do not

(06:27):
come any nearer. You might forget yourself. And you are
going to be married, asked the dryad. Yes, truly if
I can, said the girl. But my stepmother does not
wish it. She wants me to stay here and work
for her. But I shall be patient, and in the
meantime I am so glad that he will see me
in my new hat. And is your stepmother so very cross?
Asked the dryad, Oh very, if she were at home.

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I could not let you stay here, and as I
expect her to come back shortly, I am afraid. The
poor dryad clasped her hands. You do not mean, said she,
that I must go away. I hope that I might
stay here until the people of the village rowland. I
am very sorry, said the girl. But really, if my
stepmother should come back and see you here, I don't
know what would happen. But I will tell you what

(07:07):
I will do. I will lend you one of my
frocks in a cape, and you can put on my
sun bonnet. Then you can go out and look for
a tree, and people will not be apt to notice you.
And if you will come back after a while when
my stepmother has gone to bed, I will go out
with you and help you find a tree if you
have not found one. Oh now, please don't people come.
Be very grateful without kissing, you know, and I will

(07:28):
bring you the clothes in a minute. When the dryad
had put on the frock and the little cape and
the sun bonnet, she looked very much like an ordinary person,
and when she went out on the street, nobody noticed her,
for they were girls in that village who were so
poor that they were obliged to go barefooted. This lost
dryad had no very good idea of time, and after
she had walked about the streets and even a little

(07:48):
way into the country looking for a tree, and finding none,
she thought that the cruel stepmother must surely have gone
to bed, and so she went back to the house
of her friend the girl, and opening the door, she
slipped in. There she saw the cruel stepmother scolding the girl.
As she entered. The stepmother stopped short in her scolding,
and the poor girl looked as if she was about
to faint. High cried the woman. Then who is this?

(08:10):
How dare you come in without knocking? What where did
you get that sunbonnet? You wretched creature? She cried, addressing
her step daughter, what does this mean? And your cape
and your frock? And without waiting for an answer, she
stepped up to the dryad. Take that off this minute,
whoever you are, she cried, And as she said this,
she grasped the sunbonnet and pulled it from the dryad's head.

(08:31):
The girl almost fainted and sank into a chair, while
the poor dryad, nearly scared out of her wits, had
barely sense enough left to throw her arms around the
stepmother's neck and give her four kisses as quick as lightning.
The next day was the stepmother's birthday, and she intended
to celebrate the occasion by inviting some of her old
cronies to sup with her. But now there was a
little girl standing on the floor beginning to cry. The

(08:54):
dryad clapped her hands with delight. So many clothes, she exclaimed,
in such a dear little body in the middle of
The girl with the hat cried out, oh, what have
you done? But in spite of her consternation, she could
not help laughing. She does look funny, said she. There
was such a difference between the little child and the
cross step mother, and it was impossible for any one
to be really sorry. How queer it is, said the dryad.

(09:17):
She knows nothing at all of the life she has lived.
Of course, not, said the girl. She could not look
back on her future. You know, I want to go
to bed, said the little one, rubbing her eyes. And
please take these things off. That is what we must do,
cried the dryad. We must undress her and put her
to bed. No, let me do it alone. You might forget,
said the girl, So The little child was put to

(09:38):
bed in the back room, and in a moment was asleep.
Now I need not go away, cried the dryad. No, indeed,
said the girl, I should be afraid to be left
alone with that little thing who was my stepmother. The
dryad threw aside the uncomfortable gown and cape, and her
face sparkled with delight. She was so glad that she
need not go away, and was so happy at what
she had done. Now, said she to the girl, you

(09:59):
can be married, and you two can take care of
the little girl. Yes, I can be married, said the other,
but not immediately. And in the meantime, I must support
this little child. To myself, I have no money, and
how am I going to do that? Oh? I wish
I could help you, cried the dryad. Could not I
live here until you were married. I really ought to
do something for you, and I will never kiss you
or the child. But how could you help me, said

(10:21):
the girl smiling. I don't know, said the dryad, reflecting,
perhaps there are some people in the village who would
like to be younger. Yes, said the girl that might do.
We could live here together and set up a kissery.
It will be very pleasant for me to have everything
my own way and not to be scolded. And I
shall take the best possible care of the child. I
know there are people who would like to be kissed,

(10:41):
but you will have to be very, very careful not
to make mistakes. Oh, I will do that, cried the dryad.
I promise you that from this moment I will never
kiss anybody old or young unless you tell me to.
At this moment, there was a sound of hurrying feet outside.
The door was thrown open, and an excited group of
men and women rushed into the room. A dreadful thing is,
cried one of the women. The constably Johann Milder has disappeared.

(11:04):
He left his clothes behind him. Stranger. Yet there is
little boyd has house, who says he lives there, and
who he is and where he came from. Nobody knows.
We've come to see your stepmother. She is a wise woman,
and perhaps she may help us. Where is she? Call her? Quickly,
she is here, said the girl, and stepping to the bed,
she turned down the covering. Then all the people pushed
into the back room, and when they saw the sleeping child,

(11:27):
two women fainted as where they stood The others were
so much astounded that not one of them could speak
a word, And the dryad, who so far had not
been noticed, laughed out merrily. It was all so funny
that she could not help it. At this the people
turned and stared at her. There were some among them
who had seen dryads, and they set up a great
shout a dryad, They cried, a wicked spiritt a tree

(11:48):
which she has done. This she has been about with
her sinful kisses with one accord. The villagers dashed at
the dryad as if they would pound her to pieces
and trample them upon the floor. But the dryad was
in the doorway between the two rooms, and she moved
so quickly that they could not touch her. Had she
felt free to do as she pleased, she might have
rushed in among them, and in a very few minutes

(12:10):
have made a kindergarten of the whole company. But she
had promised her dear friend the girl, that without her permission,
she would never kiss anybody, and she could not break
her word. So she fled through the open door and away,
and away and away, until she was far from the village.
It was not long before the dryad came to the
great oak, which was old, and whose trunk was cracked. Ah,

(12:30):
she cried, here is this tree which I would not enter,
but I should not despise it again. It will shelter
me for a time, and I must no longer remain
out in this cruel world. So she slipped into the oak,
and was so glad to feel herself safe that she
kissed the inside of the tree over and over again,
telling it how thankful she was to have its protection
and to feel again as if she was at home.

(12:52):
It was not long before the aged Oak was a
hundred years younger, strong, vigorous, clad in the brightest green,
and able to withstand the fiercest Now, when the villages
knew what had happened, they thought it quite right that
the girls should marry and take care of the child
who had been her stepmother. And when the boy who
had been the constable grew up, he married this child,
and there was a great deal more happiness in the

(13:13):
village than there would have been if the Lost Dryad
had not come to it looking for a tree. End
of the Lost Dryad by Frank Richard Stockton