The Enchanted Forest

      -          Shabana Chowdhury Ahmed

In medieval times when people believed in magic and witchcraft a small village existed on the outskirts of the Black Forest in the southwest of Germany bordering France. The Black Forest had a reputation of being the gathering place of witches. 

One day some villagers who had ventured into the forest did not return home. They had completely disappeared. From that day villagers were forbidden to enter the enchanted forest.

Time passed, all seemed well till one day, when a couple named Frederick and Ada came to live in this village with their two children. The boy was called Bruno and the girl Greta. They lived in a quaint cottage near the edge of the enchanted forest. Frederick always cautioned his children not to go wandering into the forest as they may get lost and not find their way home. Frederick found a job with a carpenter. 

The children helped their mother with the household chores in the mornings and in the afternoons the village children came to play with Bruno and Greta near the forbidden forest. They all wondered what was in the enchanted forest. One day while playing with the children with a ball Bruno threw the ball so far that it went into the enchanted forest. Everyone screemed with dismay. Who was going to bring the ball back? Everyone looked at Bruno and said that it was Bruno, who threw the ball, so he must fetch it back. 

Bruno gathered his courage and walked right into the forest. Greta and other children waited anxiously for Bruno to reappear from the forest. Daylight was fading and there was still no sign of Bruno. Greta became frightened and ran to her cottage. Her father was sitting and smoking a pipe, while her mother was cooking dinner. Greta screamed and said, Bruno is in the enchanted forest and has not come out. Frederick ran towards the enchanted forest. He called out loudly to Bruno but no answer came. By then the villagers came to help. They lit their torches and went close to the forest but no one had the courage to step into the forest at night. 

Morning came, Frederick and some men stepped into the enchanted forest. As they walked deeper into the forest a green light almost blinded them. They walked towards the light and was amazed to see a huge Emerald Tree. Skeletons of people were hanging on the Emerald branches and among them the freshly dead body of Bruno was hanging and swaying in the breeze .

Frederick and his friends removed Bruno's body from the tree and wrapped it up with a blanket. They carried the body and buried it in Frederick's garden. 

Years passed. Times changed. The village changed. Stories were told about the enchanted forest and the Emerald Tree. The Black Forest still exists without dangers. Somehow the Emerald Tree and the human hanging skeletons have disappeared!