(short story)

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a young girl named Lily. Lily was not like other girls. She lived alone in the mountains, in a small wooden house that she built herself. The house stood between tall pine trees, hidden from the eyes of travelers.

Lily had long brown hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were green like the leaves in spring. She wore simple clothes made from plants and animal skins. On her feet, she wore boots made from soft leather.

Every morning, Lily woke up with the the first rays of the sun. She would wash her face in the cold mountain stream near her house. The water was clear and fresh. Small fish swam in the stream, and birds sang in the trees above.

Lily knew all the animals in the forest. The deer would come to her and eat from her hands. The wolves did not hurt her. Even the big brown bears were her friends. She could speak to them in a language they only understood.

The forest was Lily’s home, and the animals were her family. She had lived there since she was very small. No one knew where she came from or who her parents were. Some people in the village at the bottom of the mountain said she was a child of the forest spirits.

Lily’s days were always busy. In the morning, she collected berries, nuts, and roots for food. She knew which plants were good to eat and which were not. In the afternoon, she worked in her small garden where she grew vegetables. Sometimes she would go hunting with her bow and arrows, but she only took what she needed.

When the sun was high in the sky, Lily would sit by the big rock near the waterfall and play her wooden flute. The sweet music would float through the forest. Animals would come and listen to her play. They loved her music.

One day, as the summer was turning into fall, a young man named Tom got lost in the mountains. Tom was from the village. He had been hunting in the forest when a sudden storm came. He lost his way in the heavy rain and strong wind.

For three days, Tom walked through the forest, trying to find his way back. He was cold, wet, and very hungry. On the third day, he heard beautiful music. It was Lily playing her flute. Tom followed the sound until he found the forest girl sitting by the waterfall.

At first, Lily was scared. She had never seen another person in her forest before. She jumped up and was ready to run away. But Tom was weak and fell to the ground. Lily saw that he needed help.

Lily took Tom to her small house. She gave him food and water. She made a fire to keep him warm. For several days, she took care of him. Tom was surprised by how well Lily knew the forest. She used plants to make medicine for his cuts and bruises.

As Tom got stronger, Lily showed him her world. She taught him about plants and animals. She showed him how to listen to the wind and find his way using the stars. Tom had never met anyone like Lily before. He thought she was amazing.

When it was time for Tom to go back to his village, he asked Lily to come with him. But Lily shook her head. She belonged to the forest, with the trees and animals. She had never been to a village and was afraid of places with many people.

Tom understood, but he was sad. He promised to come back and visit her. Before he left, Lily gave him a small wooden flute that she had made. “Play this when you want to find me,” she said.

Tom returned to his village, but he never forgot the forest girl. Every full moon, he would climb up the mountain and play the wooden flute. Lily would hear it and come to meet him. They would spend the day together, and Tom would tell her about life in the village.

As the seasons changed, Tom visited many times. He brought Lily gifts from the village — a mirror, a book with pictures, and a warm blanket for the cold winter nights. Lily showed Tom more secrets of the forest — hidden caves, magical pools of water, and trees that were hundreds of years old.

One winter, terrible sickness came to the village. Many people were sick, and some died. The village doctor could not help them. Tom remembered that Lily knew about healing plants. He went to find her.

Lily was worried when she heard about sick people. She collected special plants and made medicine. But the mountain paths were covered in deep snow. It would be hard to get to the village.

“I will go with you,” Lily said, surprising Tom. She had never left her forest home before.

Together, they walked down the mountain to the village. The people were afraid of Lily at first. They had heard stories about the wild forest girl. But when she helped the sick people get better, they began to like her.

Lily stayed in the village until everyone was well again. She found that not all people were bad, as she had feared. Some were kind and friendly. She enjoyed learning about their ways, just as Tom had enjoyed learning about the forest.

When spring came, Lily returned to her mountain home. But now, she was not alone anymore. She had friends in the village who would visit her. And she would go down to the village sometimes, especially when they had festivals or when someone was sick and needed her help.

Lily was still the forest girl of the mountains, but now her world was bigger. She had the best of both worlds — the peace of her forest home and the warmth of human friendship. And she was happy.