Long ago, there was a little girl, born to a forest nymph. Her name was Kaira. This girl, whose father was the god of sleep Hypnos, grew to be the most dazzlingly beautiful mortal ever seen on the earth. Her mother, whose given name was Asteria, saw her daughter's beauty, and lavished on her such lovely gifts and clothing; once she put them on, her beauty was akin to, and perhaps surpassed, that of Aphrodite. Besides being incomparably beautiful, Kaira was wholly unspoiled and tender-hearted. She was uncommonly kind, polite, wise (to an extent) and respectful.
As the young maiden grew older, her mother heard murmurs of discord between mortals about her sweet, innocent child. She knew that the disagreements would very soon reach the ears of the gods; one of whom, she feared, would snatch her away while she was at play. Kaira was her mother's pride and joy, and Asteria would not let the gods steal her. To prevent this, she made an impassible barrier, so that even the gods could not see her while she was inside. But as she fashioned the hedge (for it was indeed a hedge) just so that only a mortal woman could pass it. The only way that a man could enter would be if he was given specific permission. The Hedge was nourished by the rainfall and Apollo's sunlight, and became a dome over the steadily growing Kaira.
At some point the steadily growing girl, who was still only around fourteen, complained to her mother about the lack of sunlight. She adored the warm sun, and longed to go outside and play among the flowers. She asked her mother for this.
"No, dear one, no." Asteria answered curtly, gravely shaking her head. "There are dangers in the world outside."
But young Kaira was adamant. She pestered and pestered her mother until Asteria was forced to give in to her daughter's demands.
"Kaira, hearken to me. Do not exceed one mile's distance from here. And do not follow any strange men; be they lovelier than lilies or as displeasing as thistles. Do not even speak to them; they may twist your words." Kaira nodded eagerly, knowing that her mother was about to let her outside. Asteria noted her daughter's lack of attention, so she held her shoulders and looked straight in her eyes. "Kaira, if you do not heed my instruction, even I won't be able to keep you safe." The maiden nodded her head gravely. Her mother smiled, and waved her dainty hand in the direction of the barrier, and a portion of it vanished.
Kaira kissed her mother goodbye. "Don't worry, mother. I'll be careful." Kaira spoke with a confident tone.