Hag Tree Hollow: The Legend
Long ago, a forester lived in a cottage beside an elder tree with his wife and their two little daughters. The wife was carrying a third child when the forester took sick and died. 'This last baby must be a boy,' the widow said to herself. She invoked Hylder the elder-mother, saying, 'Old girl, give me a boy and I will give him to you when he becomes a man.' She poured offerings of milk and honey on the roots of the elder tree, and in due course she bore a son.
One day when they were grown, the elder daughter said to the younger, 'Our brother is the only light of Mother's eyes. Let's away to be serving maids.' They tied up their bundles, kissed their mother goodbye and set off on the long walk to town.
With his sisters gone, the young man had to do all the work of the forest and he was often weary. One night while he slept, his mother heard a whistle. She peeped out of the door, and there sat Hylder in the elder tree, long white locks framing a face like tree bark, playing an elder-wood flute. 'Hold your noise,' said the widow. 'Don't you know my son is sleeping?'
'He's mine,' cackled Hylder. 'I lent him to you, and now I want him back.'
'I'll chop you,' cried the widow, seizing an axe. But the young man awoke and ran to stop her.
'What are you doing, Mother?' he gasped. 'You'll frighten this beautiful young girl!'
'Can't you see she's a wicked old witch!' the widow howled, too late. Hylder, beautiful now with berry-black hair and elder-flower skin, enveloped the youth. Arms became branches, ankles gnarled into roots as Hylder grafted the widow's son to her stock.
The widow did not dare to cut down the elder tree for fear of killing her son, so until the day she died, she watched for his return.