The Forest Beyond the Woodlands: A Fairy Tale

Two children, David and Ruth, are drawn from a cobbler’s care by the clear song of a blue bird and follow it into a borderland of woodlands and a farther enchanted forest. The bird-song acts like a guiding thread as they pass through little doors in tree trunks, strange landscapes, and encounters with uncanny creatures and symbolic perils. Small trials and wonders test their courage and compassion while memory and longing shape their purpose. Lyrical pastoral description and classic fairy-tale motifs combine to examine yearning, beauty, and the movement from innocence toward understanding.