"That is good news for you, my little one," said her Father, a broad, strong man with a face weathered by years of working in the fields. "Yes, Father, I can go outside for the first time in many days," she replied," I love the North Wind" The Chocolate Tree by Alys

 
The cool north wind swept through the valley, trees swayed in its wake, shutters on windows rattled and doors creaked open. In a small attic room at the top floor of a wooden cottage a pasty looking girl stirred from her slumbers. Sioned opened an eye and listened carefully to see which shutters of the house were making the most noise. The different shutter on the windows made different sounds.

"Yes!" she said quietly to herself, as she realised that the loudest sound was the higher pitched rattle of the back windows.

She jumped out of bed and quickly dressed in her simple cotton dress, she wanted to make the most of the day.

Her Mother, a friendly, plump woman, was serving the morning meal, the usual oat porridge, when Sioned reached the table.

"Good morning, Sioned, how are you today?" she asked, smiling at her daughter.

"I feel good today, look no red eyes and no coughing," Sioned replied, after sitting down and taking her first mouthful of breakfast with her wooden spoon.

"That is good news for you, my little one," said her Father, a broad, strong man with a face weathered by years of working in the fields.

"Yes, Father, I can go outside for the first time in many days," she replied," I love the North Wind"

"It is your wind of freedom," said her Mother," and it's good timing, I have many tasks to complete in the garden"

Sioned frowned at the thought of one her precious days outside being spent weeding and planting.

"Don't worry, Sioned," her Mother added," you can explore this morning, just make sure you're back after noon to help me"

Sioned needed no other bidding and soon she was running eagerly along one of the footpaths out of the village. She marveled at being able to be so energetic, when on most days, if she was outside, she would be coughing and fighting for breath because of the ill-effects of the chaff and dust from the grains the families in the village grew.

"I love you North Wind," she shouted from the top of her voice, as her dress rippled and her hair flew behind her.

She reached a small patch of pasture on the edge of the little forest, separating Cwm Hyfryd from the neighbouring village of Cwm Mefus**. She lay down on her back on the grass, in a slight depression sheltered from the wind, and let the warm sun bring a little colour to her almost white face.

"If only there were more days like this," Sioned said to herself as she imagined what it would be like to go to school, like the rest of the children under twelve in the village.

She rolled over onto her tummy and as she moved a little flash of pinkness caught her eye. It seemed to be coming from somewhere beyond the ring of bushes that were near her. She moved over a few feet to see if she could make out what had attracted her in the first place. The bushes were very thick and she couldn't see that there was a way through to investigate further. Then she noticed a gap near the bottom of the bushes that had possibly been made by a wild pig that were occasionally to be found in the area.

She crawled forward into the narrow tunnel, for once being grateful for her smallness. It was quite a squeeze and in a few places stray branches partly obstructed her path. However curiousity was a great motivator and after a struggle she pulled herself free of the last barriers.

She stood up in the little grassy glade, letting her eyes become accustomed to the darkness. She looked around to search for the source of her interest, and found it.

One low branch of a small tree in the middle of the clearing was covered in beautiful pink blossom. She walked over to look carefully at it. As she knelt down the delicate fragrance the tree's flowers caressed her with its beauty.

"Oh little tree you have the most wonderful scent," she spoke quietly as she gently touched the petals of the blossom.

She looked at the rest of the tree and noticed, to her surprise that there was no blossom on any other part of it. Everywhere else the tree looked unhealthy, covered in thick layers of an ugly looking vine.

"You poor little tree, that nasty thing is hurting you, let me help you," Sioned said and proceeded to remove layers of the vine.

It was hard work, as the vine was tough, and very deeply embedded in the tree. After clearing a few other branches she was tired and had to rest. She sat next to the branch with the blossoms and sang. For a while Sioned's sweet voice filled the forest with the old rhymes of the village, as she enjoyed the feeling of being able to express herself in song, thanks to the gift of the North Wind.

The sunlight piercing the canopy of tall trees above her reminded her too soon of her promise to return to help her Mother after noon. She bade farewell to the little tree and made her way back.

That night as she lay in her bed listening to the life giving North Wind rattling the shutters, she thought about her little tree and wondered if she would be able to return to help the next day.

A week later the farmers of the area were beginning to complain about the constant North Wind preventing the usual rain from the west and south that their newly planted crops needed. Sioned by contrast was grateful of the unfamiliar freedom. She couldn't remember being able to spend so much time outdoors before.

"There you are little tree, you can grow properly now," said a tired Sioned after clearing the last of the vicious vines.

Indeed she had already seem a significant improvement in the health of her silent companion. Little buds were already forming all over the cleared branches and promised soon to bear more of the wondrous blossom. As she left the glade to return to the house to complete her chores, she wondered how much longer her luck with the wind would hold out.

It was a month of frustration for Sioned as the farmer's pleas were answered by a change of wind direction. Every morning she would wake up hoping for the sound of the shutters in the back rattling to signal her release from her imprisonment in the house, and every time she was disappointed.

Then, at last, the sound, she had hoped for so long, came. At first light, long before breakfast time, Sioned jumped out of bed and ran towards her favourite hideaway. She was a little worried as she approached the bushes that there were no glimpses of pink blossom or any traces of the beautiful fragrance they gave off. She pushed as quickly as she could through the little tunnel, which took longer than usual because of the new growth there.

Eventually a little breathless, and with quite a range of scratches on her body, she emerged into the little clearing. She looked disappointed at the little tree. All the blossoms had disappeared, although the tree looked healthy and still free of vines. She walked over to it and then she noticed something new. The branches were heavy with small, brown fruits. They were unlike anything she had seen before. She picked one off, hoping the tree wouldn't mind.

She was surprised by the heaviness of the little, brown spheres. She noticed a slight stickiness as she held it between her fingers. She held it to her nose and noticed something familiar about it. Taking the chance that it would be edible, she licked it.

The sweetness that she felt on her tongue was so reminiscent of something she had tasted once when her father had had a good harvest and had brought back treats from the town. It tasted like chocolate!

Sioned sat down in complete surprise. She had never heard of a tree that had fruits of chocolate before. She tried another and then a few more. Soon she was full and it was time to return to help her Mother.

The next day Sioned was once again disappointed by the direction of the wind. She lay in bed thinking about how could get through the day while stuck in the house. She consoled herself to trying to finish her sewing.

She sat at the breakfast table, slowly eating her porridge.

"Why so glum?" asked her Mother.

"The North Wind has gone," she answered.

"Oh, yes you're right," said her Mother, "but Sioned you are not coughing and your eyes are not red"

Sioned sat up.

"Yes, you are right!" she exclaimed," what has happened to me?"

"Maybe the spirit of the forest has cured you," her Mother said, amazed at the change in her daughter.

Sioned sat next to her little tree, stroking its branches and eating more of the chocolate fruits.

"Thank you little tree, you have given me my life back" she said.

The chocolate tree smiled to itself, being glad to help the girl who had saved it from the evil vine.

* Cwm Hyfryd = Beautiful Valley
** Cem Mefus = Strawberry Valley