The original piece, written by Duncan, can be read below:
The woodsman and his wife lived in a cabin on the hillside. The woodsman loved his wife with all his heart, and she loved him in return. Once, while the woodsman was away, a terrible storm hit their home, and the wife was lost. The townspeople found her and buried her before the woodsman could return. The woodsman was broken hearted and mourned the loss of his wife. They had put her in the ground, so he sought out the earth spirit to get her back.
He journeyed through a strange and terrible land, going deeper underground until he came to the lace where the spirit lived.
“Oh great earth spirit. You have my wife and all I want is to be with her again. Please won't you give her back to me”
“It is true that I hold her body, and one day she will again be a part of me, and in turn live
on in the trees and the land. But I do not hold power over the life of humans. Go and ask the water
spirit, for water is the giver of all life.”
So the man went to find the water spirit. He traveled to the edge of the land and there took a boat over the seas. He journeyed day and night, through storms and swells until at last he came to the place where the water spirit lived.
“Oh great water spirit, it is said you are the giver of life. Please won't you return my wife to me so I can be with her again. This is all I desire.”
“It is true that am the essence of life and all life began within me. But even I cannot return
life once it is lost. Go and ask the sky, for only the heavens have power over life and death.”
So the man went to find the sky spirit. He journeyed to the centre of the land to find the highest mountain and began to climb. He climbed high into the peaks but the going was very hard. The rain beat down on him, the wind tried to blow him away, and the jagged rocks cut into his hands and feet. He kept climbing up through the cold, dark clouds. He was battered, bruised and exhausted, the air was thin, and the man could barely breathe. Finally he made it through the storm and came to the peak of the mountain.
There he saw the sky spirit. Its eyes were the stars, its body was the clouds and its wings were lightning filling the night sky.
"Why have you come here woodsman?"
"Oh great Sky spirit, I have come to ask you to return my wife to me so I can be with her
again. This is all I desire.”
“And why should I help you with this?”
“I have travelled so far and fought so hard. I have asked the spirits of the earth and the sea, but they could not help. So now I've come to the master of heaven to let me be with my wife once more.”
The sky spirit considered this for a moment.
“It is true that I have power over the lives of man, but I cannot return your wife to you. However if you truly wish to be with your wife again, this I can do for you.”
And with that, a flourish of clouds appeared before the man and his wife stepped forth. They embraced, she took him by the hand, and together they went into the kingdom of heaven.
The woodsman and his wife lived in a cabin on the hillside. The woodsman loved his wife with all his heart, and she loved him in return. Once, while the woodsman was away, a terrible storm hit their home, and the wife was lost. The townspeople found her and buried her before the woodsman could return. The woodsman was broken hearted and mourned the loss of his wife. They had put her in the ground, so he sought out the earth spirit to get her back.
He journeyed through a strange and terrible land, going deeper underground until he came to the lace where the spirit lived.
“Oh great earth spirit. You have my wife and all I want is to be with her again. Please won't you give her back to me”
“It is true that I hold her body, and one day she will again be a part of me, and in turn live
on in the trees and the land. But I do not hold power over the life of humans. Go and ask the water
spirit, for water is the giver of all life.”
So the man went to find the water spirit. He traveled to the edge of the land and there took a boat over the seas. He journeyed day and night, through storms and swells until at last he came to the place where the water spirit lived.
“Oh great water spirit, it is said you are the giver of life. Please won't you return my wife to me so I can be with her again. This is all I desire.”
“It is true that am the essence of life and all life began within me. But even I cannot return
life once it is lost. Go and ask the sky, for only the heavens have power over life and death.”
So the man went to find the sky spirit. He journeyed to the centre of the land to find the highest mountain and began to climb. He climbed high into the peaks but the going was very hard. The rain beat down on him, the wind tried to blow him away, and the jagged rocks cut into his hands and feet. He kept climbing up through the cold, dark clouds. He was battered, bruised and exhausted, the air was thin, and the man could barely breathe. Finally he made it through the storm and came to the peak of the mountain.
There he saw the sky spirit. Its eyes were the stars, its body was the clouds and its wings were lightning filling the night sky.
"Why have you come here woodsman?"
"Oh great Sky spirit, I have come to ask you to return my wife to me so I can be with her
again. This is all I desire.”
“And why should I help you with this?”
“I have travelled so far and fought so hard. I have asked the spirits of the earth and the sea, but they could not help. So now I've come to the master of heaven to let me be with my wife once more.”
The sky spirit considered this for a moment.
“It is true that I have power over the lives of man, but I cannot return your wife to you. However if you truly wish to be with your wife again, this I can do for you.”
And with that, a flourish of clouds appeared before the man and his wife stepped forth. They embraced, she took him by the hand, and together they went into the kingdom of heaven.
