Sunforest

Rapp

In a faraway land
Where my story opens
There dwelt a fair young maiden
She spied a king in chains
His eyes were filled with pain
His feet were cloven twain
She said, "Oh, kind sir
It hurts my heart to see you
I will come to free you."
And she helped off his chains
And he wickedly smiled upon her
He said, "This gift I give you
This sad gift I give you:
Your tears shall turn to jewels
You shall rue the morning
If my secret is not revealed
I will come to own you."
Then he mounted up his steed
It was a golden stallion
Riding in the morning mist
Like a ghostly galleon
It's mane was all of ashes
"Oh, my heart," said the maid
"I am lost forever."
And then the maid began to weep
Diamonds and rubies and opals at her feet
And the word went out for miles
To every castle and sty
People came from miles around
To make the maiden cry
And Oh, what things were done
It makes the heart to shudder
But she heard above it all
A voice that seemed to thunder:
"Your tears shall turn to jewels
You shall rue the morning
If my secret is not revealed
I will come to own you
Then there came a peasant boy
A fair young man was he
Said, "I will rescue thee
Wickedness is born to magic
But we our own must be."
And he took her to the sunforest
Where both of them could be
He said, "All men do make their chains
And every link a jewel
And when they leave this world dead
I believe they leave as fools
I think you are a sign from God
That all things come from pain
But I do not think that God did this
Such a thing I know it could not ever be
And though I am but a peasant boy
And do not know of kings
I do but know this song of joy
It is of that I sing."
"I think I know the answer now
I think I know," said she
And then the chained king did appear
His eyes all flaming skyward
He said, "I want you now."
His beard the devil's fire
He said:
"Your tears shall turn to jewels
You shall rue the morning
If my secret is not revealed
I have come to take you."
And around his feet he gathered
All the jewels she had made him
But one look in her eyes betold
That his secret had been answered
His secret had been answered
And the king, he shook with rage
And the fire pulled him downward
The only other sound they could hear
Was the jewels turning back to tears
The jewels turning back to tears
And in her freedom the maid did laugh
Her bestest laughter ever
Her tears of laughter changed to jewels
And they did last forever
Deep in the sunforest
They did last forever