The Worm And The Tree

Lyrics

Into a great tree a small worm did go  
It wormed its way inwards and soon it did grow  
The tree was unhappy but what could it do?  
It stood there in silence: the worm grew and grew  
The tree was unhappy but what could it say  
The worm kept on growing the tree sank away  
The worm was so greedy it ate more each day  
And each day it ate more the tree shrank away  
The worm was so loathsome it felt no disgrace  
The birds had been silenced the sun shunned that place  
And all of the forest grew fearful to see  
What terrible fate lay in store for the tree  
The worm grew so monstrous its greed knew no bounds  
The smell was so awful if poisoned the ground  
And all of the creatures that lived in the wood  
Were sickened and starving the worm spoiled their food  
The birds would not sing and the sun could not shine  
The forest lay dirty and blackened with grime  
Now down in the forest a young man went riding  
He passed by the great tree and saw it was dying  
The leaves and the bark were all rotten and rife  
The tree had been poisoned and drained for its life  
He stripped of a piece of the bark of the tree  
And straight'way he know what the right cure should be  
The man built a fire and chopped down the tree  
The worm started screaming it could not break free  
It trashed and it lashed but it could net break loose  
Trapped in that tree like a thief in a noose  
The worm burst asunder a vile smelling crust  
He hacked it to pieces and burnt it to dust  
The forest seemed clearer and peacful at last  
Like after a storm when the rainclouds have passed  
And although the great tree was fallen and dead  
They knew from the ashes a new life would spread  
Yes although the great tree had fallen and died  
They knew from the ashes a new one would thrive  
Now years may have passed since the tale I have told  
Yet the truth of this story does still seem to hold  
Although from a great tree a small worm may grow  
That eats it with poison and tortures its soul  
The worm can be killed yet the tree be not dead  
For from the roots of the elder a new life will spread