Poor Hansel and Gretel, out lost in the woods,
Ask directions from Snow White, if answer she could,
As she runs for dear life from her stepmother’s spite,
Past Rapunzel’s now-infamous tower.
Don’t stray from the path, the stories all say,
Or remain in the woods past the end of the day,
For the magic will change you, your life rearrange…
And you’ll be never the same again!
[Chorus]
Oh! In the Darkwood, In the Darkwood,
The mighty oak guards a place where,
The welcome is warm and the sheep are cheap!
All nine Muses surely reside there,
In the Darkwood, In the Darkwood,
With dancing, fighting, and laughter,
If you take a chance, and step off the path,
It’s “happily ever after!”
A young miller’s daughter is locked in a room,
Filled with piles of course straw only fit to make brooms,
And she cried and she cursed her father’s bold boast,
That she could spin straw into gold.
But before Rumplestiltskin could his deal demand,
A Darkwoodian Laurel, drop-spindle in hand,
Had apprenticed the girl and taught her the trick…
And she was never the same again!
[Chorus]
Three brothers did argue, all wanting the house
Only one could inherit, when Father checks out,
So they all agreed the most skillful would win,
And set forth to each learn a trade,
A barber, a blacksmith, both very well trained,
But the winner’s blade saved Dad from torrents of rain,
For he’d gone to Darkwood to learn how to fence…
And he was never the same again!
[Chorus]
Now, Little Red Riding Hood entered the woods,
With a basket for Granny, all crammed full of goods,
Oh, but she’d never pondered life’s shouldn’ts and shoulds,
And was caught unawares by a wolf!
With temptation and guile, he led her astray,
From the path she’d been told to tread without delay,
But the wolf didn’t know she had in Darkwood trained…
And he was never the same again!
[Chorus]
So if you find you’re faithfully walking that trail,
And your heart is bogged down with despair and travail,
Take a left at the next patch of deep Darkwood shade…
And you’ll be never the same again!
Oh! In the Darkwood, In the Darkwood,
The mighty oak guards a place where,
The welcome is warm and the sheep are cheap!
All nine Muses surely reside there,
In the Darkwood, In the Darkwood,
With dancing, fighting, and laughter,
If you take a chance, and step off that path,
It’s “happily ever after!”
– Cassandra Rossignol, Bard of the Oaks
stepping down piece, performed at the
Baroness’ Masked Ball 11/04/06
Barony of Darkwood 