110 Embracing Nature through Storytelling

For our New Year special, Wildlife Matters is embracing nature through storytelling by delving into the folklore of nature and wildlife in a Special Storytelling Event. So join us around the campfire at the heart of the Dark Wood for the second of our stories.

This story, ‘The Alder Sprite,’ unfolds in Somerset and follows Tam, a farm worker whose conflict with the sacred Alder tree has devastating consequences. Tam’s relentless grumbling about a branch obstructing his access to the well culminates in a series of ominous warnings from the tree’s spirit, which he ultimately ignores. His defiance results in a tragic fire that consumes his cottage, serving as a poignant reminder of the importance of heeding nature’s signs and respecting the spirits that inhabit it. This narrative encapsulates a timeless moral lesson about the dangers of underestimating the natural world and its unseen guardians.

One review of the podcast version of this story said, “Palmer’s masterful storytelling captivates the audience, inviting listeners to reflect on their relationship with nature and the lessons learned from these age-old tales. The episode not only entertains but also encourages a deeper understanding of the interplay between humanity and the environment.

Nigel Palmer, the host of Wildlife Matters, welcomes listeners to a festive storytelling session that explores the rich tapestry of folklore tied to nature. This special Christmas episode presents two compelling tales that highlight critical themes of respect for the environment, morality, and the consequences of human actions.

Thank you for joining us tonight at the heart of the Dark Wood. We have lots of crumbly vegan mince pies, mulled wine and some steaming hot oak milk chocolate. So, if you are sitting comfortably, I shall begin to tell my tale.

The Alder Sprite – Traditional Folklore Story from Somerset

The Alder Sprite is a traditional English folk story that originates from Somerset. Some say it comes from a tale called Woodcutter, Spare that Tree.

The story follows the common belief that trees have spirits or sprites who live within the tree and protect the tree in return. This was a common belief in old England.

I love telling this story as it builds in layers and engages the listeners or readers.

It is almost as if we can all see that Tam’s actions are foolish, as he already has everything he could ask for.

Still, he presses ahead, and despite many warnings, eventually, he loses everything.

So, it is a cautionary tale. The result is that folk back then would rarely damage or cut down a tree, which has to be a message we should all be listening to now.

Once upon a time, a farmworker named Tam lived in a cottage near a special well known as the Saint’s Well. He was fortunate to access the clearest, purest water in the valley, and many people believed it was the best water in Somerset.

Even on the hottest summer days, the water remained cool and untainted. Tam used the water not only for drinking but also as his larder. He stored his butter, cheese, and even bacon in a bucket deep down in the well.

Thanks to the Saint’s Well, Tam was one of the few people who could enjoy fresh food on Christmas day, previously unheard of before modern refrigeration.

Beside the well stood an Alder tree that had been there for as long as Tam could remember. During one summer, when the tree’s leaves were bright green, Tam noticed that a lower branch had grown over the well.

The presence of the branch made it difficult for Tam to draw water and food from the well. Despite his daily grumbling, Tam knew cutting the Alder tree was not an option.

In the valley, no one dared to cut the Alder tree, a sacred tree believed to bleed and bring terrible things to whoever cut it. As summer ended, autumn began to turn the leaves from green to russets and gold. Some leaves started falling from the Alder’s branch and into the well.

Tam noticed them and believed that they were contaminating the water’s taste. He complained to anyone who would listen that the well’s sweet water now tasted bitter because of the fallen Alder leaves. Tam’s constant moaning tired everyone out, so he finally decided to cut the branch from the tree to fix the problem.

That evening, Tam took his axe from the shed and spent the whole night sharpening it to remove the branch quickly and cleanly. In the morning, he went over to the alder tree with his freshly sharpened axe and laid it on the branch to pick the right area to cut.

As Tam raised the axe above his head and brought it down onto the branch, he heard a loud and torturous moaning from high up in the tree’s canopy. Tam stopped and looked up, not knowing what he would see.

To his surprise, he saw thin wisps of wood smoke gently swirling around the leaves of the Alder tree. Immediately, Tam turned around and ran back to his house as fast as possible. He checked inside and out, every room and even the thatch of the roof, but he could see no smoke at all.

Tam laughed to himself and thought it must have been his imagination. With that, he returned to the Alder tree beside the Saints Well.

Tam picked up his axe and again raised it high above his head before bringing it down hard onto the cut he had made in the branch of the alder tree that had grown across the well entrance.

For a second time, there was a loud and horrible moaning sound from high up in the Alder tree canopy, and as he looked up, Tam could not only see wood smoke circling above him, but he could smell it too.

Quickly, Tam ran back to his house. He hadn’t set a fire in the hearth for days, and no one’s chimneys let out wood smoke as he looked around the village. He ran through his house, checking every room, but he could not see or smell the wood smoke. He even rechecked the thatch of the roof just to be sure, but he found nothing.

Tam thought, “Either I am going mad, or a tree sprite in the Alder is tricking me.” He returned to the alder tree beside the well, angry and frustrated. He didn’t like being tricked and decided to cut off the branch growing across the entrance to the well. Tam picked up his axe and raised it high above his head. He brought it down hard onto the branch of the alder tree.

Once again, the terrifying moan came from high up in the Alder tree, and as he looked up, Tam could see thicker wood smoke swirling through the branches. However, Tam was determined this time and ignored it. He raised his axe above his head and struck another blow to the branch.

Again, the loud and terrifying moan came from high up in the tree, and Tam could see and smell the smoke again. But he ignored it, raised the axe high into the air, and brought it down again on the branch of the alder tree.

A loud wailing came from above as the branch, now severed from the Alder tree, crashed to the ground below. Tam reached down and picked up the branch. It was a straight and fine piece of wood.

He looked up again and could see the thick wood smoke, so dense that he couldn’t see the top of the tree, and he could smell wood burning.

However, Tam was not to be fooled by the sprite. He looked at the severed branch, wondering what use he could make of it.

As he pondered. Tam could feel the heat of a fire behind him; he resolutely said to himself I am not being tricked by the tree sprite and stood there.

Tam decided to use the sturdy, straight branch to create a brace over the well entrance. This was to enable him to hang his rope and buckets there.

Despite hearing the sound of flames and feeling the heat and smoke, Tam remained still, determined not to be deceived again.

Suddenly, some of his neighbours appeared, carrying buckets and shouting, “Fire, Fire!” They pointed towards Tam’s cottage and yelled, “Tam, your house is on fire!”

Tam immediately turned to look and ran as fast as he could towards his cottage. He and his neighbours did their best to fight the fire with their buckets of well water.

However, it was too late.

The fire spread, and the flames eventually consumed Tam’s little cottage. They tore through the thatched roof and soared high up into the sky.

The fire raged uncontrollably, and Tam’s neighbours retreated to the other side of the track, taking him with them. They could only watch helplessly as the flames engulfed Tam’s cottage, destroying everything in its path.

Tam was sitting on the grassy bank, sobbing and crying, still clutching the severed branch he had cut from the alder tree.

Once he could finally speak, Tam revealed to his neighbours what had happened. He explained how he had seen the thin, swirling smoke and smelled the wood smoke twice but found nothing when he checked his cottage.

He realised that the tree sprite had deceived him. As he became more enraged by the deception, the sprite used his determination against him. Tam continued to chop the branch from the tree despite seeing and smelling the smoke, feeling the heat on his back and legs, and hearing the crackling flames.

Tam suspected he was being tricked and, unfortunately, was right. However, the tree sprite he encountered was much more knowledgeable than Tam.

Even though the loss of his cottage saddened Tam’s neighbours, they all agreed that the tree sprite had given him ample warning about the dangers of his actions. They acknowledged that Tam’s recklessness was the primary cause of the devastating fire that consumed his home.

May that my friends serve as a lesson to us all.

It is a lesson not to suppress your instincts, nor should you ignore your emotional intelligence, and don’t stand against the wisdom of those who came before us, or you, like Tam, may pay the price.