Shedang Huntress of the Forest

Shedang, huntress of the forest, it is said that her arrows are true. A protector of deer, squirrels, and other wildlife; her quiver will do. Is she an entity or someone created by the wildlife of the trees? I wonder as I walk through the forest, accompanied by a soft breeze. Is it true she can leap from branch to branch, from elm to oak? I have heard so much about her from the Germanic folk. She maims the hunters, rarely kills them, the storytellers say. I have heard this story since I was a child from those who were gray. She is bewitched, some say. She can hear you coming from the lake. I listened to these stories, and my knees began to jive and quake. She sounded dangerous to me, it made me want to never hunt. My grandpa kept inviting me, but I got a ball and asked him to punt. Watch out for Shedang, they warned, don’t even step on the ‘shrooms. She could easily fly out of a tree, and get you with arrows that zoom. I saw her sitting way up high in a maple polishing arrows last spring. Averted my eyes, and went back down the trail, without hurting a thing.