Foreword

"His mirth suddenly subsided. He was now quite still, gazing tenderly down at the small figure standing bewildered before him."

"And this our life exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."

The Duke; As You Like It
Act 2, Scene 1

Those few lines from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” took root in my mind the day I learned them at school. I have always found them to be true. Willowby’s stories invite young readers to enter into the magical world of nature and, like the duke, find “good in everything”.

Willowby, the old willow tree, provides an opportunity for children and adults alike to return to their original relationship with the consciousness of nature, the greatest teacher.