The Magic Wood

The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night! I met a man with eyes of glass And a finger as curled as the wriggling worm And hair all red with rotting leaves And a stick that hissed like a summer snake The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night! He sang me a song in backwards words And drew me a dragon in the air I saw his teeth through the back of his head And a rat's eyes winking from his hair The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night! He made me a penny out of a stone And showed me the way to catch a lark With a straw in a knot and a whispered word Penny worth of ginger wrapped up in a leaf The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night! He asked me my name and where I lived I told him a name from my book of tales He asked me to come with him into the wood And dance with the kings from under the hills The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night! But I saw that his eyes were turning to fire And I watched the nails grow in his wriggling hand And I said my prayers all out in a rush And found myself safe on my father's land The wood is full of shining eyes The wood is full of creeping feet The wood is full of tiny cries You must not go to the wood at night!