ONE DAY, IN A VALLEY IN THE HEART OF THE DOLOMITES, A SELVADEGA WAS BORN. THE SELVADEGAS WERE CREATURES THAT LIVED IN SOLITARY TRIBES, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL, STRONG BUT SURLY, COLD AND THEY NEVER LAUGHED.

THIS PARTICULAR SELVADEGA WAS NAMED MERISANA AFTER THE AFTERNOON LIGHT THAT LIVES IN THE HIGH MEADOWS BEYOND THE DARK WOODS, WHERE THE ROCKS REVERBERATE AND THE STARS BECOME EARTHLY LAMPS. THE LIGHT SAID TO THE NEWBORN BABY: “SMILE, COME ON SMILE! IF YOU SMILE YOU WILL MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY! SMILE, LITTLE ONE, SMILE! THE LIGHT FLEW AWAY, TOWARDS THE FIELDS OF THE MEADOWS. THE CHILD CONTINUED TO SMILE EVEN WHEN THE SELVADEGAS TOOK HER TO THE DARK WOODS. AS A TODDLER SHE ENJOYED MAKING OTHERS HAPPY WITH HER SMILE: FLOWERS, CLEARINGS, INSECTS, COLD ROCKS, CONIFERS AND WATERS OF SPARKLING STREAMS OF SILVERY FOAM.

WHEN SHE GREW UP SHE BECAME BEAUTIFUL AND SHE WORE A LIGHT GREEN CAPE THAT GLIMMERED IN THE SUNLIGHT. ONE SPRING MORNING, MERISANA WAS WALKING IN THE FIELDS AND SHE MET A HUNTER KING WITH A GLOOMY FACE BECAUSE HE HAD SHOT AT A LARGE DEER AND MISSED . THE HUNTER, ENTHRALLED BY SUCH BEAUTY, ASKED HER: “WHO ARE YOU?” “MERISANA.” “WHO?” “YES” SHE SAID “I AM MERISANA, THE WOMAN OF THE AFTERNOON” THE HUNTER KING FELT SO WELL AND SO HAPPY IN THAT MOMENT THAT HE ASKED HER TO BE HIS BRIDE. MERISANA THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND REPLIED: “AND WHO WILL THEN TAKE CARE OF MAKING THE FLOWERS SMILE IF I GET MARRIED? I WANT MY CREATURES TO BE HAPPY FOR AT LEAST A MONTH” AND THUS THE HUNTER WENT OVER ALL THE MEADOWS TO FIND THE AFTERNOON LIGHT SO THAT HE COULD ASK FOR MERISANA’S WISH TO BE GRANTED. “MERISANA MY DEAREST GOD CHILD WISHES THIS? I WILL CERTAINLY GRANT IT, IT WILL BE MY WEDDING PRESENT”.

ON THEIR WEDDING DAY EVERYTHING SHINED, IT WAS DURING THE GREAT BLOOM OF MAY IN THE MIDDLE AFTERNOON, WHEN THE SUN OF THE ALP MAKES THE EARTH STEAM UP TO ITS DEEPEST VEINS. MERISANA SAW A LARCH WHICH IS THE LAST TO GROW LEAVES AND WHICH WAS HALF DRIED. “THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU” SHE SAID “HERE IS YOUR LIFE” MERISANA THEN TOOK OFF HER GREEN CAPE AND WRAPPED IT AROUND THE BARE BRANCHES OF THE LARCH AND IT BECAME GREEN AND TRANSPARENT AND GLIMMERED IN THE SUNLIGHT.  SHE REMAINED ON THE GRASS LIKE A WONDERFUL FLOWER, ROOTED IN THE EARTH AND IN THE FULL AFTERNOON. THIS IS HOW THE LARCH WAS BORN ONE DAY LONG AGO IN THE DOLOMITE VALLEY AND THE WIND CARRIED ITS SEEDS ALL OVER THE VALLEYS. ONE TRUE AND ETERNAL THING REMAINED: LYING DOWN IN A MEADOW, UNDER THE LARCHES, WHILE GAZING AT THEIR GREEN LEAVES, THE SUN AND THE WHITE CLOUDS, ONE FEELS HAPPY, OBLIVIOUS OF ANY BITTERNESS, JOYOUS WITH LOVE EVEN IN THE MOST ABSOLUTE SOLITUDE. IT IS MERISANA’S PRAYER THAT CARRIES ON THROUGH THE YEARS.