She looked over the waves that rolled gently against her body out into the blue sea broken only by a white ship. She gave harbor to the ship and watched over it as the little men aboard slept at night. Then the little men would leave her with no thanks, but she did not care. She would wait as the tides rose and sunk for the white ship and little men to return. While she waited, she made them presents for the next time they would visit her. She made bargains with the wind and sea to bring the white ship and little men back to her for she was lonely and the little men gave her purpose. The wind and sea did abide but sent warnings about the little men. She paid them no heed and the white ship and little men returned. This time they stayed longer to explore and she was lonely no more. The little men decided that she was theirs and they began to cut and build and burn her beauty away. She cried, but she said to the wind and the sea when they came to her aid, “No, leave them be. I am happy with them a piece of me.”