‘I am the guardian of the tree.’ Its small jewelled eyes glinted in the moonlight. ‘If you take this fruit, you will become a woman and will inherit all the powers which womanhood brings. You will bleed with the moon; you will become cyclic, never constant, always changing with the phases of the moon. Within your body will awaken the powers of creation and destruction and in your intuition you will hold knowledge of the inner mysteries. Your life will become a path between two worlds, the inner and the outer, with the demands each will make on you. All the gifts of womanhood have to be accepted and cherished: if not, the gift can destroy you.’ The snake uncurled. ‘The gift is not an easy one to accept; how much easier it would be to remain a child.’