There was once a young man. He was neither rich or poor, just average. He went to the village dances every so often, and danced with many pretty girls, but they never struck his fancy. One night, he saw a girl dancing in the middle of the square. Her feet jumping and moving in time to the lively music.
What the young man saw inspired him. The girl's ability to create a dance, when none suited what she wanted, made him want to create a woman that would be perfect for him in particular. He got to work immediately, gathering only the finest wood and wires. He used oak for the body to make her strong; weeping beech for the joints to make her flexible; and finally, a heart made of weeping willow for kindness.
The young man worked lovingly on the wooden woman for many years. He became middle age, and later an old man before he came close to finishing her. Her wooden hair was shaped into a bun, while her mouth was forever frozen in a gentle smile. He worked tirelessly on smoothing her features.
When the man turned 70 years old, his creation was finally complete. He held the life-size doll close to her, and shed tears on her freshly painted face. For a moment, the eyes seemed to come alive... Or that's what it felt like as the old man sank slowly to the ground, the effigy slipping out of his grasp. He looked into her blank eyes, while his vision blurred and he breathed his last...