Flora was the prettiest girl in the village. She was known for her friendliness and free spirit and her very sunny smile. Sam admired her very much and thought she would make the perfect wife to help him run the local tavern, of which he was the landlord. She had all the right qualities.

They hadn’t been married very long when he told her lovingly that he sometimes felt anxious for her safety when she was out alone.

”I worry so when you come through the woods – could you not use the village road instead?”

Flora said, ”Well yes I suppose I could but I love the woods. You have no need to worry.”

”I may not need to worry” said Sam, ”But that’s how I feel and I can’t stop it. If you cared how I feel you would take the village path.”

Flora did care how Sam felt and she thought it wouldn’t be so hard to do what he wanted and so she agreed and she no longer went to the woods. Time spent amongst trees had lifted her spirits. She missed them. But she loved Sam and his feelings were more important too her.

A few weeks later Sam said, ”You know, I really think you talk to the men in the bar too much. It makes a bad impression.”

”I am only being friendly,” Flora replied.

”It’s more than friendly,” said Sam. ”You laugh too loud and do all you can to attract their attention. It hurts me to see it.”

”I am so sorry,” said Flora. ”Don’t be jealous. I love you.”

”I am not jealous,” said Sam, ”It hurts me to see you making such a fool of yourself and the men will take advantage of you.”

Flora felt guilty and stopped laughing in the bar altogether and she kept her eyes down and only smiled a little when serving the drinks.

She decided to make a special chicken dinner as it was Sam’s favourite. She wanted to make him happy.

At the end of the meal he said, ”That was delicious but please don’t suck the bones so. It’s irritating.”

Flora was unhappy. She felt so often criticised but little by little she changed to please him.

One day in the village she saw a lovely dress in the shop and decided to buy it. It would cheer her up and please Sam too. The dress was a soft green, her favourite colour. It reminded her of the woods she missed so much.

That evening she wore the dress to surprise Sam. After she had cooked dinner she went and put it on and came to the table wearing it. But instead of being pleased Sam said, ”Flora you know I don’t mind you spending money but I really think you should have asked me what I thought of the dress first before you decided to buy it. I might have suggested a different colour. Don’t you even care what I think?”

”Of course I care,” said Flora, looking down.

She never wore the dress again. She didn’t feel comfortable in it. A month later Sam asked where it was and said it was a waste of money to buy a dress and not wear it. She never bought a dress again, without asking Sam first.

One night in the bar an old friend of Sam’s said how lucky he was to have married Flora, her being a good cook and all, and Sam replied,

‘Yes she is. She ain’t the girl I married though. I don’t know why. She used to be adventurous and laugh a lot, I liked that about her. She doesn’t smile like she used to either. Changed she has. That’s the trouble – you marry ’em and then they don’t make any effort no more”