The villagers used to say that the acacia forest took up good land and blocked the view for passersby, so it would be best to chop it down.
But just one day after the work began, something happened to the families of the men who had been cutting down the trees.
That very night, the men in those families who had cut the trees were all drenched in sweat and plagued by endless nightmares. Some of the more timid ones even wet the bed in fright and couldn't speak for days.
No one could say for certain what they had dreamed. All that was known was that a rumor later spread: a Yin God resided in that acacia forest. Anyone who dared to disturb the trees would be possessed by it. In mild cases, a person would become incontinent and feverish. In severe cases, they would be driven mad.
Once the rumor got out, the acacia forest became a forbidden place.
Most people who had to pass by the forest made sure to do so before sunset. Otherwise, there was no telling what might happen.
