Alternate Ending To Build A Fire

Levi was pissed. It didn't seem fair, he had just damn near died yet Cain was still insisting that he replace the firewood he stole. Ya think he could give a guy a couple of days to heal up, but noooooo. A brisk northeasterly wind froze his face, shelter from the Enchanted Forest a welcome windbreak. And now I have to ask these damn trees which one of them is going to let me cut it down.
Weary, watery, wind burnt eyes scanned the woods, eventually seizing on a tree about the right size needing only to be felled, chunked to carry. Cutting it down and hauling it back over to Cain's was going to be work enough. Cheap S.O.B. could have at least let me borrow his mule! At least the snow wasn't as deep in the woods, finally he reached the chosen
You steal from your neighbor, tried to steal from us, wanting more rather than honoring the life of the tree you already cut down. Your fear of thorn willow drove you to ask another tree for its life."
A rustling that wasn't part of the wind grabbed his attention; a thorn willow had begun to wrap a branch around his good leg. Panic filled him, "No, No! Please don't hurt me!:
"Leave now."
Memories of intense pain, nearly dying from the sickness his last encounter with the thorn willow plucked away his resolve. Slowly he backed away from the tree careful not to snag his jeans on the willow's thorns. Free at last he sprinted to the edge of the forest, tripping thru random snow drifts exertion bringing back the feeling to his feet and toes. Safe now, pulling his cap down against the wind he paused, scanning for anything he might be able to bring back to satisfy
Cut me down!" A sweet voice whispered, was it only an overactive imagination and the wind?
And there it was, a tree, a bit smaller than he would have liked surrounded by a ring of rocks. Wind had blown the snow clear of the ground, it would be easy walking.
Relief flooded thru Levi, glanced down to be sure the thorn willow had released its hold was nowhere to be seen. It must be OK! Running now, the sun was dipping low in the west sky. Reaching the tree, just to be sure, "Is it OK if I cut you down?"
"Oh yes you sure can, any friend of Cain's is a friend of mine."
Friend isn't exactly what came to mind when he thought of Cain, but...
The sawdust mixed with a smelly dark brown sap coating him as he cut the notch, "Aaaaaaaaasah."
"Are you sure this is OK?"
"Oh yes dear man, oh yes."
The tree hit the frozen ground with a dull thud. Levi ignored the ooooooohing and aaaaaaahing, damn these are juicy trees, I wonder why the one before smelled so good and this one stinks so much?
Gathering an armload about the size he took from Cain cleaned up all the wood. Only the ring of rocks remained. Levi skirted the Enchanted Forest, eager to get to Cain's before the sun dipped under the