Yield: the power of giving way, necessary for any power of advance. It is a relational power. It does not need to be a permanent state. What advanced might yet have to yield. Land that yields to ice, for example, or even to running water, might create a permanent state of yielding that collects water and makes its advance yield to become a lake.

Not only did this willow yield to a beaver, but the beaver yielded to a greater force that interrupted its work, whether danger, sunrise or weariness. You can bet it’ll be back.