diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 059344a..6788dc0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1092,4 +1092,59 @@ impl TextLineFontKind {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct ElementBodyBuilder<'a> {
+    containing_element: &'a mut xml_tree::Element,
+    stack: Vec<xml_tree::Element>,
+}
+
+impl<'a> ElementBodyBuilder<'a> {
+    fn new(containing_element: &'a mut xml_tree::Element) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            containing_element,
+            stack: Vec::with_capacity(5),
+        }
+    }
+    fn shrink_stack(&mut self, new_len: usize) {
+        while new_len < self.stack.len() {
+            let Some(element) = self.stack.pop() else {
+                unreachable!();
+            };
+            self.insert_point().children.push(element);
+        }
+    }
+    fn set_tag_stack<'b>(&mut self, tag_stack: impl IntoIterator<Item = &'b str>) {
+        let mut new_len = 0;
+        for (i, tag) in tag_stack.into_iter().enumerate() {
+            new_len = i + 1;
+            if i >= self.stack.len() {
+                self.stack.push(xml_tree::Element::new(tag.into(), []));
+            } else if self.stack[i].tag.normal() != Some(tag) {
+                self.shrink_stack(new_len);
+            }
+        }
+        self.shrink_stack(new_len);
+    }
+    fn write_text(&mut self, text: impl Borrow<str>) {
+        let text = text.borrow();
+        let insert_point = self.insert_point();
+        if let Some(child) = insert_point.children.last_mut() {
+            child.tail += text;
+        } else {
+            insert_point.text += text;
+        }
+    }
+    fn insert_point(&mut self) -> &mut xml_tree::Element {
+        self.stack.last_mut().unwrap_or(self.containing_element)
+    }
+    fn scope<R>(&mut self, f: impl FnOnce(&mut Self) -> R) -> R {
+        let retval = f(self);
+        self.flush();
+        retval
+    }
+    fn flush(&mut self) {
+        self.set_tag_stack([]);
+    }
+}
+
 fn main() {}
diff --git a/src/xml_tree.rs b/src/xml_tree.rs
index 4a0ed52..1fce103 100644
--- a/src/xml_tree.rs
+++ b/src/xml_tree.rs
@@ -157,6 +157,15 @@ impl fmt::Display for Element {
 }
 
 impl Element {
+    pub(crate) fn new(tag: String, attrib: impl IntoIterator<Item = (String, String)>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            tag: ElementTag::Normal(tag),
+            attrib: Vec::from_iter(attrib),
+            text: String::new(),
+            children: Vec::new(),
+            tail: String::new(),
+        }
+    }
     /// equivalent to python `"".join(self.itertext())`
     pub(crate) fn inner_text(&self) -> String {
         let mut retval = String::new();
@@ -186,13 +195,7 @@ impl Element {
         tag: String,
         attrib: impl IntoIterator<Item = (String, String)>,
     ) -> &mut Self {
-        self.children.push(Self {
-            tag: ElementTag::Normal(tag),
-            attrib: Vec::from_iter(attrib),
-            text: String::new(),
-            children: Vec::new(),
-            tail: String::new(),
-        });
+        self.children.push(Self::new(tag, attrib));
         self.children.last_mut().expect("just pushed")
     }
 }