Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-03

HareS and Easter Eggs.
It would be difficult to explain whence
came the notion that :" The hares lay East
er eggs Queer hares they must be, in
deed, but German children believe it rs de-
voully us they do Lhat the " Christ kind
brings their Christmas presents, or as our
own little ones do in Santa Claus. No |
one knows exactly whence came this
myth. Many think it IL relic OF heather
worship; but writer named Christoph |
Won Schmid, in an interesting story Tor
children, suggested this much prettier
origin: i
Many hundred years ago, good and
noble lady, Duchess Rosilinda Won Linden
burg, at ii time when cruel war was dew
aslating the land, was obliged 10 fly from
her beautiful home in Germany, accom-
panied only by her two children and one
old man-servant.
They found refuge in n small mining
village in the mountains, where the simple
but contented and happy inhabitants dld
what they could for their comfort, and
placed the best of all they had at the dis
posal of the wanderers. Nevertheless, their
lare was miserable; no meat Was ever to
be found, seldom fish, and not even an
egg; this last for the very good reason
thai there was not II single hen in the vii
lape! These useful domestic fowls, now
So common everywhere, were originally
| brought from the east, and had not yet
found their way to this secluded place
The people had not even heard OF such
L" strange birdsn This troubled the kind
duchess, who well knew the great help
they are IN housekeeping, and she deter
mined that the women who had been SO
kind to her should no longer be without
them.
Accordingly, the next time she sent
forth her faithful old servant to try and
gather news Of his master and OF the pro-
gress of the war, she commissioned him
TO bring back with him coop full OF
fowls. This he did, TO the great surprise
of the simple natives, and the village chill
dren were greatly excited few weeks
later at the appearance of Il brood of
young chickens. They were so pretty and
bright, were covered with such soft
down, were so open-eyed, and could run
about after their mother to pick up food
the very first day, and We're altogether
such Il contrast to the blind bald, untledg-
ed, helpless, ugly little birds they some
times saw in nests in the hedges, that they
could not find words enough to express
their admiration.
The good lady now saved up eggs for
sometime, then invited all the housewives
of the village TO II feast, when she set be-
lore them eggs cooked in II variety OF
ways. She then taught them how to pre-
pare them for themselves, and, distributing
Il number of fowls among them, sent the
DANES home grateful and happy.
When Easter approached, she was anX-
ous to arrange some pleasure for the vii
age children, but had nothing to give
them, mot even an apple OF nut, only
some eggs; but that, she concluded, was,
after alt, an appropriate offering, las an
egg is the first gilt OF The revlvlng spring
And then it occurred to her 10 boil them
with MOSES and roots that would give
them variety of brilliant colors, las the
ealtiI,' SAID size, /" has ust laid aside her
white manLle and decorated herself with
many colors for the dear God makes the
, fruit and berries not only good to eat but
also pleasant to look upon, and the chill
dren pleasure would he all the greater.
Accordingly, on Easter Sunday, after the
church service, all the little ones OF about
the aye of her own met together in gar
den; and, wuen their kind hostess had
take to them IL while, she led them into
IL nelgnboring wood. There she told them
To make nests of moss, and advised each
to mark well his or her own. ALI then re-
turned to the garden, where IL least OF
, milk-soup with eggs and egg cakes had
been prepared. AI,erward they Went back
to the wood, and found to Their great JOY
RI IN each nest live beLlLllui coIored eggs,
written.
+ The surprise and delight of the little
ones when they discovered nest OF the
| gay ly colored treasures, was very great,
and one of them exclaimed:
How wonderful The hens must be that
/ can lay such pretty eggs How | should
like to see them!
a "Oh! no hens could lay such beautiful
eggs answered IL little girl. 81 think
it must have been the little hare that
spraug Out of the juniper bush when
wanted to build my nest there"
Then all the children laughed together
, and said, 1.-The hares lay the colored eggs
+ Yes, yes! the dear little hares lay the
beautiful eggs" And they all repeated it
till they began to believe it.
q Not long alterward the war ended, and
n Duke Arno Won Lindenburg took his wife
and children back to their own palace; bul
before leaving, the duchess set apart 4
sum of money to be expended in giving
= the children every Easter IL feast OF eggs
h She instituted The custom also in her own
duchy, and by degrees it spread over the
q whole country, the eggs being considered
Il symbol of'redemption or deiveranct
= from sin.
; 70 this day children living in the coun,
q try go TO the woods just before Easter, anC
return with their arms full of twigs anc
moss, out of which they build nests anC
n houses, each child carefully marking hi:
own with his name. They are then hid
o den behind stones and bushes in the gar
/ den, or. if the weather be cold in corners
Or under furniture in the house. And or
q Easter morning what an excitement there
is TOO see what the good little hare has
brought! Not only zeal eggs boiled anC
colored, but sugar ones too, and often
g wooden ones that open like boxes, dis
closing, perhaps, pair of new gloves or d
s bright ribbon. lie even sometimes brings
: hoops and skipping-ropes, and generally
:. his own efligy in dough or candy is founl
S trying to scamper away behind the nest
s f. b. Corae, IN 81. Nicholas for april.
q PIrrTINc CuIIn pFN no RED MOT Will