The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-11-24
MYTHS About Plants.

With cotton a strange legend is linked
| In Brazil. The first of men was demi-
god. He had son of whom he wanted
| 10 get rid; so he formed an armadillo
and buried it in the ground all but its
tail. Then he sent his son to fetch it.
No sooner had the youth seized the ar
madillo by the tail than it plunged into
the bowels of the earth, dragging him
after it. On emerging from the lower
world the young man told his father that
there existed down below men and
women who might cultivate the soil il
they were brought to the surface. The
| demigod created the cotton tree, and
formed out of it a cord with which he
hauled up some of the inhabitants of the
subterranean region. The first spec
| linens of the race were small and ugly,
but they improved as the extracting pro-
cess went on. Unfortunately, the cotton
rope broke before the best types were
! brought up-a fact which accounts, say
the Brazilians, for the rarity of human
beauty upon earth. To find it in its per-
lection one must go down below. A
more poetic belief is that of some be-
reaved German mothers who, up to St.
Johns day, abstain from eating straw
berries. for they think that at that time
little children who have died recently go
up to heaven concealed in those fruits.
1t seems strange that the rush, which
ought to be considered the friend of
man, should have acquired in some lands
a diabolical character. According to a
Little Russian legend, the devil has taken
up his abode in it. Having met the
Lord one day. the devil asked for oats
and buckwheat as his reward for having
taken part in the creation of the world.
The request was granted, whereupon
the devil began to dance for Joy. The
wolf came up and suddenly asked the
meaning of this trivolity. In his con-
fusion the devil forgot what had been
given to him. and replied that he was
dancing for Joy at having received the
rush and the thistle; to which plants he
still adheres.
The creation of the tea plant is due,
says japanese legend, of which the
Chinese appear TO be unaware, to the
pietv of Buddhist priest who visited
China about A. ID. 519. In order to dedi-
cate his soul entirely to God he made a
VOW never to go to sleep, but to medi-
tate uninterruptedly day and night.
After some years of watching he yielded
to severe attack of somnolence and
went fast asleep. On awakening, he
became so remorseful that, in order to
render any similar weakness impossible
in future, he cut off both his eyelids and
threw them on the ground. Returning
to the spot next day, he discovered that
each eyelid had become n shrub. From
these two shrubs is descended the great
family of tea plants. The story throws
some light on the fact that tea-drinking
often prevents the fall of ''tired eyelids
upon tired eyes"
By of conclusion we may mention
one of the stories connected with to-
bacco. In some parts of Russia it is
looked upon as deadly foe. The Ras-
kolniks call il the devils herb. and in
Little Russia the following legend is cur
rent as to its origin. Certain virtuous
Little Russian carriers were in danger
of being led astray by heather woman.
A voice from heaven ordered that she
should be put to death. The carriers
obeyed, and buried her alive. Her hus-
band planted a twig above her remains;
it grew and grew and became large
leaved plant. As the Christian carriers
and the heather widower passed that
way, they saw that he broke off some of
the leaves, filled pipe with them and
smoked it. They followed his example,
and smoked what has since been known
as tobacco. So delighted were they thai
they went on smoking without ceasing:
until at length the smoke gave way one
day to fire, which burned them all up.
London ARthen6um.