Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-17
LEGEND OF THE LILIES.
Why the Chinese Hope for Their Boom
ing on New Years,

ing on New Years.
All little California children, and espe-
cially those in San Francisco, know all
about Chinese New Year. How all the
little Chinese girls and boys and their
papas and mammas dress in their cry
best, make calls and have good things to
cat; and most of them know about the
China lilies, for they bloom in the win
dows of the white little boys and girls
as well as in those of the Chinese. They
know also that they are very suOerstl-
tious about these lilies, and think that
they will have bad luck if the lilies fail
to bloom at New Years season. j..
Now, how many know the legend of
their origin? Not many, l think, so l
will tell you about it.
Once, Il long, long time ago, there lived
in China a very rich man who owned
vast estate. He grew tea on this land,
sold it in the city and made Il great deal
of money.
This rich merchant had two wives.
The first was very handsome and bright
and had two sons, who were also very
handsome and clever boys. But the
other wife was ugly and stupid, and had
two sons that were not at all promising,
but were unpleasant to look upon rs well
and stupid and dull as could be.
When the merchant came to die he
was in great trouble how to leave his
y
four sons re knew that wicked men
would soon have all the share Of his
two stupid sons, and the share Of the
bright sons would not be enough 20 keep
them all.
He pondered over it long and ut last
when he came to die they found that he
had left all of his property to his two
bright sons, except a small barren valley,
which was bequeathed 70 his two stupid
sons.
This barren valley, as everyone know,
would grow nothing at all, or, rs an
American boy would say: 1t wouldn't
Spr0ut beans"
1t was one mass of stone, with hardly
Il square foot of soil upon it.
Flowing down this barren valley vas a
little stream of water which was noted
through the country around for being
such clear, clean water.
1t ran splashing and tumbling over the
rocks, but nothing would grow on its
banks, for there was no soil in which
the plants could take root.
The stupid wife and her sons we're so
disappointed, and their friends felt very
sorry for them, but every day the luother
and her two sons would go to the valley
to talk over their troubles and cry over
their fate, and the tears fell into the
stream.
"What shall we do? What shall we
do?' they said. Our brothers are rich,
while we must beg for our daily bread
Soon, however. the tears that they had
shed sprouted in the water, chung &c the
rocks and came up long green shoots.
1.-THE great Father will make us rich
YETI they cried, and though they
watched daily nothing ever came UPON
these plants but beautiful white files.
They are beautiful, indeed said the
mother, but how they are to make us
rich 1 do not see.''
1t was just at the season of the New
Year, and some of their friends suggest
ed that they sell the blossoms, which
they did.
People bought the lilies to decorate
their houses for the festival, and the
stupid wife and her two sons became
rich from the sale Of the bulbs and bios
SONS that grew in their barren valley
San Francisco Examiner.