The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-06-20

There is one time OF the year when
every boy would not object to becom-
ing a subject of the Chinese emperor
for just one day. This time is the
ninth day of the ninth month, accord
ing to the Chinese calendar. On this
day kite. flying festival is held. Then
every Chinaman who has any regard
for his spiritual and physical welfare
and can afford n kite-and thore are
few, indeed, who cannot afford such
an inexpensive tritle-goes to hill
and flies his kite the whole day long.
This custom prevails, more generally,
of course. in the rural districts, for
were the inhabitants of great city
like Canton or Pekin each to send up
a kite the strings would become en-
tangled and the very heavens would
be darkened with such a collection OF
paper and string as never was seen.
3. The custom was originated BY man
who had strangely realistic dream,
in which it was revealed to him that
some calamity would befall his house
on certain day. Wishing to avoid
this unknown but inevitable disaster,
he took his family to neighboring
hill top and amused the children by
flying kite. When he returned home
that night he found that his house had
literally fallen to the ground, thus
killing all the dogs and pigs that had
been left at home to keep house. That
set the fashion and since then when
ever the anniversary of that day comes
round other families, remembering the
providential escape of their country
men, fly their kites from the hills in
the belief that as the paper toys ascend
they will carry of the evil spirits that
might otherwise demolish their own
houses and bury them in the ruins
should they stay at home.
.egeud OF the Crocuses and spowdrops.
A very long time ago snowdrops and
crocuses grew only in one beautiful
garden, and all the crocuses and all
The snowdrops in all the world are
prung from those first ancestors.
In the earliest days, instead of
dropping their heads, the snowdrops
grew straight up. Indeed, they were
pert little flowers, and excessively
proud of the delicate green markings
that relieved their whiteness.
Crocuses, too, in those days were
not as now. They were smaller and
pure white, without touch of color
Even the little stamens and pistils
were all white.
One morning, in the wonderful gar
den, where would be many, many
. flowers later in the year, crocuses and
snowdrops were blooming together.
"You poor thingsl" said tall little
snowdrop, swaying back and forth on
her slender stem above the crocuses.
Show cold you lookl II is you should
be named for the snow instead of ].
1t really makes me shiyer to look at
you, you are so white! Now /, you
see, have beautiful green embroidery
on my frock, green as the grass and
trees will be by and by. Every one
who sees me cries, 'Oh, spring is
J coningl Here Is snowdropp But
.gou-I don't wonder they hardly look
at you"
'I'm sure we all have green things
growing up around u.s." ventured one
newly opened crocus, boldsr than the
rest.
''Poohl Those are only leaves.
Every one has leaves" said SLOW
drop, tossing her head.
''Grass blades are leaves. too, :"
murmured the crocuses. Yet they
could not forget the words of the
anowdrop, and they became very sor-
vowful. for they wanted every one to
love them. And next morning, when
| the angel Of the flowers came, there
was . frozen tear in each little pale
cup. II was very cold that morning,
but thu crocuses did not mind the
0eld