The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-31
LEGENDS OF EASTER
FLOWERS.
Continued from Page 8.

these flowers are scattered over the
earth as the stars are spread over the
sky. According to them, one morning
of glory when the world was new, an
angel stood weeping outside the closed
gate of Paradise. He had fallen. in
that he had loved a fair daughter of
Earth. When his eyes had rested on
her as she sat on rivers bank weav-
ing forget-me-nots in her hair, heaven
and his mission to earth were alike for
gotten. Now he might no more enter
in until his beloved had sown all over
the earth the forget-me-not. He re-
turned to her and, hand in hand, they
wandered. planting everywhere the
sweet azure flowers. When, at last,
there remained on earth no spot barren
of these blossoms, they turned again
to the gate and found it open. Togeth-
er they entered in. for the angels great
love had lifted the woman to Paradise.
Some authorities there are, who do
not bark back to the days of the Gar
den of Eden, but tell a pathetic tale of
the Danube as the origin of the forget
me-not's name. The blue waves of the
river washed the foundation walls of a
brave knights ancestral castle. He had
but just come home from the wars and
laid his honors at the feet of his lady
love. His bride and he were wandering
claimed, Look yonder: there upon that
islet: see those star-like blossoms blue
as thine eyes" Instantly he sprang
into the river and swan toward the
flowers. In safety he reached the isle
and grasped the fragile prize, but when
| he tried to return with them to the
shore. his heavy aTmor made him help
| less in the current. Tossing the flowers
TO his frantic bride with the agonized
4 Il
under the water.
The Flemish are responsible for a
beautiful legend declaring that forget
me-nots spr2ng from the earth after
the battle of Waterloo. from a spray
that a young Englishman who fell
there, had carried next his heart. 1t
further states that the battlefield has
ever since been covered with flowers as
a memorial to those who fell there. In
the annals OF chivalry and romance the
fOrget-me-not has prominent place.
History testifes that Henry of Ian
| caster, before he was made Henry
Fourth of England, adopted the tiny
| blue blossom of hope while in exile.
as his emblem, and with it went the
watchword of his followers, "Remem-
| Der me-"
The snowdrop is another modest flow
1 ct tildI COulu, II II wished, BOAST OF
| legends dating back TO creation. Those
stCry-loveTs, the Germans. have a fan
ciful tale about it. They say that when
the Creator gave color to the things
that he had made, the snow complained
to him that for il none was left. and
so it would come and go as unheeded as
the wind. The Lord listening. babe il
ask some of the richly-dyed flowers to
share with it their brilliant hues, but
| they all refused, and the snow was
turning sadly away when the humble
snowdrop that had not been solicited.
gently said, 'If my white color be of
any use to you, you are very welcome
to it, From that day the snow has
ever loved and guarded the generous
little flower. There is another and even
prettier Eden story about the snow
drops origin. 1t tells that outside the
| barred gate. Eve sat weeping for her
/ lost Paradise, while the snow fell fast
around her. An angel was sent from
heaven to comfort her in her desolation.
No flowers had bloomed for Eve since
| she had been driven from the Garden.
AS the angel kindly told her to dry her
/ tears, ne caught some of the falling
snowhakes and, breathing upon them,
/ babe them live and blossom. Then he
/ dropped them and as they touched the
ground they were transformed into tiny
white blossoms. The angel assured Eve
| that these snowdTops were a promise to
her that the summer was not dead, and
would come again.
Every country on earth has its own
beautiful flower legends, and there is
not one loved blossom that has not been
| the hero of some poetic tale.