Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-12-19

ly all peoples have their leg
8 ends which fell of its be-
q j ginning. Nobody these days
bothers much about its or
igin, for the Christmas tree is one of
those things which seems to explain
itself-or not to need any explanation.
But why the mistletoe, that in so
many homes-certainly no home where
there are young people Is without at
least one bunch advantageously hung
--is as much of the Christmas scheme
as the tree itself? And why is 1t per-
fectly proper-and quite the thing--to
kiss under the mistletoe2
Why, the mistletoe Is dedicated to
love and kissing, Of course, is a sign
of love among civilized nations. This
must be so, for there is perfectly
satisfactory legend in Scandinavian
mythology that tells all about IT.
Once upon time there was god
named Baldur, who lad charge of the
sunshine and all the bright and beau
tiful things thst sunshine helps to
make. His fsther and mother. Wooden
and Frigga, for whom Wednesday and
Friday are named. were very proud
Of their yellow-haired boy for he was
20 handsome and good natured that
everybody loved him. Everybody?
Well, not quite. There was one dark
god named Loki, who had care of fire
aud all the terrible things it does. and
this Loli hated Bailur bitterly. For,
In the spring, you know, the people
all left the hearth fires that Loki look
ed after, and went out TO rejoice be-
cause Baldur had brought back the
glorious sun. And for this Loki hated
Baldur more and more each year, and
longed to hurt him In some dreadful
way
1t seemed, however, that Baldur
could never be injured or made miser-
/ able. When -he grew up he married
Mamma. which means blossom" In
English, and every day he looked hap
pier than before. But one morning
he awoke greatly troubled; he had
dreamed of dying, What could it
mean--thls dream Of death to the god
of 10y? And the aext night 1t came
again, and the next, and the next
His father and mother We're so wor-
ried that they could not sleep, and at
length his father, Wooden. went far
down into the land of night to talk
with the evil ones there and find ont
what they intended to do TO his boy
And what do you suppose he found?
A table set for those who must come
to the land of darkness, and one seat
was prepared for Baidurl Almost
Wild with sorrow, Wooden hurried back
with the sorrowfus message 70 his
wife.
Meanwhile. however, Frigga had
been thinking and thinking, and just
as Wooden entered she gave him the
joyful news that she had hit upon the
very olan to save their son, And the
planf Well. it was this they should
send our messengers all over the
world and ask everything -the trees,
the rocks, the mountains. the animals,
the waters, everything-to promise
never to harm their Baldur.
Wooden was delighted with Frigga's
plan. So the messengers went out all
over the wori5 sid asked everything
to promise never TO harm Tallur.
And an the world seemed to think II
Kas fine plan, for everything gladly
gave the promise never, never never
to hurt the yellow-haired god OF sun
shine.
Yes. everything in all the world
promised -except Just one thing. The
mistIetoe that hung on the great oak
outside yalLalla, tie home Of the gods.
was feeling out OF sorts when the mes
senger arrived. Promise you will
never. never, never harm Baldur, the
god of sunshine" said the messenger,
"Why should ] make such prom
Ise?" asked the mistletoe.