254 OFant l^oce, T^eger^b/, ansl 'bijrlc/'. 



one of the felled trees, with his face turned towards the East. They 

 kiss his hand, and, whilst looking between his legs, they utter these 

 words: — " Uncle Lieschi, show yourself to us, not as a grey wolf, 

 not as a fierce fire, but as I myself appear." Then the leaves of 

 the Aspen quiver and tremble, and the Lieschi shows himself in 

 human form, and is quite disposed to render no matter what service 

 to him who has conjured him — provided only that he will promise 

 him his soul. De Gubernatis relates one other anecdote re- 

 specting the Birch, which he says to the Esthonian is the living per- 

 sonification of his country. It is related that an Esthonian peasant 

 noticed a stranger asleep beneath a tree at the moment when it was 

 struck by lightning. He awoke him. The stranger, thanking him for 

 his good offices, said : " When, far from your native country, and 

 feeling sorrowful and home-sick, you shall see a crooked Birch, 

 strike and ask of it : ' Is the crooked one at home ? ' " One day the 

 peasant, who had become a soldier, and was serving in Finland, 

 felt dispirited and unhappy, for he could not help thinking of his 

 home and the little ones he had left behind. Suddenly he sees the 

 crooked Birch ! He strikes it, and asks : " Is the crooked one at 

 home ? " Forthwith the mysterious stranger appears, and, calling 

 to one of his spirits, bids him instantly transport the soldier to 



his native country, with his knapsack full of silver. The Swedes 



have a superstition that our Saviour was scourged with a rod of the 

 dwarf Birch, which was formerly a well-grown tree, but has ever 

 since that day been doomed to hide its miserable and stunted head. 



It is called Lang Fredags Ris, or Good Friday rod. In France, 



it was in mediaeval times the custom to preserve a bough of the 

 Birch as a sacred objecft. In the country distri(fls around Valen- 

 ciennes, it is an old custom for lovers to hang a bough of Birch or 

 Hornbeam over the doorway of his lady-love. In Haute Bretagne, 

 as a charm to strengthen a weakly infant, they place in its cot 

 Birch-leaves, which have been previously dried in an oven. 

 There is an old English proverb, " Birchen twigs break no bones," 

 which has reference to the exceedingly slender branches of the 



tree. In lormer days, churches were decked with boughs of the 



Birch, and Gerarde tell us that " it serveth well to the decking up 

 of houses and banqueting-rooms, for places of pleasure, and for 

 beautifying of streets in the crosse and gang [procession] weeke, 

 and such like." According to Herrick, it was customary to use 

 Birch and fresh flowers for decorative purposes at Whitsuntide : — 



•' When Yew is out, then Birch comes in, 

 And many flowers besides ; 

 Both of a fresh and fragrant kinne, 

 To honour Whitsontide. " 



The Scotch Highlanders think very highly of the Birch, and turn 

 it to all sorts of uses. With Burns, the budding Birch was a prime 

 favourite in the Spring-time. The Scotch proverb, which says of 

 a very poor man that he is " Bare as a Birk at Yule e'en," probably 



