338 pPanL "bore, "bcgeT^t)/, aael "byricy, 



them meanwhile with branches of Fir or Rosemary. This curious 

 custom is supposed to signify their desire to have children. In 

 Northern Germany, newly-married couples often carry in their 

 hands branches of Fir, with lighted candles affixed, perhaps in 

 imitation oif the Roman fasces. At Weimar, and other places, they 

 plant Fir-trees before the house where a wedding has taken place. 

 In Austrian Silesia, the May-pole is always of Fir. In the Harz, 

 on Midsummer night, they decorate Fir-trees with flowers and 

 coloured eggs, or, more generally, branches of Fir, which they stick 

 in the ground, and dance around, singing the while some verses 

 appropriate to the occasion. In Northern Germany, when they 

 drive the cattle to pasture for the first time, they often decorate 

 the last cow with small boughs of Firs, as showing their wish for 



a pasturage favourable to the fecundity of the cattle. From 



wounds made in the Balm of Gilead Fir [Abies Balsamea), a very 

 fine turpentine is obtained, which is sometimes sold as the true 



Balm of Gilead. To dream you are in a forest of Fir-trees is a 



sign of suffering, A Moldavian legend relates that, out of envy, 



the elder sister of a queen changed the two beautiful twin princes 

 she had just given birth to, for two ugly black children, which she 

 placed in their cradle instead. She then buried the young princes 

 alive in the garden, and as soon as possible went to the king, and 

 told him his queen had given birth to two odious black babies. 

 The king in revenge shut up his wife in a dungeon, and made the 

 elder sister his queen. Suddenly, among the flowers of the garden, 

 there spring up two Fir-trees, who, in the evening, talk and confide 

 to each other that they cannot rest whilst their mother is weeping in 

 her lonely dungeon. Then they make themselves known to the 

 poor ex-queen as her children, and tell her how much they love and 

 pity her. Meanwhile the wicked queen awakes one night and 

 listens. She is filled with dread, and makes the king promise that 

 the two Fir-trees shall be cut down. Accordingly, the young trees 

 are felled and thrown into the fire; when, immediately, two bright 

 sparks fly out, and fall far away among the flowers: they are the 

 two young princes, who have again escaped, and who are now 

 determined to bring to light the crime of their detestable aunt. 

 Some time after there is a grand festival at the king's palace; 

 and a great "claca" (assembly) is gathered there to string pearls 

 for the queen. Among the guests appear two beautiful children, 

 with golden hair, who seem to be twin brothers. Whilst the 

 pearl-stringing goes on, stories are told by the guests, and at last 

 it comes to the turn of the twin brothers, who relate the sad story 

 of the imprisoned queen, and reveal the crime of her sister. As 

 they speak, their pearls continue to string themselves in a mira- 

 culous manner, so that the king, observing this, knows that they 

 are telling the truth. When their story is finished, he acknowledges 

 them as his sons, restores their mother to her position as queen, 

 and orders her wicked sister to be torn asunder by wild horses. 



