MELON. — According to a tradition of the Arabs, the Melon 

 is to be found in Paradise, where it signifies that God is One, and 



that Ah is his true prophet. Sebastian, a Roman traveller of the 



seventeenth century, recorded that on Mount Carmel, in the Holy 

 Land, he had seen a field of Melons which had been turned into 



stones by the curse of Elias. An old Tuscan legend records how 



the wife of a certain young king bore him three children, which were 

 represented by the Queen's jealous sisters to be a cat, a piece of 

 wood, and a snake. The enraged king, upon this, cast his unfor- 

 tunate wife into prison, whilst the three infants were secured by 

 the wicked sisters in a box, and cast into the sea. A gardener 

 found the box, and compassionating the helpless babes, brought 

 them up, and taught them to tend his garden. Through the kindly 

 offices of a good fairy, the king came to dinner one day, and a 

 large Water Melon was gathered from the garden and placed before 

 him. The king cut the Melon, when in place of seeds he discovered 

 inside a number of precious stones. In astonishment, he demanded : 

 " How is it possible that a Melon can produce gems ? " Then the 

 good fairy responded : " And how, sire, is it possible that a woman 

 could give birth to a cat, a piece of wood, and a snake ? " Behold 

 your three children, and hasten, cruel man, to release the poor 

 innocent queen. The envy of her sisters has occasioned all this 

 mischief." The king was deeply a£fed1:ed ; he embraced his children, 

 and forthwith hastened with all speed to his wife, whose pardon he 

 implored. Then he ordered public fetes and rejoicings to take place, 



but condemned the wicked sisters to the stake. According to 



dream oracles, a young woman who dreams of Melons is destined 

 to marry a rich foreigner, and to live with him in a foreign land. 

 If a young man dreams of Melons, it denotes that he will marry a 

 rich foreign lady, by whom he will have a large family, but they 

 will die young. If a sick person dreams of Melons, it is a prog- 

 nostic of recovery by reason of their humidity or juicy substance. 



Midsummer MsN.^See Orpine. 



MIGNONETTE.— The Mignonette, or Little Darling, is sup- 

 posed to be an Egyptian plant, and to have been brought to England 

 from the South of France, where it is called Herbe d' A moiir, or Love- 

 flower. Although a flower of no heraldic fame, the Mignonette is 

 nevertheless, to be seen on the armoured shield of a noble Saxon 

 house, and the origin of its adoption is related in the following 

 legend : — A Count of Walstheim was betrothed to Amelia von Nord- 

 burg, a young and beautiful heiress, whose poor cousin Charlotte, 

 an amiable girl of no particular personal charms, had been brought 

 up with her from infancy. Returning one evening from a charitable 

 visit, the humble dependent found her aunt's saloon full of guests, 

 the ladies busily occupied in selediing flowers for which their 

 admirers were expetfied to improvise mottoes. Charlotte was 

 invited to follow the example of her betters. Amelia von Nordburg 



