43S pFant "hofe, Tseg©^/, anil Tsijncy. 



sider as the residence of the King of the Cereals. The grain of 



Millet has become proverbial as indicative of anything minute: 

 possibly on this account, Millet portends misery if seen in a dream. 



There is a legend in North Germany, that, long ago, a rich 



merchant had a fine garden, in which was a piece of land sown 

 with Millet. One day the merchant discovered that a part of the 

 Millet had been shorn during the preceding night, so he set his 

 three sons to watch in case the theft should be repeated. Both 

 the eldest and the second son fell asleep during their respe(5live 

 vigils ; and on each occasion the theft was repeated, and further por- 

 tions of the Millet disappeared. On the third night, the youngest 

 son, John, agreed to watch: he surrounded himself with Thorns 

 and Thistles, so that if he felt sleepy, and began to nod, the Thorns 

 should prick him, and thus keep him awake. At midnight he 

 heard a tramping, and then a sound of munching among the 

 Millet : pushing aside the Thorns, John sprang out from his hiding- 

 place, and saw a beautiful little colt feeding on the Millet. To 

 catch the little animal was an easy task, and it was soon safely 

 locked up in the stable. The merchant, overjoyed at the capture 

 his vigilant son John had made, made him a present of the colt, 

 which he named Millet-thief. Soon after this, the brothers heard 

 of a beautiful princess who was kept by enchantment confined in a 

 palace that stood on the top of a glass mountain, which no one, on 

 account of its being so slippery, could ascend; but it was said 

 that whosoever should be so fortunate as to reach its summit, and 

 ride thrice round the palace, would disenchant the princess and 

 obtain her hand in marriage. Numbers had already endeavoured to 

 ride up the slippery mountain, but were precipitated to its foot ; and 

 their skeletons lay bleaching all around. The three brothers deter- 

 mined to try and ascend the mountain, but, alas, the two eldest fell 

 with their horses down the treacherous mountain side, and lay 

 sorely hurt. Then John saddled his little colt Millet-thief, and to 

 his delight, when ridden to the mountain, he easily rattled up to its 

 summit, and trotted round the palace three times as though he 

 knew the road perfecSlly. Soon they stood in front of the palace- 

 gates, which opened spontaneously, and the lovely princess stepped 

 forth with a cry of joy, as she recognised in Millet-thief her own 

 little colt, who had been accustomed to take her by night down 

 the steep mountain, so that she might enjoy a gallop across the 

 green fields — the only indulgence permitted her by the cruel en- 

 chanter. Then the princess bestowed her hand upon her deliverer, 

 and they lived happily, far removed from worldly cares, in the 

 palace on the glass mountain. 



MIMOSA. — The Mimosa Catechu, according to Indian mytho- 

 logy, was the tree which sprang from the claw lost by a falcon 

 whilst engaged in purloining the heavenly Soma, or Amrita, the 

 drink of immortality. The Vedas recount that, when the gods were 

 pining for the precious beverage, the falcon undertook to steal it 



