A Handful of Weeds 357 



in mild December weather. Or perhaps its out- 

 flashing golden petals suggested the sun, and so 

 the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, much as 

 the radiant aspect of some white and golden June 

 flowers, caused them to be associated with Baldur, 

 the Norse god of the summer sunshine. 



The plantain or ribwort (Plantago major), that 

 persistent intruder upon our lawns, was once highly 

 esteemed as a healer of wounds, and hence, in some 

 parts of England it was known as "wound-weed." 

 One would almost as soon associate legend and fan- 

 tasy with a cabbage as with this coarse-leaved herb 

 (Fig. 98) whose aspect is matter of fact to the last 

 degree. Yet in rural parts of the Old World it 

 was perhaps it still is the favorite midsummer- 

 dream plant. For just one hour on just one 

 day of the year there may be found, beneath its 

 leaves, a rare and magic coal ; and with this 

 under the pillow one will learn one's fate in a 

 dream. 



" When Aubrey happened to be walking behind 

 Montague House," says Thistleton Dyer, (< at 

 twelve o'clock on Midsummer's Day, he saw about 

 twenty young women, all, apparently, very busy 

 weeding. On making inquiries he was told that 

 they were looking for a coal under the root of a 



