"SWEET SUMMER BUDS" 175 



IV 



Fern and Honeysuckle 



THE FERN (Pteris aquilina), with its graceful 

 and beautifully indented leaves and its peculiar 

 acrid scent, delicious to many persons, would be ad- 

 mitted into the Shakespeare garden because of its 

 fantastic qualities, even if its beauty did not sue 

 for recognition. The fern is a fairy plant. Accord- 

 ing to folk-lore it always blossomed at twelve o'clock 

 on St. John's eve (June 21), Midsummer night. 

 The flower is described as a wonderful globe of 

 sapphire blue (according to other stories a ruby 

 red) ; and in a few moments after its blossoming the 

 seed appeared. Oberon, the fairy king, was sup- 

 posed to watch for the precious seed so that he might 

 prevent mortals from obtaining it; but any one 

 fortunate enough to gather fern-seed would be under 

 the protection of spirits, and would be enabled to 

 realize all his fondest desires. Furthermore, any 

 one who wore the fern-seed about him would be in- 

 visible. Shakespeare was familiar with this super- 

 stition, for he makes Gadshill exclaim in "King 

 Henry IV" : * "We steal as in a castle, cock-sure : 



"Part I, Act II, Scene I. 



