96 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:3— March, 1919 



In connection with the study of our common garden flowers we 

 have such stories as "Clytie," the story of the sunflower, "Heho- 

 trope," "Mignonette," "Pansy," "Marigold," "Moss Rose." 

 The story of "Clytie" tells how the beautiful maiden by that name 

 was given the form of the sunflower so that she might watch the 

 sun god, Apollo, as he rode across the sky in his golden chariot. 

 This explains why the sunflower faces the east in the morning, looks 

 directly overhead at noon, and in the afternoon watches the chariot 

 as it disappears below the western horizon. 



It may be of interest to the children to know that Canterbury 

 bells are so called because of their resemblance to the bells rung by 

 the pilgrims while wending their way toward Canterbury to pray 

 at the tomb of Thomas a Becket. They will enjoy hearing how 

 Queen Louise, of Prussia, fleeing from Berlin before the advance 

 of Napoleon, hid with her children in a grain field and there 

 amused them by weaving the cornflowers into wreaths which she 

 put upon their heads. Later the Emperor of Germany made this 

 flower his emblem. 



The following German legend of the pansy is a favorite with 

 children of all lands. Each pansy flower is a little family made up 

 of five members, the petals. The large petal at the bottom is the 

 stepmother who is so large that she occupies two chairs — the little 

 green sepals of the flower. She has two children of her own who 

 are just above her. She is so fond of them that she gives each a 

 little green chair to sit on. Above them are the two stepchildren 

 who are forced to sit on one chair far away from the mother. But 

 where is the father of this family r He is a tiny little man who sits 

 all day long at the feet of the stepmother, bathing himself in 

 honey dew. 



Flowers of field, meadow and brook have furnished material for 

 fascinating myths. "The Story of Lily-Star" tells of a time 

 when the world was filled with happy people. Everywhere there 

 was plenty ; the trees yielded their richest fruit ; bushes bent low 

 with berries. Birds sang their happiest songs. One night, the 

 people saw a beautiful, bright star. As they watched it, it fell 

 down and down until it stood at the foot of a great mountain. The 

 people went forth to meet it. "I have come to dwell with you," it 

 said, "Tell me where I may make my dwelling." The mountain 

 tops seemed so far away from the happy people; the hillside, also, 

 was too distant; the forest was dark and cold. At last, the star 



