SOME MAY FLOWERS 49 



dot the brakes and will-o'-th'-wisp following their parents' example, to 

 to dance over the bogs. The country, stretch themselves against the bole of 

 it is true, had one serious defect ; food an oak. The woodman saw the marks 

 was scarce whilst winter lasted and was of their claws, the pits they dug and 

 never very plentiful at the best of the prints both big and small where the 

 times. At the season of bud-bursting, stream crosses the ride, but he laid no 

 however, the female tore herself away trap and set no snare, 

 from the whelps and showed her mate In that wood and over the wild 

 the woodland in the low country waste about the sett the badger wan- 

 where wild hyacinths abounded. There ders to-day. Fear no longer shadows 

 they feasted on the delicious bulbs that his steps and it is likely that he will 

 were to be had for a few scratches of live to the full span of years, that his 

 their powerful claws, and thither later last trail will lead to the cave, unknown 

 they led the cubs, whose delight it was to man, where for ages his kind have 

 to wander amongst the trees and, crept to die. 



X 



80 ME MAY FLOWERS 



" This sweet May morning 

 The children are pulling 

 On every side, 



In a thousand valleys far and wide, 

 Fresh flowers." 



WORDSWORTH. 



TN the olden times our forefathers and looking down the meadows, could 



were wont to celebrate the first see, here a boy gathering lilies and 



of May with much rejoicing. The lady-smocks, and there a girl cropping 



quaint customs associated with the culverkeys and cowslips, all to make 



festival have mostly died out, but here garlands suitable to this present month 



and there in retired country places of May." We must not stop to inquire 



the children still perambulate the what particular plant our "honest 



village with garlands and may-poles, fisherman " meant by " culverkeys," 



as in the days of the author of The for it would only lead us into a long 



Compleat Angler, who, as he "sat and learned discussion. And now is 



under a willow-tree by the waterside, the season when, as Shakespeare says, 



