The Folk-lore of Plants 235 



such as the wind, the lightning, the fire ; but as well ob- 

 jects animate and inanimate, springs, rivers, rocks, weap- 

 ons, implements, nor less plants of every sort, cereals, 

 flowers, fruit-trees, trees of every kind; each external 

 object was to him quite like himself. If he were a per- 

 son, all these things were persons, too; they had, of 

 course, personal power, as he did; certainly they had 

 will; they might be entreated, worshiped even; in fact, 

 were worshiped and are worshiped even to this day. 



Plants are very curious things; they live indeed, but 

 they are so very silent, mute ; some have colored sap, red, 

 purple ; do such not bleed ? Their leaves rustle, whisper, 

 and sigh in the gentle airs of night, shall we not listen? 

 There is ' ' a sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry 

 trees, ' ' shall we not bestir ourselves ? Even in the win- 

 ter, the giants of the forest stretch their great arms; 

 their rubbing branches creak and cry, shall mortal man 

 not fear? Plants are very curious things. 



Plants, moreover, toward men were generally harm- 

 less, if not altogether friendly. Fruits and grain yielded 

 nourishment and delight. The greater plants afforded 

 shelter, shade. All the more familiar and harmless beasts 

 likewise were beneficiaries, dependent upon the vegetable 

 world. Even the plants less directly serviceable to man- 

 kind served the brute creation, and health and happiness 

 seemed bound up in their very leaves ; for the great herds 

 of herbivorous creatures were seldom sick; so that long 

 ago the plant world attained a reputation for therapeu- 

 tics, and men sought and found relief from pain. Nor 

 was this all ; plants pierced the earth, entered the secret 

 chambers of the mountain, and seemed to know the place 



