covered with the white blossoms. 

 The royal lotus ponds are not in the 

 city of Bangkok, at the King's palace, 

 but some miles outside the town, in 

 a beautiful garden where there is a 

 temple and pleasure palace. Almost 

 every religious ceremony uses the 

 lotus, and the Siamese have a legend 

 that when Buddha appeared as a man 

 encircled by a halo of glory, the earth 

 blossomed spontaneously and in pro- 

 fusion with this beautiful flower. In 

 the funeral processions the lotus is 

 borne on tridents. 



Who can begrudge the lily the 

 love and veneration which has been 

 showered upon her, or fail to give her 

 the well-won title of "The Flower of 

 Faith?" 



96 



