T 
JLHE PANSY , as we now know 
it, is a development from the violet. 
The markings that suggest the form of a 
face are an enlargement, through culti¬ 
vation, of the little spots that are 
clearly visible in the white violet. An 
old German tale tells us that at one 
time the pansy grew wild in the fields, 
and had as fine a perfume as the violet. 
Because people, in their eagerness to 
seek it, carelessly trampled the grass so 
necessary for feeding the cattle, the 
flower invoked the Trinity to take 
away its perfume, so that it might not 
so ardently be sought. This petition 
being granted, the flower took the 
name of trinity. Since then, it has been 
known by various names: the monks 
knew it as herb trinity; the laity 
knew it as three faces in a hood; to the 
heathen, it was known as Jove’s flower; 
with the coming of Christianity, it 
became known as the flower of Saint 
Valentine; and we now know it by the 
name of pansy. Pansy is our way of 
saying pensee — a thought. Different 
spellings of the accepted name of pansy 
may be found in old poetry; for ex¬ 
ample, panses, penses, paunces, pancyes, 
and pawnees. There are other uncom¬ 
mon names for it; such as: ladies’ flower, 
flamy, pink of my John, bird’s eye, Kit 
run in the street, call me, sister-in-law, 
cull me, stepmother, the longer the 
dearer, jump up and kiss me, kiss me 
quick, kiss me ere I rise, and kiss 
me at the garden gate. 
