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with respect to the cowslip freckles. If they 
will gather the blossoms while sparkling 
with the cardiest dew, they will add to their 
own natural roses, or gain some, without fail. 
A very curious notion prevailed amongst 
the ancient Greeks about the Celandine, the 
flower immortalized by Wordsworth. 
They believed that the swallow picked off 
a shoot of the plant, and anointed the eyes 
of its young with the yellow sap, by means 
of which the nestling became possessed of 
the marvellous power of vision belonging to 
those birds. Even if a cruel experimentalist 
put out the young swallow’s eyes, the parent 
bird was said to be able, with the sap of the 
Celandine, to put them in. again ! 
The poisonous plant, Monkshood, well- 
named from its peculiar form, is said to 
have sprung from the deadly foam of Cer- 
berus, the dog of Hell, when dragged by 
Hercules from the dominions of Pluto. Its 
root has been, unfortunately, more than once 
taken for horse-radish, and being eaten, has 
caused instant death, 
















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