the ground. He saw the fat fleshy root like a little goblin, reaching
its long white fingers down into the soil, picking out the magic
crystals to pack away in its pockets; and he could see the tall stem
like a wood-elf carrying them up, and spreading them upon its flat
hands, so they could soak up the juices of the sun and air. He could see
them turning into a wonderful stuff like amber dew, with a tang like
new-cut timber. But it was not yet done, so he could not tell just what
it might be good for. Now it was springtime, and it would be harvest red
moon before the little worker would have the magic healing stored in its
treasure bags underground. So to prevent any one harming or hindering
the plant till its work was done, the King took out his seal ring and
stamped seal marks all along the root, where they are unto this day. And
then to make it sure he made the golden bell chimes become visible so
every one could see them. There they hang like a row of ringing bells.
But the King never came back to learn the rest of it, for he had to
build the temple; and he had many wives who took up a great deal of his
time. So the world has never found out just what is the magic power of
the plant. But it is there, be sure of that, just as surely as the peal
of golden bells is there, and the marks of the great King's Seal.
TALE 16
The Silver Bells of the False Solomon Seal
[Illustration: The Silver Bells of the False Solomon Seal]
Over a month later, the King suddenly remembered that he had not been
out to see the plant whose root he had sealed. He was very busy at the
time, as he had the temple to build, and many wives to look after; so he
called Djin, a good goblin, who does hard work and said, "Go and see
that no one has harmed that plant," then told him how to find it.
Away went the good goblin, like a flash. He was a very obedient servant,
but not very bright; and when he came to the woods, he looked all around
for the plant with the chime of bells, for King Solomon had forgotten to
say that the bells do not ring after June, and it was now July. So the
goblin looked about for a long time. He did not dare to go back and say
he could not find it--that would have been a terrible crime, so he
looked and looked. At last he heard a little tinkle of bells away off in
the woods. He flew to the place, and there was a plant like the one he
sought but its bells were of silver, and all in a bunch instead of a
long string. The good goblin dug down to the big fat root in the ground
and found that the seal marks had grown over--at least he thought they
had--for they were nowhere to be seen. So he looked around for something
to help. His eye fell on an acorn cup. He took this, and using it for a
seal, he stamped the root all over.
Then he took a piece of the root and a sprig and flew back to show the
King. Solomon smiled and said: "You did the best you could, but you have
marked the wrong root. Listen! This is not the golden chime, but the
chime of silver bells."
That is the story of it and that is why it has ever since been called
the False Solomon Seal.
FOOTNOTE:
[A] Some, like the Turkey-buzzards, have not yet been heard to sing, but
I believe they do.
THINGS TO SEE IN SUMMERTIME
[Illustration: The Brownie and the Mouse-bird]
Things to See in Summertime
TALE 17
How the Mouse-bird Made Fun of the Brownie
Once there was a conceited Brownie, who thought he could do more things
and do them better than any other of his people. He had not tried yet,
for he was very young, but he said he was going to do them some day!
One morning a sly old Brownie, really making fun of him, said: "Why
don't you catch that Phoebe-bird? It is quite easy if you put a little
salt on his tail." Away went Smarty Brownie to try. But the Phoebe would
not sit still, and the Brownie came back saying: "He bobbed his tail so,
the salt would not stay on."
"Well," said the sly old Brownie, "there is a little Mouse-bird whose
tail never bobs. You can easily catch him, for you see, he does not even
fly, but crawls like a mouse up the tree," and he pointed to a little
brown Creeper. By this time the young Brownie knew that the others were
laughing at him, so he said rather hotly, "I'll just show you right
now."
He took an acorn cup full of salt, and went after the Mouse-bird. It was
at the bottom of the big tree, creeping up, round and round, as if on a
spiral staircase, and the Brownie began to climb in the same way. But
every little while the climber had to stop and rest. This had strange
results, for there is a law in Brownie land, that wherever one of the
little people stops to sit down, or rest, a toadstool must spring up for
him to sit on. So the track of the Brownie up the trunk became one long
staircase of toadstool steps, some close, some far apart, but each
showing where the Brownie had rested. They came closer together toward
the top where the Brownie had got tired, but he was coming very near to
the Creeper now. He got his pinch of salt all ready, as his friends down
below kept calling and jeering: "Now you've got him, now is your
chance." But just as he was going to leap forward and drop the salt on
its tail, the Creeper gave a tiny little laugh like "_Tee-tee-tee_,"
spread its wings, for it could fly very well, and sailed away to the
bottom of the next tree to do the spiral staircase all over again, while
Smarty Brownie was so mad that he jumped to the ground and hid away from
his friends for two days. When he came back he did not talk quite so
much as he used to. But to this day you can see the staircase of
toadstools on the tree trunks where the Brownie went up.
TALE 18
The Pot-herb that Sailed with the Pilgrims
"Come," said the Guide, "to-day I am going to show you a Pot-herb that
came from England with the Pilgrim Fathers and spread over the whole of
America. There is a story about it that will keep it ever in your
memory."
[Illustration: The Pilgrim's Pot-herb]
The Pilgrims had landed in Massachusetts, and slowly made farms for
themselves as they cleared off the forest. They had a very hard time at
first, but the Indians helped them; sometimes with gifts of venison, and
sometimes by showing them which things in the woods were good to eat.
There was a Squaw named Monapini, "the Root-digger," who was very
clever at finding forest foods. She became friendly with a white woman
named Ruth Pilgrim, and so Ruth's family got the benefit of it, and
always had on the table many good things that came from the woods.
One day, long after the farms were cleared and doing well, the white
woman said, "See, Mother Monapini, thou hast shown me many things, now I
have somewhat to show thee. There hath grown up in our wheat field a
small herb that must have come from England with the wheat, for hitherto
I have not seen it elsewhere. We call it lamb's-quarter, for the lamb
doth eat it by choice. Or maybe because we do eat it with a quarter of
lamb. Nevertheless it maketh a good pot-herb when boiled."
The old Indian woman's eyes were fixed on the new plant that was good to
eat: and she said, "Is it very good, oh white sister?"
"Yes, and our medicine men do say that it driveth out the poison that
maketh itch and spots on the skin." After a moment Monapini said, "It
looketh to me like the foot of a wild goose."
"Well found," chuckled Ruth, "for sometimes our people do call it by
that very name."
"That tells me different," said the Indian.
"What mean you," said Ruth.
"Is not a goose foot very strong, so it never catcheth cold in the icy
water?"
"Yes."
"And this hath the shape of a goose foot?"
"Yes."
"Then my Shaman tells that it is by such likeness that the Great Spirit
showeth the goose foot plant to be charged with the driving out of
colds."
"It may be so," said the white woman, "but this I know. It is very good
and helpeth the whole body."
The Indian picked a handful of the pot-herbs, then stared hard at the
last; a very tall and strong one.
"What hast thou now, Monapini?" The red woman pointed to the stem of the
lamb's-quarter, whereon were long red streaks, and said: "This I see,
that, even as the white-man's herb came over the sea and was harmless
and clean while it was weak, but grew strong and possessed this field,
then was streaked to midheight with blood, so also shall they be who
brought it--streaked at last to the very waist with blood--not the white
men's but the dark purple blood of the Indian. This the voices tell me
is in the coming years, that this is what we shall get again for helping
you--destruction in return for kindness. Mine inner eyes have seen it."
She threw down the new pot-herb and glided away, to be seen no more in
the settlements of the white men.
And Ruth, as she gazed after her, knew that it was true. Had she not
heard her people talking and planning? For even as the weed seed came
with the wheat, so evil spirits came with the God-fearing Pilgrims, and
already these were planning to put the heathens to the sword, when the
Colony was strong enough.
So the Indian woman read the truth in the little pot-herb that sailed
and landed with the Pilgrims; that stands in our fields to this day,
streaked with the blood of the passing race--standing, a thing of
remembrance.
TALE 19
How the Red Clover Got the White Mark on Its Leaves
[Illustration: How the Red Clover Got the White Mark on Its Leaves]
Once upon a time a Bee, a Bug, and a Cow went marching up to Mother
Carey's palace in the hemlock grove, to tell her of their troubles. They
complained that food was poor and scarce, and they were tired of the
kinds that grew along the roadsides.
Mother Carey heard them patiently, then she said: "Yes, you have some
reason to complain, so I will send you a new food called Clover. Its
flower shall be full of honey for the Bee, its leaves full of cowfood
and its cellar shall be stocked with tiny pudding bags of meal for the
Bug, that is for good little Bug-folks who live underground."
Now the tribes of the Bee, the Bug, and the Cow had a fine time
feasting, for the new food was everywhere.
But Cows are rather stupid you know. They found the new food so good
that they kept on munching everything that had three round leaves,
thinking it was Clover, and very soon a lot of them were poisoned with
strange plants that no wise Cow would think of eating.
So Mother Carey called a Busy Brownie, and put him on guard to keep the
Cows from eating the poison plants by mistake.
At first it was good fun, and the Brownie enjoyed it because it made him
feel important. But he got very tired of his job and wanted to go to the
ball game.
He sat down on a toadstool, and looked very glum. He could hear the
other Brownies shouting at the game, and that made him feel worse. Then
he heard a great uproar, and voices yelling "A home run!" "A home run!"
That drove him wild. He had been whittling the edge of the toadstool
with his knife, and now he slashed off a big piece of the cap, he was so
mad.
Then up he got and said to the Cows: "See here, you fool Cows, I can't
stay here for ever trying to keep you from eating poison, but I'll do
this much. I'll stamp all the good-to-eat leaves with a mark that will
be your guide."
[Illustration: The Shamrock]
So he made a rubber stamp out of part of the toadstool he was sitting
on, and stamped every Clover leaf in that pasture, so the Cows could be
sure, then skipped away to the ball game.
When Mother Carey heard of his running away from his job, she was very
angry. She said: "Well, you Bad Brownie, you should be ashamed, but that
white mark was a good idea so I'll forgive you, if you go round, and put
it on every Clover leaf in the world."
He had to do it, though it looked like an endless task, and he never
would have finished it, had not the other Brownies all over the world
come to help him; so it was done at last. And that is the reason that
every Clover leaf to-day has on it the white mark like an arrowhead, the
Brownie sign for "good-to eat."
The Cows get along better now, but still they are very stupid; they go
munching ahead without thinking, and will even eat the blossoms which
belong to the Bees. And the Bees have to buzz very loudly and even sting
the Cows on their noses to keep them from stealing the bee-food. The
good little Bugs underground have the best time, for there the Cows can
not harm them, and the Bees never come near. They eat when they are
hungry and sleep when they are cold, which is their idea of a good time;
so except for some little quarrels between the Cows and the Bees they
have all gotten along very well ever since.
TALE 20
The Shamrock and Her Three Sisters
[Illustration: Yellow-haired Hob. Shamrock's blonde sister]
The Shamrock is really the White Clover. It is much the same shape as
the Red Clover, and has the same food bags in its cellar. It is just as
good for Cows and even better for Bees; so the Brownie stamped all its
leaves with the white arrow mark, as you can plainly see. This plant,
as you know, is the emblem of Ireland.
The story-tellers say that St. Patrick was preaching to Leary, the
heathen King of Tara in Ireland hoping to turn him into a Christian. The
king listened attentively, but he was puzzled by St. Patrick's account
of the Trinity. "Stop," said the king. "How can there be three Gods in
one and only one God where there are three. That is impossible." St.
Patrick stooped down and picking up a Shamrock leaf, said: "See, there
it is, growing in your own soil; there are three parts but only one
leaf." The king was so much struck by this proof that he became a
Christian and ever since the Shamrock has been the emblem of Ireland.
Now to fill out the history of the Clovers, I should tell you of the
other three. The next is called Alsike, or the Pink Clover.
When you look at this Alsike or Alsatian Clover, you might think its
mother was a red clover and its father a white one, for it is about half
way between them in size, and its bloom is pink on the outside and white
in the middle. Evidently, the Brownie didn't think much of it, for he
did not put his arrow mark on its leaves. Still the Cows think it is
good, the Bees think it is fine, and it always carried lots of food bags
in its cellar. So also does the next sister--Melilot, the Yellow Clover
or Honey-lotus--and the last and sweetest of them all, is the Sweet
Clover that spreads sweet smells in the old-fashioned garden.
TALE 21
The Indian Basket-maker
[Illustration: The Indian Basket]
"Come, little Nagami, my Bird-Singer, you are ten years old, it is time
you learned to make baskets. I made my first when I was but eight,"
said Mother Akoko proudly, for she was the best basket-maker on the
river.
So they took a sharp stick, and went into the woods. Akoko looked for
spruce trees that had been blown down by the storm, but found none, so
she stopped under some standing spruce, at a place with no underbrush
and said: "See, Nagami, here we dig for wattap."
The spruce roots or "wattap" were near the surface and easily found, but
not easily got out, because they were long, tangled and criss-crossed.
Yet, by pulling up, and cutting under, they soon got a bundle of roots
like cords, and of different lengths, from two feet to a yard, or more.
"Good," said Akoko; "this is enough and we need not soak them, for it is
summer, and the sap is running. If it were fall we should have to boil
them. Now you must scrape them clear of the brown bark." So Nagami took
her knife and worked for an hour, then came with the bundle saying:
"See, Mother, they are smooth, and so white that they have not a brown
spot left." "Good," said Akoko, "now you need some bark of the willow
for sewing cord. Let us look along the river bank."
There they found the round-leafed, or fish-net willow, and stripped off
enough of its strong bark to make a bundle as big as one hand could
hold.
This also had to be scraped clear of the brown skin, leaving only the
strong whitish inner bark, which, when split into strips, was good for
sewing.
"See, my Nagami, when I was a little girl I had only a bone needle made
from the leg of a deer, but you have easy work; here is a big steel
packing needle, which I bought for you from a trader. This is how you
make your basket."
So Akoko began a flat coil with the spruce roots, and sewed it together
with the willow bark for thread, until it was a span wide. And whenever
a new root was to be added, she cut both old piece and new, to a long
point, so they would overlap without a bump.
Then the next coil of the spruce roots was laid on, not flat and level,
but raised a little. Also the next, until the walls were as high as four
fingers. Then Akoko said, "Good, that is enough. It is a fine corn
basket. But we must give it a red rim for good luck."
So they sought in a sunny place along the shore, and found the fruit of
the squawberry or blitum. "See," said Akoko, "the miscawa. Gather a
handful, my Nagami. They make the red basket-dye."
They crushed the rich red berries, saving the red juice in a clam shell,
and soaked a few strands of the white willow bark in the stain. When
they were dry, Nagami was taught to add a rim to her basket, by sewing
it over and over as in the picture.
Then Akoko said, "Good, my little Bird-Singer, you have done well, you
have made some old black roots into a beautiful basket."
* * * * *
N.B. The Guide will remember that rattan and raffia can be used for this
when it is impossible to get spruce roots and willow bark. Good dyes may
be made from many different berries.
TALE 22
Crinkleroot; or Who Hid the Salad?
It has long been the custom of the Brownies to have a great feast on the
first of the merry month of May, to celebrate the return of the spring.
[Illustration: The Crinkleroot; or Who Hid the Salad?]
One springtime long ago, they got ready as usual. The King of the
Brownies had invited all the leaders; the place for the dinner was
chosen in a grove of mandrakes whose flat umbrellas made a perfect
roof, rain or shine. The Bell Bird, whose other name is Wood Thrush, was
ringing his bell, and calling all the Chief Brownies by name.
"Ta-rool-ya! _ting-a-ling-ling-ling._"
"Oka-lee! _ting-a-ling-ling-ling._"
"Cherk! _ting-a-ling-ling-ling._"
"Come to the feasting! _ting-a-ling-ling-ling._"
A hundred glow worms were told to hurry up with their lights and be
ready for that night, and busy Brownies gathered good things from woods
and waters, for the feast.
May Day came bright and beautiful. The busy ones had all the "eats" in
the Mandrake Hall, the glowworms were sleeping soundly to fill their
storage batteries ready for the night. It made the salamanders' mouths
water to see so many good things; but they were not asked, so stayed
away. There were dewdrops in acorn cups, and honey on the wax. There
were clam shells piled up with red checkerberries, and caddis worms on
the half shell, with spicebush nubbins. A huge white Mecha-meck was the
chief dish, with bog nuts on the side. There were lovely long crinkle
salads. And last, there were gumdrops from the sweet birch, while at
each place was a pussy willow to dust the food over with golden pollen
that gave it a pleasant peppery tang. All the guests were there, and the
feast was nearly over, when a terrible thing took place!
Of all the dreaded happenings in the world of beauty there is nothing
else so feared as the forest fire. There is not much danger of it in
springtime, but it is possible at any season, after a long dry spell.
Words cannot tell of the horror it spreads, as it comes raging through
the woods destroying all beautiful living things.
And right in the middle of the feast, the dreadful news was carried by a
flying Night-bird.
"Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire!" he screamed, and almost at once the smoke came
drifting through the banquet hall, so they knew it was true.
There was mad haste to escape, and only two ways were open. One was to
get across some big stream, and the other was to hide in a cave
underground. The birds took the first way, and the Brownies the second.
Every Woodchuck den was just packed with Brownies within a few minutes.
But the busy Brownie who was chief steward and had charge of the feast,
had no idea of leaving all the good things to burn up, if he could help
it. First he sent six of his helpers to make a deep pit for the big
Mecha-meck, and while they did that he began hiding all the dishes in
the ground. Last he dug some deep holes and quickly buried all the
crinkle salads; then he ran for his life into a cave.
The raging fire came along. It is too horrible to tell about, for it was
sent by the Evil One. The lovely woods were left black without a living
thing. But the very next day, Mother Carey and Mother Earth and El Sol,
set about saving the wreck, and in a marvellously short time actually
had made it green again. The mayflowers came up a second time that year,
the violets came back, and in each place where the Brownies had hid a
salad there came up a curious plant that never had been seen before. It
had three saw-edged leaves and a long wand, much like the one carried by
the Chief Steward. I never was able to find out his name for sure, but I
think it was Trileaf or Three-leaves. Anyway, if you dig under his sign
and sceptre wand, you will surely find the salad, and very good indeed
it is to eat; it was not hurt in the least by the fire.
[Illustration: The Mecha-meck]
But from that day, the Brownies have been very shy of feasting during
dry weather in the woods. They generally have their banquets now in some
meadow, and afterward you can tell the place of the feast by the circle
of little toadstools called fairy rings. For you know that wherever a
Brownie sits, a toadstool must spring up for him to sit on.
TALE 23
The Mecha-meck
That fearful time when the forest fire set all the Brownies busy burying
their food and dishes at the feast-hall, you remember it took six of
them to carry and hide the Mecha-meck. For it is a large fat white root
as big as a baby, and sometimes it has arms or legs, so that when
Monapini told Ruth Pilgrim about it she called it "Man-of-the-earth."
You remember that the busy Brownie hid all the Crinkle salads, and so
saved them; and most of us have found the Crinkleroot and eaten it
since. But how many of us have found the Mecha-meck? I know only one man
who has. We call him the Wise Woodman. He found and dug out the one from
which I made the picture. It was two and a half feet long and weighed
fifteen pounds--fifteen pounds of good food. Think of it! Above it and
growing out of its hiding place was a long trailing vine that looked
like a white morning-glory. There is always one of these over the
Mecha-meck. And by that you may find it, if you look along the sunny
banks outside of the woods. But still it is very hard to find. I never
yet got one, though I have found many of the crinkle-root salads. Of
course, that is easy to explain, for the busy Brownies buried hundreds
of the salads, but only one of the big fat Mecha-meck.
TALE 24
Dutchman's Breeches
[Illustration: Dutchman's Dive
Dutchman's Breeches]
Of course they are not, for no Dutchman I ever saw could wear such tiny
things. I will tell you what they really are and how that came to be.
You remember how the Brownies assembled for the feast on May Day when
the Glow worms were the lamps and the Wood Thrush rang the bell. Well,
it so happened that day that a great crowd of the merrymakers gathered
long before the feast was ready, and while they were wondering what to
do someone shouted: "See, how fine and warm the water is where the brook
spreads out into the ditch. Let us have our first swim of the season
right now!"
So they all went with a whoop! stripped off their clothes, and into
their swimming breeches with a perfect riot of glee.
Then how they did splash! Some blind folks thought it must be a million
early pollywogs splashing. But the swim ended with another racket when
the dinner bell rang.
Each splashing Brownie hopped out and hung up his breeches to dry as he
got into his clothes.
Then you remember the fire came along and scared them away. Of course
the breeches were wet, so they didn't get singed; and there you can see
them hanging to this day on the first of May. That is what they really
are--Brownies' Breeches. And because the Brownies often swim in a ditch,
they are called ditch-man's breeches; but believe me, they are not
Dutchman's breeches and never could be.
[Illustration: The Seven Sour Sisters]
TALE 25
The Seven Sour Sisters