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Personality of plants

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PLANT MYTHOLOGY<br />

are popular in such cases. There was a time<br />

when Peas were much in demand for sentimental<br />

forecasts. On opening a pod, the number<br />

<strong>of</strong> green spheres discovered had a special signi-<br />

ficance. The dwarves were supposed to be especially<br />

fond <strong>of</strong> Peas. Even the prosaic Onion<br />

has at times been used to explain the mysteries<br />

<strong>of</strong> the divine emotion.<br />

The Rose, most superb <strong>of</strong> flowers, has been<br />

extolled through all ages as the symbol <strong>of</strong> love.<br />

Incidentally, it is the national flower <strong>of</strong> Eng-<br />

land. The Scotch have a pretty ballad legend<br />

about Fair Margaret and Sweet William. The<br />

beautiful love <strong>of</strong> these two young people never<br />

realized itself in marriage. They both met an<br />

untimely death and were buried on either side<br />

<strong>of</strong> the neighbouring church. Soon therei sprang<br />

up a climbing Rose vine from the grave <strong>of</strong> each,<br />

and meeting on the gable <strong>of</strong> the church, the lovers<br />

entwined in the lasting embrace which had<br />

been denied in life. Red Roses, because <strong>of</strong> their<br />

colour, have sometimes been supposed to have<br />

a relation to human blood. The medieval girl<br />

used to bury a few drops <strong>of</strong> her blood under a<br />

Rosebush in the hope that this action would<br />

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