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sider as the residence of the King of the Cereals. The grain of
Millet has become proverbial as indicative of anything minute:
possibly on this account, Millet portends misery if seen in a dream.
There is a legend in North Germany, that, long ago, a rich
merchant had a fine garden, in which was a piece of land sown
with Millet. One day the merchant discovered that a part of the
Millet had been shorn during the preceding night, so he set his
three sons to watch in case the theft should be repeated. Both
the eldest and the second son fell asleep during their respective
vigils ; and on each occasion the theft was repeated, and further portions
of the Millet disappeared. On the third night, the youngest
son, John, agreed to watch: he surrounded himself with Thorns
and Thistles, so that if he felt sleepy, and began to nod, the Thorns
should prick him, and thus keep him awake. At midnight he
heard a tramping, and then a sound of munching among the
Millet: pushing aside the Thorns, John sprang out from his hiding-
place, and saw a beautiful little colt feeding on the Millet. To
catch the little animal was an easy task, and it was soon safely
locked up in the stable. The merchant, overjoyed at the capture
his vigilant son John had made, made him a present of the colt,
which he named Millet-thief. Soon after this, the brothers heard
of a beautiful prin/ess who was kept by enchantment confined in a
palace that stood on the top of a glass mountain, which no one, on
account of its being so slippery, could ascend; but it was said
that whosoever should be so fortunate as to reach its summit, and
ride thrice round the palace, would disenchant the princess and
obtain her hand in marriage. Numbers had already endeavoured to
ride up the slippery mountain, but were precipitated to its foot ; and
their skeletons lay bleaching all around. The three brothers determined
to try and ascend the mountain, but, alas, the two eldest fell
with their horses down the treacherous mountain side, and lay
sorely hurt. Then John saddled his little colt Millet-thief, and to
his delight, when ricfden to the mountain, he easily rattled up to its
summit, and trotted round the palace three times as though he
knew the road perfedfly. Soon they stood in front of the palace-
gates, which opened spontaneously, and the lovely princess stepped
forth with a cry of joy, as she recognised in Millet-thief her own
little colt, who had been accustomed to take her by night down
the steep mountain, so that she might enjoy a gallop across the
green fields—the only indulgence permitted her by the cruel enchanter.
Then the princess bestowed her hand upon her deliverer,
and they lived happily, far removed from worldly cares, in the
palace on the glass mountain.
M IM O SA .—The Mimosa Catechu, according to Indian mythology,
was the tree which sprang from the claw lost by a falcon
whilst engaged in purloining the heavenly Soma, or Amrita, the
drink of immortality. The Vedas recount that, when the gods were
pining for the precious beverage, the falcon undertook to steal it
p f a n t 15)01*6, l5)ege1^ / , an il l5)iji*ic/. 439
from the demons who kept it shut up: the attempt was successful,
but the falcon, whilst flying oif with its prize, was wounded by an
arrow discharged by one of the demons, and lost a claw and a
feather. They fell to earth, and struck root there; the claw becoming
the Indian Thorn-tree, or Mimosa Catechu—the younger branches of
which have straight thorns, that afterwards become hooked, and
bear a strong resemblance to a bird’s claw. Bishop Heber tells
us that, whilst travelling in Upper India, he saw, near Boitpoor, a
Mimosa-tree, with leaves at a little distance so much resembling
those of the Mountain Ash, that he was for a moment deceived,
and asked if it did not bear fruit. The Bishop says: “ They
answered no; but that it was a very noble tree, being called the
Imperial Tree for its excellent properties. That it slept all night,
and awakened, and was alive all day, withdrawing its leaves if any
one attempted to touch them. Above all, however, it was useful
as a preservative against magic. A sprig worn in the turban, or
suspended over the bed, was a perfecif security against all spells,
E v il Eye, &c., insomuch that the most formidable wizard would
not, if he could help it, approach its shade. One, indeed, they
said, who was very renowned for his power (like Lorinite, in the
Kehama) of killing plants and drying up their sap with a look, had
come to this very tree and gazed on it intently; but, said the old
man, who told me this with an air of triumph, look as he might, he
could do the tree no harm. I was amazed and surprised to find
the superstition which in England and Scotland attaches to the
Rowan-tree here applied to a tree of nearly similar form. What
nation has, in this case, been the imitator ? Or from what common
centre are these common notions derived ? ” The Mimosa sensitiva
is the true Sensitive Plant, which collapses its leaflets upon the
slightest touch (see S e n s it iv e P l a n t ) ; and another member
of this singular family droops its branches whenever anyone
approaches; hence Moore has called it
“ That courteous tree
Which bows to all who seek its canopy.”
Frankincense is the producif of the Egyptian Mimosa, a tree spoken
of by Theophrastus as an Acanthus, and referred to by Virgil.
M IM U SO P S .—The Mimusops Elengi is one of the sacred
trees of India, and dedicated to the god Krishna. An odoriferous
water, highly prized, is distilled from the flowers, and the astringent
bark of the tree is used medicinally.
M IN T .—Ovid tells us, in his ‘ Metamorphoses,’ that the nymph
Minthe, a daughter of Cocytus, was beloved of Pluto, and that
Proserpine, discovering her husband’s infidelity, transformed his
mistress into the herb which is called by her name. In olden
times. Mint (Mentha) was called Herha hona and Herha sanda, and the
ancients were wont to weave garlands of its foliage to be worn by
brides—corona Veneris. In later days, the herb was dedicated to the
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