I
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146 p F a u t Isore, T^cgelji/, cmi. TsljpIc/’,
risen, would light him better than any torch. Meanwhile, the Asses,
feeling the Hemlock’s power in their bodies, fell down on the public
road, being deprived of all motion and sensation. At length, about
midnight, the miller came to his Asses, and thinking them to be
asleep,, lashed them vigorously. But they remained motionless,
and apparently dead. The miller, much frightened, now besought
assistance from the country-folks, but they were all of one opinion,
that the Asses were dead, and that they should be skinned the next
day, when the cause of such a sudden death could be inquired into.
“ Come,” said he, “ if they are dead, why should I worry myself
about them—let them lie. We can do no good. Come, my friends,
let us return into the inn—to-morrow you will be my witnesses.”
Meanwhile the skinners were called; and, after looking at the
Asses, one of them said, “ Do you wish, miller, that we should take
their skins o ff; or would you be disposed, if we restored the beasts
to life, to give us a handsome reward? You see they are quite in
our power. Say what you wish, and it shall be done, miller.”
“ Here is my hand,” replied the miller, “ and I pledge my word
that I will give you what you wish, if you restore them to life.”
The skinner, smiling, caught hold of the whip, and lashing the
beasts with all his might, roused all from their lethargic condition.
The rustics were confounded. “ O! you foolish fellows,” said he,
“ look at this herb (showing them some Hemlock), how profusely it
grows in this neighbourhood. Do you not know that Hemlock
causes Asses to fall into a profound sleep ? ” The rustics, flocking
together under a Lime-tree, as rustics do, made there and then a
law that whosoever should discover, in field or garden, or anywhere
else, that noxious plant, he should pluck it quickly, in order that
men and beasts might be injured by it no more.
The Bear has given its name to several English plants. The
Primula Auricula, on account of the shape of its leaves, is called Bear’s
E a rs ; the Helleborus fcetidus, for a similar reason, is known as Bears
Foot; Meum athamanticum is Bear’s-wort; Allium ursinum. Bear’s
Garlic; and Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Bear’s Berry, or Bear’s B ilberry
; the three last plants being favourite food of Bears. The
Acanthus used at one time to be called Bear’s Breech, but the
name has for some unaccountable reason been transferred to the
Cow Parsnip, Heracleum Sphondylium. In Italy the name of Branca
orsina is given to the Acanthus. This plant was considered by
Dioscorides a cure for burns. Pliny says that Bear’s grease hac.
the same property. De Gubernatis states that two Indian plants,
the Argyreia argentea and the Batatas paniculata, bear Sanscrit
names signifying “ Odour pleasing to Bears.”
The Bull has given its name to some few plants. Tussilago
Farfara, generally called Coltsfoot, is also known as Bull’s-Foot;
Centaurea nigra is Bull’s-weed; Verbascum Thapsus is Bullock’s
Lungwort, having been so denominated on account of its curative
powers, suggested, on the Doctrine of Signatures, by the similarity
pFanlj* a'ij «AnimaF/, 147
of its leaf to the shape of a dewlap. The purple and the pale
spadices of Arum maculatum are sometimes called Bulls and Cows.
The Great Daisy is Ox-Eye; the Primula elatior, Ox-Lip; the
Helminthia echioides, Ox-Tongue; and the Helleborus fcetidus,^ Ox-
Heel. The Antirrhinum and Arum maculatum are, from their resemblance
in shape, respectively known as Calf’s Snout and Calf’s
Foot.C
ats have several representative plants. From its soft flower-
heads, the Gnaphalium dioicum is called Cat’s F o o t ; from the shape
of its leaves, the Hypochoeris maculata is known as Cat’s E a r ; the
Ground Ivy, also from the shape of its leaves, is Cat’s Paw; two
plants are known as Cat’s Tail, viz., Typha latifolia, and Phleum
pratense. Euphorbia helioscopia, on account of its milky juice, is Cat’s
Milk; and, lastly, Nepeta cataria is denominated Cat-Mint, because,
as Gerarde informs us in his ‘ Herbal,’ “ Cats are very much delighted
herewith: for the smell of it is so pleasant unto them, that they rub
themselves upon it, and wallow or tumble in it, and also feed on
the branches very greedily.” We are also told by another old
writer that Cats are amazingly delighted with the root of the
plant Valerian; so much so, that, enticed by its smell, they at
once run up to it, lick it, kiss it, jump on it, roll themselves over it,
and exhibit almost uncontrollable signs of joy and gladness. There
is an old rhyme on the liking of Cats for the plant Marum, which
runs as follows:—
“ I f you set it.
The Cats will eat i t ;
I f you sow it,
The Cats will know it.”
The Cow has given its name to a whole series of plants: its
Berry is Vaccinium Vitis idcea, its Cress, Lepidium campestre, its
Parsley or Weed, Chcerophyllum sylvestre, its Parsnip, Heracleum
Sphondylium, its Wheat, Melampyrum. The Quaking Grass, Briza
media, is known as Cow Quake, from an idea that cattle are fond
of i t ; and the Water Hemlock {Cicuta virosa) has the opprobrious
epithet of Cow Bane applied to it, from its supposed baneful
effect upon oxen. The Primula veris is the Cowslip.
In Norway is to be found the herb Ossifrage—a kind of Reed
which is said to have the remarkable power of softening the bones
of animals; so much so, that if oxen eat it, their bones become
so soft that not only are the poor beasts rendered incapable of
walking, but they can even be rolled into any shape. They are not
said to die however. Fortunately they can be cured, if the bones
are exhibited to them of another animal killed by the eating of
this plant. It is most wonderful, however, that the inhabitants
make a medicine for cementing bones from this very herb.
There are several plants dedicated to man’s faithful friend.
Dog’s Bane [Apocynum) is a very curious plant: its bell-shaped
flowers entangle flies who visit the flower for its honey-juice, so