IRIS
Juno, the wife of Jupiter, was queen of the earth and sky. In her beautiful golden chariot, drawn by six brilliant peacocks, the proud queen sometimes drove on errands to all parts of the kingdom and even to the ends of the earth.
But when she wished a message to be delivered quickly she usually sent Iris, her faithful messenger, who was swift as the wind, to carry out her queen's requests. She would arch a lovely bridge of many colors from the skies to the earth; then, in robes of violet, blue, green, yellow, and red, she would pass over the bridge like a flash of light with her message to the earth or, perhaps, to the depths of the sea. When the people saw the brilliant arch in the sky they would call out, "See the rainbow. Iris brings us a message from Juno."
One day Juno invited all the flowers to a festival, for it was Iris's birthday. Many flowers came clothed in wondrous beauty. While the merry-making was at its highest, three strange flowers, who were sisters, appeared. One wore a rich red gown, another a bright yellow, and a third was clad in the softest violet. Each was adorned with richest jewels.
"Who are they and whence do they come?" asked the revelers. No one could answer, for no one knew the names of the strange visitors; indeed, not one flower could remember ever having seen them before.
When the strangers neared the others to join in the festival, the rain began to fall, and the little raindrops laughed and frolicked and danced in glee, while the flowers caught them in their cups and quickly let them roll away again to join the rest of their playmates.
Soon the sun was shining gorgeously again. And right across the sky spread the splendid arch of a rainbow, like bent sunbeams, one end of which was held by the strange flowers.
"The rainbow," cried the others, as soon as they saw it. "See, Iris's bridge. And the colors worn by the strange flowers are exactly like the red, yellow, and violet of the rainbow. Let us give our new friends the name of Iris. It was they who brought her lovely arched bridge into our midst."
Ever since that day these tall, stately flowers have been called by the name of Iris, the faithful messenger of the gods.
THE YELLOW-BIRD[[3]]
Hey! my little yellow-bird,
What you doing there?
Like a flashing sun-ray
Flitting everywhere;
Dangling down the tall weeds
And the holly-hocks,
And the lovely sunflowers
Along the garden walks.
James Whitcomb Riley.
ORIGIN OF THE SUNFLOWER
(GREEK MYTH)
Clytie was the name of a beautiful nymph who lived in a coral cave far down in the depths of the sea. It happened one morning that she ventured to the surface of the water and looked toward the east. In the distance where the earth and sky met she saw a marvellous sight. Aurora, the goddess of dawn, rolled aside the soft grey curtains of the morning sky and there, waiting for the day's journey, stood Apollo's jeweled car.
Clytie saw the sun-god leap into his seat and take lightly in hand the reins of his restless, prancing steeds. Then up the steep slope of the eastern sky he drove, and the gleam from his dazzling chariot filled the air with golden light. All day long Clytie sat on the rocks near the shore and watched Apollo in his brilliant course. At evening when the last beams from the sun-god's car sank into the western sea, the nymph, with a deep sigh, returned to her coral halls.
But she no longer took keen delight in fashioning delicate shells and tending her seaweed gardens. She had fallen in love with the sun-god and longed with all her heart to see him again. One morning very early she rose to the surface of the water and wandered eastward toward a large green meadow which was very near the place where Apollo started his course. Again she saw the "rosy-fingered Dawn" roll aside the soft grey curtains; again she saw the radiant beauty of the sun-god. Clytie fixed her eyes on the driver of the golden chariot and never for one moment lost sight of him in his day's journey through the sky. For nine days the sea-nymph lingered in the meadow, tasting neither food nor drink, hoping for some small sign of favour from Apollo. But he was too intent on his marvellous course to find interest in the adoring Clytie. Her constancy, however, touched the heart of the sun-god with pity, and he changed her into a flower. Her slender limbs became a tall green stem, her delicate sea-green dress turned into leaves, and her lovely face and golden hair changed into sun-like flowers which faithfully follow the brilliant god of day all through his course.