Not far from this, too, they found another very curious plant, called in some places the “cuckoo pint,” and in others the “wake robin,” or, more commonly, “lords and ladies.” The leaves of this are of a glossy dark-green and the flower very like the leaf; only, more curved and tinted inside, with a hue of pale buff that becomes pinkish at the extremities, the centre pistil being of the same colour. It belongs to the arum family.
Following the course of the brook, Nellie, a little way on, spied out a regular bed of the forget-me-not; when Mrs Gilmour told her the old legend connected with the flower.
How a knight and a lady were sitting by the side of a river; and, on the lady expressing a desire to have some of the bright blue blossoms “to braid in her bonny brown hair,” the gallant knight at once dashed in the stream to gratify her wishes. He secured a bunch of the flowers; but, on turning to regain the shore, the current overcame him; and, as the old song goes—
“Then the blossoms blue to the bank he threw,
Ere he sunk in the eddying tide;
And ‘Lady, I’m gone, thine own love true,
Forget-me-not,’ he cried.
“The farewell pledge the lady caught;
And hence, as legends say,
The flower’s a sign to awaken thoughts
Of friends who are far away!”
“How nice!” cried Nellie— “How very nice!”
“Not for the poor knight, though,” said her aunt. “However, here, dearie, is another plant not quite so romantic, the old brown scabious, or ‘turf-weed.’ It is a great favourite with bees, while its roots are supposed to have valuable medicinal properties, which the country people well know and estimate at their right worth. In some places they call it the ‘Devil’s bit’!”
“How funny!” interposed Nellie. “Why do they give it such a strange name?”
“Yes, it is rather a strange title; but I read once somewhere that the story about it is, that the Spirit of Evil, envying the good which this herb might do to mankind, bit away part of it and thence came its name, ‘Devil’s bit.’”
“Really, auntie,” said Nell. “Does it look as if it had been bitten?”
“Yes, the root does,” she replied. “But, come, dearie, we must get back now as fast as we can, or Captain Dresser and the boys will be there before us and eat up all the luncheon!”