Chrysanthemum: The Spectre Plant Chrysanthemums grow all over the Mikado’s empire, save in Himaji, where it is ill luck to raise them, for this reason: In a castle of thirty towers in that city lived a lord who employed a servant named Okiku (kiku, chrysanthemum) to look after his bronzes, figures of brass, jewels, shrines, [...]

The Love of the South Wind for the Dandelion An Algonquin tale of the love of the south wind for the dandelion, which is made in likeness of the sun: Shawondasee, the south wind, heavy, drowsy, lazy, likes to lie in the shade of live oaks and magnolias, inhaling the odor of blossoms and filling [...]

The Cold Bitterness of Edelweiss In one legend, the edelweiss is related to heaven, so near to which it grows, for an angel, wearing of her celestial home, longs to taste once more the bitterness of the earth. She receives permission to take her shape of flesh again, but, unprepared to mingle with a humanity [...]

Adultery and Avocados The avocado, or alligator pear, a soft and rather salve-like fruit, used pleasantly in salad, was a favorite food of Seriokai when he inhabited the wilds of Guiana, and he often rambled the forests of the Orinoco gathering store of it. During one of these excursions the tapir saw the woman , [...]

The Blood Tree The tree with whose juice the Aztecs dyed their cotton of a fine dark red, and which their descendants tap today, has its blood legend: In Amatlan lived a prince whose delight it was to deck hinself in gold and precious stones. He had a corps of bandi ts in his employ, [...]