Pimpernell
: NATURE SONGS: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales
No heart can think, no tongue can tell,
The virtues of the pimpernell.
Gerard enumerates several complaints for which this plant was considered
useful, and he adds, that country people prognosticated fine or bad
weather by observing in the morning whether its flowers were spread out
or shut up.--Herbal, first ed. p. 494. According to a MS. on magic,
preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester, "the herb pimpernell is
good to prevent witchcraft, as Mother Bumby doth affirme;" and the
following lines must be used when it is gathered:
Herbe pimpernell, I have thee found
Growing upon Christ Jesus' ground:
The same guift the Lord Jesus gave unto thee,
When he shed his blood on the tree.
Arise up, pimpernell, and goe with me,
And God blesse me,
And all that shall were thee. Amen.
"Say this fifteen dayes together, twice a day, morning earlye fasting,
and in the evening full." MS. ibid.
More
-
Owl With The Great Head And Eyes
Long ago, when Glooskap was the ruler of the Indians in Eastern Canada, and when the animals all worked for him and talked like men, Wolf was one of Rabbit's enemies. On the surface they seemed to be friends, but each was afraid of the ot... Owney And Owney-na-peak
BY GERALD GRIFFEN When Ireland had kings of her own--when there was no such thing as a coat made of red cloth in the country--when there was plenty in men's houses, and peace and quietness at men's doors (and that is a long time since)--there l... Pace-egging
It is a custom in some parts of England for boys to go round the village on Easter eve begging for eggs or money, and a sort of dramatic song is sometimes used on the occasion. The following copy was taken down from recitation some years ago in the ... Paperarelloo
Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had one son. The king loved the boy very much, but the queen, who was a wicked woman, hated the sight of him; and this was the more unlucky for, when he was twelve years old, his father died, and h... Parwati And The Beggar-man
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In It there lived a Brahman. He had seven daughters, and when they had reached a marriageable age he asked them who would arrange their marriages and bring them handsome husbands and make their fortune... Parwati And The Brahman
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a poor Brahman. When the month of Bhadrapad came round, every household bought little images of Parwati, and the women began to walk about the streets and sound gongs. When the poor B... Parwati And The Priest
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there was a temple to the god Shiva. One day when Shiva and his wife Parwati were walking about they happened to come to this temple. They sat down there and began to play saripat. [17] After som... Past History
BY EDWARD LEAR a A was once an apple-pie, Pidy, Widy, Tidy, Pidy, Nice insidy, Apple-pie! b B was once a little bear, Beary, Wary, ... Pat A Cake
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's man. So I do, master, as fast as I can. Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T, And then it will serve for Tommy and me. ... Pat A Cake
A Froebel Finger Play Baby, would you like to make For yourself a little cake? Pat it gently, smooth it down. Baker says: "Now, in to brown; Bring it here, baby dear, While the oven fire burns clear." "Baker,... Pat-a-cake
"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man Bake me a cake as quick as you can Pat it and prick it, and mark it with B, And put it in the oven for baby and me." Hurry it, hurry it, baker's man; Bring it to us as quick ... Peas
Children get the pods of a pea, and flinging them at each other, cry Pea-pod hucks, Twenty for a pin; If you don't like them, I'll take them agin. The hucks are the shells or pods, and agin the provincial pronuncia... Peerifool
There was once a King and a Queen in Rousay who had three daughters. When the young Princesses were just grown up, the King died, and the Crown passed to a distant cousin, who had always hated him, and who paid no heed to the widowed Queen and her... Persephone
Demeter had the care of all the plants, fruits and grains in the world. She taught the people how to plow the fields and plant the seeds. She helped them gather in their harvests. They loved the kind earth-mother and gladly obeyed her. Th... Peter Bull
From the Danish. There once lived in Denmark a peasant and his wife who owned a very good farm, but had no children. They often lamented to each other that they had no one of their own to inherit all the wealth that they possessed. They continu... Phaethon
Phaethon was the son of Helios, who drove the chariot of the sun. He lived with his mother, the gentle Clymene, in a beautiful valley in the east. One day when Phaethon was telling his companions about his father, the sky king, they laughed and... Pheasants
Wild fowls are called pheasants in the Caucasus. There are so many of them that they are cheaper there than tame chickens. Pheasants are hunted with the "hobby," by scaring up, and from under dogs. This is the way they are hunted with the "hobby."... Philemon And Baucis
On a high hill in Greece, long ago, lived Philemon and Baucis. They had always been poor but never unhappy. At the time of this story the people in the valley below them were very busy. Zeus, their king, had sent word that he was about to vis... Philip's Horse
Little Philip was very fond of horses, and as he was too old to sit on a chair or box or trunk and make believe a rocking-horse was pulling it along his bedroom floor, his father bought him a horse all spotted brown and white, with a beautiful wh... Pigeons
Pigeons never do know woe, Till they do a benting go. This means that pigeons are never short of food except when they are obliged to live on the seeds of the grass, which ripen before the crops of grain. The seed-stalk of grass is ca... Pimpernell
No heart can think, no tongue can tell, The virtues of the pimpernell. Gerard enumerates several complaints for which this plant was considered useful, and he adds, that country people prognosticated fine or bad weather by observing i... Pinkel The Thief
Long, long ago there lived a widow who had three sons. The two eldest were grown up, and though they were known to be idle fellows, some of the neighbours had given them work to do on account of the respect in which their mother was held. B... Pip's Adventure
ALL that little Philip Pirrip, usually called Pip, knew about his father and mother, and his five little brothers, was from seeing their tombstones in the churchyard. He was cared for by his sister, who was twenty years older than himself. She had... Pivi And Kabo
When birds were men, and men were birds, Pivi and Kabo lived in an island far away, called New Claledonia. Pivi was a cheery little bird that chirps at sunset; Kabo was an ugly black fowl that croaks in the darkness. One day Pivi and Kabo though... Places And Families
This division, like the last, might be greatly extended by references to Ray and Grose. ... Planning A Picnic
While he was only a fawn Nimble became very fond of water lilies. But he didn't carry them as a bouquet, nor wear one in his buttonhole. He was fond of lilies in a different way: he liked to eat them, and their flat, round, glossy pads. At night h... Plantation Stories
BY GRACE MACGOWAN COOKE I.--MRS. PRAIRIE-DOG'S BOARDERS Texas is a near-by land to the dwellers in the Southern States. Many of the poorer white people go there to mend their fortunes; and not a few of them come back from its plains, homesick... Pockets
Pockets are fine For marbles and twine, For knives and rubber bands; So, stuff them tight From morning till night With anything else but hands! ... Poison Ivy Or The Three-fingered Demon Of The Woods
<div> <img src="/images/i184.png" alt="The Poison Ivy" title="The Poison Ivy" height="400" width="275" /> The Poison Ivy </div> <p>You have been hearing about good fairies and good old Mother Carey and Medicine in the Sky. Now I am going to warn you a... Polly Was The Heroine Of The Fire
Jack and Evelyn had been to see a friend of theirs who owned a parrot. The parrot, whose name, of course, was Polly, had completely fascinated them. She could dance when a tune was whistled, she took sugar from her mistress's mouth, and she cou... Poor Old Mr Owl's Toothache
Evelyn had been eating a great deal of candy--so much that it had given her a very bad toothache--and when daddy came home he found her curled up on the bed looking very mournful. Jack had been trying to comfort her, but he hadn't been able to ... Pork And Honey
At dawn the other day, when Bruin came tramping over the bog with a fat pig, Reynard sat up on a stone by the moorside. "Good day, grandsire," said the fox. "What's that so nice that you have there?" "Pork," said Bruin. "Well, I have got a... Poussie Baudrons
"Poussie, Poussie Baudrons, Where hae ye been?" "I've been at London, Seeing the Queen!" "Poussie, Poussie Baudrons, What got ye there?" "I got a guid fat mousikie, Rinning up a stair." "Poussie... Preston
Proud Preston, poor people, Fine church, and no steeple. ... Prince Bayaya
THE STORY OF A MAGIC HORSE While the king of a distant country was off at the wars, his wife, the queen, gave birth to twin sons. There was great rejoicing throughout the court and immediately messengers were despatched to the king to carry him n... Prince Cherry
Long ago there lived a monarch, who was such a very honest man that his subjects entitled him the Good King. One day, when he was out hunting, a little white rabbit, which had been half killed by his hounds, leaped right into his majesty's arms. S... Prince Darling
ONCE upon a time there lived a king who was so just and kind that his subjects called him "the Good King." It happened one day, when he was out hunting, that a little white rabbit, which his dogs were chasing, sprang into his arms for shelter. Th... Prince Darling
Once upon a time there was a young Prince who was so well liked by everyone in the kingdom where he lived that they named him Prince Darling. This boy's father, the King, was a very good man, and his subjects loved and respected him for his jus... Prince Featherhead And The Princess Celandine
Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen, who were the best creatures in the world, and so kind-hearted that they could not bear to see their subjects want for anything. The consequence was that they gradually gave away all their treasures,... Prince Fickle And Fair Helena
There was once upon a time a beautiful girl called Helena. Her own mother had died when she was quite a child, and her stepmother was as cruel and unkind to her as she could be. Helena did all she could to gain her love, and performed the hea...