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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
120
In
the
Midland
counties
there
is
a
proverbial
saying
that
"if
there
are
no
kegs
or
seeds
in
the
ash
trees,
there
will
be
no
king
within
the
twelvemonth,"
the
ash
never
being
wholly
destitute
of
kegs.
Another
proverb
refers
to
the
use
of
ash-wood
for
burning:--
"Burn
ash-wood
green,
'Tis
a
fire
for
a
queen,
Burn
ash-wood
dear,
'Twill
make
a
man
swear;"
The
meaning
being
that
the
ash
when
green
burns
well,
but
when
dry
or
withered
just
the
reverse.
A
form
of
well-wishing
formerly
current
in
Yorkshire
was
thus:--
"May
your
footfall
be
by
the
root
of
an
ash,"
In
allusion,
it
has
been
suggested,
to
the
fact
that
the
ash
is
a
capital
tree
for
draining
the
soil
in
its
vicinity.
But
leaving
trees,
an
immense
number
of
proverbs
are
associated
with
corn,
many
of
which
are
very
varied.
Thus,
of
those
who
contrive
to
get
a
good
return
for
their
meagre
work
or
money,
it
is
said:--
"You
have
made
a
long
harvest
for
a
little
corn,"
With
which
may
be
compared
the
phrase:--
"You
give
me
coloquintida
(colocynth)
for
Herb-John."
Those
who
reap
advantage
from
another
man's
labour
are
said
to
"put
their
sickle
into
another
man's
corn,"
and
the
various
surroundings
of
royalty,
however
insignificant
they
may
be,
are
generally
better,
says
the
proverb,
than
the
best
thing
of
the
subjects:--
"The
king's
chaff
is
better
than
other
people's
corn."
Among
the
proverbs
relating
to
grass
may
be
mentioned
the
popular
one,
"He
does
not
let
the
grass
grow
under
his
feet;"
another
old
version
of
which
is,
"No
grass
grows
on
his
heel."
Another
well-known
adage
reminds
us
that:--
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
