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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
78
Fairies
have
always
been
jealous
of
their
rights,
and
are
said
to
resent
any
infringement
of
their
privileges,
one
of
these
being
the
property
of
fruit
out
of
season.
Any
apples,
too,
remaining
after
the
crop
has
been
gathered
in,
they
claim
as
their
own;
and
hence,
in
the
West
of
England,
to
ensure
their
goodwill
and
friendship,
a
few
stray
ones
are
purposely
left
on
the
trees.
This
may
partially
perhaps
explain
the
ill-luck
of
plucking
flowers
out
of
season[8].
A
Netherlandish
piece
of
folk-lore
informs
us
that
certain
wicked
elves
prepare
poison
in
some
plants.
Hence
experienced
shepherds
are
careful
not
to
let
their
flocks
feed
after
sunset.
One
of
these
plants,
they
say,
is
nightwort,
"which
belongs
to
the
elves,
and
whoever
touches
it
must
die[9]."
The
disease
known
in
Poland
as
"elf-lock"
is
said
to
be
the
work
of
evil
fairies
or
demons,
and
is
cured
by
burying
thistle-seed
in
the
ground.
Similarly,
in
Iceland,
says
Mr.
Conway,
"the
farmer
guards
the
grass
around
his
field
lest
the
elves
abiding
in
them
invade
his
crops."
Likewise
the
globe-flower
has
been
designated
the
troll-flower,
from
the
malignant
trolls
or
elves,
on
account
of
its
poisonous
qualities.
On
the
other
hand,
the
Bavarian
peasant
has
a
notion
that
the
elves
are
very
fond
of
strawberries;
and
in
order
that
they
may
be
good-humoured
and
bless
his
cows
with
abundance
of
milk,
he
is
careful
to
tie
a
basket
of
this
fruit
between
the
cow's
horns.
Of
the
many
legendary
origins
of
the
fairy
tribe,
there
is
a
popular
one
abroad
that
mortals
have
frequently
been
transformed
into
these
little
beings
through
"eating
of
ambrosia
or
some
peculiar
kind
of
herb."[10]
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