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Show EVERY FLOWER HAS A STORY ALL ITS OWN THE THISTLE. The tlhslle personifies austerity, in-l-pt ml no and retaliation It is the national flower of Scotland Scot-land The appropriate motto that appears ap-pears with It Is "No man attacks ne without being punished,'' but a simpler translation Is "Touch me who dares." The thistle was adopted as the nation al flower in the reign of Alexander III In 1263, an army of Danes had landed near the mouth of the CI) do, not far from where Alexander's army was encamped. Whilo they were stealthily creeping toward the enemy's camp, one of the barefooted Danish soldiers stepped on a thistle His cry of pain, aroused the Scotch camp, and they succeeded In drvlng the Invaders from their shores. Protects Against Evil. An old superstition says that if a person carries a thistle around with him It will protect him against evil, especially lightning. If a maiden wished to find out which suitor loved her the best, she must pick as many thistles as she had suit ors. cut the liends off, give each flower the name of a person and put ihem under her pillow. The one that put forth a new sprout loved her bert. To dream of thistles was considered good luck. ROOT CURED PLAGUE A story Is told of Charlemagne and a thistle The emperor was engaged in a war, when a plague broke out. Hp prayed to God for help and in a dream an angel appeared to him and shot an arrow, telling him that the arrow ar-row would rest In a plftnt whose root would cure the plague. The next morning. morn-ing. Charlemagne followed the direction direc-tion Indicated, and found an arrow lodged in a large thistle. The remedy obtained from the plant stopped tho epidemic. -00 |