LONG AGO STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES

LUCIE'S BITTER HERB. Lucie lived in a castle where the wind whistled through loopholes and in the winter the cold was so intense that she was often ill. Her lady mother made fof her household balls of bitter herbs which protected the chest and cured colds, but Lucie hated them. When she knew that she had to take one she cried until, one day, her lady mother sighed deeply and told her to remember poor Saint Margaret. “Like Saint Margaret you must lump the things which you do not like, Lucie, said her mother. “I think it was the dragon who lumped St. Margaret,” replied Lucie. “He would have bitten her up if he had liked her, and he swallowed her because she did not taste good.” “I will tell you the legend and afterwards you will gulp down your bitter herbs patiently,” replied her mother. “St. Margaret was the very beautiful maiden we sometimes see in pictures coming out of a dragon’s mouth or standing on a dragon. Now how did she get into the dragon’s mouth? Well, the Governor of Antioch wished to marry her but, telling him that she had vowed herself to the Church, she refused his hand. Thereupon the Governor was so angry that he threw her into prison.

St Margaret made no protest but sat patiently in prison. One day Satan came to her in the shape of a dragon and told her of all the riches and jewels she could have if she married the Governor. St Margaret merely shook her head. Then the dragon said he would swallow her. Now, Lucie, do you think that was a pleasant prospect for St. Margaret?” “No,” murmured Lucie. “What did she do?”

“She bowed her head and the dragon gulped her down. Fortunately when she was just below his throat she thought of making the sign of the Cross, and the dragon, realising what a dreadful thing he was doing, suffered her to come out of his mouth .and fled away. The little daisy—St. Margaret’s flowerlaughed with joy in the fields to think that the lovely maiden had endured such suffering' without a murmur. Now, Lucie, will you not swallow your bitter herb bravely?”

Lucie took the pill, put it into her mouth and, with her eyes nearly popping out of her head, swallowed it down in a gulp. “It is not so nasty when lumped,” she admitted. “In future, when I do not like things I will just lump them and think of good St. Margaret.” And that is why we say if you do not like a thing which has to be done you must lump it!