Hello One and All!
The fern seems to defy one constant - change. It has flourished on earth for millions of years without any major alterations. It's also a prominent fixture of Slavic folklore, which mentions that certain ferns only flower during St. John’s Eve, around the time of the summer solstice. The following Polish story illustrates what makes this particular evening so different.
The Legend of the Fern Flower
Once, long ago, there was a young inquisitive boy who lived with his grandparents in a small village. Nights were cold and as such the boy and his elders would frequently gather around a bonfire and tell stories to while away the time. It was during such an evening that his grandpa told the young one of a magical fern, one which could only be found during during St. John’s Eve and which would grant a person any wish. The boy went to bed that night with his head full of bright wishes and a steadfast resolution to find this mysterious plant.
Fortuitously for the lad, a cow became lost in the woods on that special day, whereupon he nominated himself to go and search for it. He walked into the grove with his chest out, visualizing what glorious wishes he would make but as he ventured deeper, the branches became lower and stretched out like limbs, red eyes glinted out from the growing darkness and high pitched growls became louder. Despite all of this, the boy pushed onward down the narrow path. When he arrived at the dampest and darkest space of the forest, a yellow glow caught his attention. Leaves parted and revealed a golden flower sporting five leaves. His hands closed around the thin stem.
"You can wish for anything now that you have found me," said a voice.
With his precious flower in his pocket, he marched back to the village, although he couldn't contain his excitement, so he broke into a run and came to the edge of the forest. Where he expected to find his village, there was instead a gleaming castle and a carriage drawn by six horses. A bevy of servants rushed outside and greeted him with bows and curtsies. Everything was just as he had imagined. Inside, the staff saw to his every whim; he was served the very finest meals ever conceived and a troupe of musicians performed tirelessly just for him. After he had sated his hunger and had his fill of entertainment, he wandered the cavernous halls of his palace. Every face he saw was a stranger's and he felt empty, but he tried to brush it off and jumped into his plush bed before falling to sleep.
The next morning there was still an empty feeling in his gut and he ordered his servants to prepare his carriage. He needed to tour the country. Alien landscapes passed by as the boy traveled; he wished he could see his village again. His familiar home appeared in front of him as the thought occurred to him and a stranger scurried out of the dilapidated building that was once his home.
He said, "Gentleman, can I be of service?"
"Greetings. Please tell me where the old tenants of this house can be found."
"I regret to say that they died from hunger and the cold, sir."
The boy's heart broke. For all of his wealth and power, he couldn't share it and save the people who were most dear to him. He wanted to be gone, just like his grandparents. The ground cracked open and he plunged into the darkness, never to be seen again.
Thank you for reading!
The fern seems to defy one constant - change. It has flourished on earth for millions of years without any major alterations. It's also a prominent fixture of Slavic folklore, which mentions that certain ferns only flower during St. John’s Eve, around the time of the summer solstice. The following Polish story illustrates what makes this particular evening so different.
The Legend of the Fern Flower
Once, long ago, there was a young inquisitive boy who lived with his grandparents in a small village. Nights were cold and as such the boy and his elders would frequently gather around a bonfire and tell stories to while away the time. It was during such an evening that his grandpa told the young one of a magical fern, one which could only be found during during St. John’s Eve and which would grant a person any wish. The boy went to bed that night with his head full of bright wishes and a steadfast resolution to find this mysterious plant.
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| "Fern flower" (1875) by Witold Pruszkowski. |
Fortuitously for the lad, a cow became lost in the woods on that special day, whereupon he nominated himself to go and search for it. He walked into the grove with his chest out, visualizing what glorious wishes he would make but as he ventured deeper, the branches became lower and stretched out like limbs, red eyes glinted out from the growing darkness and high pitched growls became louder. Despite all of this, the boy pushed onward down the narrow path. When he arrived at the dampest and darkest space of the forest, a yellow glow caught his attention. Leaves parted and revealed a golden flower sporting five leaves. His hands closed around the thin stem.
"You can wish for anything now that you have found me," said a voice.
With his precious flower in his pocket, he marched back to the village, although he couldn't contain his excitement, so he broke into a run and came to the edge of the forest. Where he expected to find his village, there was instead a gleaming castle and a carriage drawn by six horses. A bevy of servants rushed outside and greeted him with bows and curtsies. Everything was just as he had imagined. Inside, the staff saw to his every whim; he was served the very finest meals ever conceived and a troupe of musicians performed tirelessly just for him. After he had sated his hunger and had his fill of entertainment, he wandered the cavernous halls of his palace. Every face he saw was a stranger's and he felt empty, but he tried to brush it off and jumped into his plush bed before falling to sleep.
 |
| "A fairy tale about a fern flower" by Antoni Piotrowski. |
The next morning there was still an empty feeling in his gut and he ordered his servants to prepare his carriage. He needed to tour the country. Alien landscapes passed by as the boy traveled; he wished he could see his village again. His familiar home appeared in front of him as the thought occurred to him and a stranger scurried out of the dilapidated building that was once his home.
He said, "Gentleman, can I be of service?"
"Greetings. Please tell me where the old tenants of this house can be found."
"I regret to say that they died from hunger and the cold, sir."
The boy's heart broke. For all of his wealth and power, he couldn't share it and save the people who were most dear to him. He wanted to be gone, just like his grandparents. The ground cracked open and he plunged into the darkness, never to be seen again.
Thank you for reading!
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