Page 29 - Растения Сахалинской области в легендах и мифах

Leontopodium kurilense

(Leontopodium kurilense Takeda)

Perennial short-rhizome, herbaceous plant
with stems up to 20 cm tall. Basal leaves are
densely tomentose, up to 7 cm long and 0.8
cm wide, collected in a rosette. 10–18 bracts,
pubescent with yellowish or whitish felt,
form a “star” up to 4.5 cm in diameter.
Occurs on the Iturup and Shikotan islands.
Rocky species endemic to the Kuril Islands.

Long ago, the Snow Queen lived on the highest peak of the mountains.

No mortal could marry the Queen, but many tried, hoping that they would
be able to have her, but they all crashed, falling off the cliff. Everyone
was allowed to come to the ice palace, but as soon as the daredevil
spoke, thousands of goblins appeared, grabbed him and threw him into
the bottomless abyss. The Queen calmly watched this - her icy heart
was unable to feel anything. And so one fearless hunter decided to try

his luck. After many days of conquering the summit, he saw a sparkling
palace in front of him. The young hunter was so overwhelmed by the
Queen’s beauty that he could not utter a word. She silently looked and
thought, since he did not ask for her hand, then there was no need to call
the goblins. Much to her amazement, she found that his behavior touched
her heart. She realized that she liked this brave hunter. The goblins were
very afraid that their Queen might break the law, and this would incur
the wrath of Destiny, so they decided to take the initiative into their own

hands. When it got dark, they jumped out and threw the hunter off the
cliff. The Snow Queen saw all this, but she could not do anything. But the
icy heart melted, the first tear in her life fell from her eyes. She turned
into a small silver flower, which since then grows only in the highest,
most inaccessible peaks, on the edge of the abyss.

27