Page 39 - Растения Сахалинской области в легендах и мифах

The goddess Flora, having decided to go on a journey, took care
to leave an assistant in her place. She called a flower council, and
all those present were fascinated by the beauty and luxury of Rose,
choosing her to be her assistant. The peony, who believed that he was
superior to the rose, began to object and sulk, trying to amaze everyone
with his size. But nobody noticed him. So Peony bloated more than
ever out of resentment. Flora could no longer bear this and, angry,
called him a stupid and proud flower. For his selfrighteousness, he will

forever remain fat and puffed up, that not a single butterfly touches
him with a kiss, and not a single bee takes honey from him.

Papaver tolmatschevianum

(Papaver tolmatschevianum N. S. Pavlova)

Perennial turfy herb up to 30 cm high. Pinnately
dissected or pinnately divided, up to 2.5–8 cm long
and up to 2 cm wide, grayish-green leaves covered
with sparse bristly hairs are collected in basal
rosettes. Thin, loosely pubescent peduncles, 1–5 in
number, bear one sulphurous-yellow flower each.
Known only from Sakhalin Island:
Smirnykhovsky region, East Sakhalin mountains,
Stlannikovaya and Okhinsky districts, Shmidt
peninsula, Vostochny ridge.

After God had created the world, everyone was happy: people, animals,
plants, and the sky and water. Only the Night remained unhappy. She was
very sad that she had to hide natural beauty under her cover. She thought of
various tricks: stars, fireflies, in order to somehow become brighter. But it was
all in vain. The night was disliked — it frightened and evoked melancholy. God
decided to take pity on the poor Night and created Dreams. Since then, the
Night, on the contrary, has been expected as a welcome guest. And everything
was calm and wonderful until sin awoke in people. The Dream tried to prevent
this, but the sin was too strong. Then the Dream got angry and struck the
ground with his rod, Night came to the rescueand breathed life into him. The
rod took root, turned green and turned into a flowerthat still retains its sleep-
inducing power.

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