Near the city of On there was shown for many centuries the sacred fig-tree, under which the Holy Family rested during their “Flight into Egypt,” and a Bavarian tradition makes the tree under which they found shelter a hazel.  A German legend, on the other hand, informs us that as they took their flight they came into a thickly-wooded forest, when, on their approach, all the trees, with the exception of the aspen, paid reverential homage.  The disrespectful arrogance of the aspen, however, did not escape the notice of the Holy Child, who thereupon pronounced a curse against it, whereupon its leaves began to tremble, and have done so ever since:—­

  “Once as our Saviour walked with men below,
    His path of mercy through a forest lay;
  And mark how all the drooping branches show
    What homage best a silent tree may pay.

  Only the aspen stood erect and free,
    Scorning to join the voiceless worship pure,
  But see!  He cast one look upon the tree,
    Struck to the heart she trembles evermore.”

The “rose of Jericho” has long been regarded with special reverence, having first blossomed at Christ’s birth, closed at His crucifixion, and opened again at the resurrection.  At the flight into Egypt it is reported to have sprung up to mark the footsteps of the sacred family, and was consequently designated Mary’s rose.  The pine protected them from Herod’s soldiers, while the juniper opened its branches and offered a welcome shelter, although it afterwards, says an old legend, furnished the wood for the cross.

But some trees were not so thoughtful, for “the brooms and the chick-peas rustled and crackled, and the flax bristled up.”  According to another old legend we are informed that by the fountain where the Virgin Mary washed the swaddling-clothes of her sacred infant, beautiful bushes sprang up in memory of the event.  Among the many further legends connected with the Virgin may be mentioned the following connected with her death:—­The story runs that she was extremely anxious to see her Son again, and that whilst weeping, an angel appeared, and said, “Hail, O Mary!  I bring thee here a branch of palm, gathered in paradise; command that it be carried before thy bier in the day of thy death, for in three days thy soul shall leave thy body, and thou shalt enter into paradise, where thy Son awaits thy coming.”  The angel then departed, but the palm-branch shed a light from every leaf, and the apostles, although scattered in different parts of the world, were miraculously caught up and set down at the Virgin’s door.  The sacred palm-branch she then assigned to the care of St. John, who carried it before her bier at the time of her burial. [13]