WHITE HEATHER

THE CELTIC BARD OSSIAN HAD A DAUGHTER MALVINA WHO WAS FAIR AND
GENTLE. SHE WAS BETROTHED TO OSCAR, A WARRIOR.
ONCE IN THE GLORY OF AUTUMN, MALVINA AND HER FATHER WERE SITTING ON
THE MOOR'S EDGE TALKING OF OSCAR'S RETURN FROM WARLIKE EXPEDITION.
OVER THE HEATHER CAME LIMPING TO THEM A RAGGED MESSENGER.
WOUNDED AND WEARY HE KNELT BEFORE THEM. HOLDING OUT A SPRAY OF
PURPLE HEATHER TO MALVINA, HE TOLD HER THAT IT CAME FROM OSCAR AS
A LAST TOKEN OF HIS LOVE FOR HE WAS SLAIN IN BATTLE AND HIS
HENCHMEN HAD BARELY ESCAPED TO BRING THE NEWS.
AS MALVINA LISTENED, HER TEARS FELL ON THE PURPLE HEATHER WHICH
IMMEDIATELY BECAME WHITE.
AS SHE WANDERED OVER THE MOORS, HER TEARS OFTEN FELL UPON THE
CLUMPS OF PURPLE HEATHER WHICH IMMEDIATELY TURNED WHITE. THEN,
EVEN IN THE BITTERNESS OF HER OWN SORROW, MALVINA SAID
"ALTHOUGH IT IS THE SYMBOL OF MY SORROW, MAY THE WHITE HEATHER
BRING GOOD FORTUNE TO ALL WHO FIND IT".

Submitter comment: I RECEIVED THIS STORY FROM LESLIE WOODS, WHO HEARD THIS FROM
HER GRANDFATHER WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL.
HER GRANDFATHER HEARD THIS STORY HIMSELF WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE
BOY IN ENGLAND AND PASSED IT ON.
THIS STORY HAS BEEN PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, AND
WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO BE PASSED ON.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sterling Heights

Date learned: 00-00-1975