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@ 2009-10-08 – 08:06:46
WHERE THE BEE SUCKS
Where the bee sucks, there suck I;
In a cowslip's bell I lie;
There I couch when owls do cry.
On the bat's back I do fly
After summer merrily.
Merrily, merrily shall I live now
Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.
William Shakespeare
(From 'The Tempest', words spoken by Ariel after he is set free
by Prospero.)
Hear the song at:
Bushka
Pro 
jollyweez
Rural England, must have been especially beautiful in the country, several centuries ago.
It is so obvious that poets and others enjoyed and worshiped Nature, just as we do today.
However, before the Industrial Age, life in the country must have been heavenly.
For the young and healthy, of course!
I remember during the war walking in the fields in Hertfordshire and seeing many cowslips.
There don't seem to be so many around nowadays, although someone will probably tell me I'm wrong.
Here is the etymology:
O.E. cu-slyppe, apparently from cu "cow" + slyppe "slop, slobber, dung."
Presumably the plants flourish in the rich output of cows.
jollyweez
There is a charming old-English pattern called Cowslip made by Spode china.
It was very popular in the earlier part of the 1925-1940's.
Thank you for that information. Makes a lot of sense.
I am sorry to learn one rarely sees the elusive flower anymore.
It used to be so abundant and, most probably, helped sweeten the cow's natural milk.
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