A Visit to the Reflecting Pond

As they made their way back through the woods, Atnas decided to return by way of the reflecting pond to see if the leaf of the sacred plant survived the winter.

The flower, known to them as ylf, was transplanted from the forest to the South, where their lodges had once been.  At that time many ylf grew in the location not far from the fresh brook which ran to the great bay; but then the tall ones came, and took down all the trees there, built several dwellings and plowed the forest floor.  Before the area was completely destroyed, the elders had the trophers dig up a number of the plants, and it was these that were moved and planted in the edge of the woods near the reflecting pond.  Their location was so marked by stones, like other such important sites.  The pond, too, was considered sacred by them for it came and went most seasons.*  

The ylf transplants grew well for a long number of years, but for reasons unknown to them, they slowly died off and now just one plant remained.  The plant is scared due to its unusual growth cycle and its roots, which were once eaten when the plants were plentiful.  The roots put out a single leaf in the fall and that leaf, which is green on top and purple on the bottom, remains through the winter; then withers away in late spring as a stem begins to rise out of the ground.** By August, the stem would be almost eye level to them, and it would bear beautiful purple flowers.  Though tempting, on account of being so rare, the flowers could no longer be picked.

Some blame the slow demise of the plants on the intruder who toppled the stones that marked the spot, throwing some of them into the middle of the pond.  The stones sat there for many seasons until the great drought came.  It was that summer when the monument was reassembled.  The wait to rebuild the monument was necessary because ancient custom required that the stones not be touched while wet with the great one’s blessing; and even though the pond seemed dry on occasion, the stones were still wet on the bottom.

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* A pond that “came and went” is likely what we would call a vernal pool.

**The description given would suggest this flower might be a Cranefly Orchid, known to have once been found in Barnstable, but now listed as exterminated on Cape Cod and endangered throughout Massachusetts  Thus, this would be a very rare specimen, if it is so.