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In Flanders the cowslip is called the key-flower. The story I am about
to tell you will explain why it is so named.

A little child died. Its little soul was as innocent and pure as freshly
fallen snow. As a dove freed after long captivity flies straight into
the blue sky, so the little soul flew into God’s Heaven and knocked at
the gate.

St. Peter with his large golden key drew back the heavy lock, half
opened the door and looked through the crack.

On seeing who was there, he opened the door wide and welcomed in the new
little angel.

But behold, when the Saint was about to close the door, he let fall the
bunch of keys with a thud on the golden threshold. Before he was able to
pick them up they had slipped from the threshold into the fathomless
blue.

They fell through space for two or three days and landed in a cemetery
at the entrance to a little village.

Scarcely had they touched the earth, where they sparkled amidst the
grass and the flowers, when a beautiful new flower sprang to life which
had never been seen on earth before and was therefore without a name.

Early next morning a little orphan girl went to the cemetery to put
flowers on her mother’s grave. She soon discovered this strange flower
poised so proudly on its stalk. She was very surprised to find the
pretty little bell flowers, which were certainly not growing there the
day before, and which she had never seen.

She stooped down to examine the plant more closely and was amazed to
find in the bushes a bunch of golden keys held together by a gold ring
on which she read the word “Heaven.”

The discovery of the new flower and the bunch of keys was fully
discussed in the village, and the news spread far and wide. Every one
came to see the new flower. They called it the Key of Heaven, by which
name it has been known ever since.