Part 6 (1/2)

Married in Grey, you will go far away.

Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

Married in Brown, you will live out of town.

Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead.

Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl.

Married in Green, ashamed to be seen.

Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow.

Married in Blue, he will always be true.

Married in Pink, your spirits will sink.

Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday the best day of all.

Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Sat.u.r.day no luck at all.

Marry on Sunday so that you cannot repent before the week is out.

ANIMALS.

If a dog howls in front of a house it is a sign of a death very soon. If a woman in the house takes off her left shoe and turns it upside down and puts her foot on it the dog ceases howling. I know of one instance where a dog howled in front of a house, and the mistress seeing and hearing the dog took off her left shoe and put her foot on it. The dog was in the midst of a howl, and he finished it with a yell and turned away and ran from the house as fast as possible, but he returned very soon and howled again. It was very strange, but an invalid visitor was staying in the house, and he died exactly a week after the howling.

To be followed by a strange dog is lucky.

If a cat licks her foot and pa.s.ses it over her left ear it is a sign that a stranger will soon come.

When a cat lies with her tail turned to the fire it is a sign of hard weather.

If a cat licks her tail it betokens rain.

A strange black cat brings good luck into a house.

When a cat is taken to a new home its feet should be b.u.t.tered, and it will stop.

If a cat has a cold and sneezes, all the people in the house will catch it.

When Noah's Ark is seen in the sky it is a sign of much rain.

It is described by Clare as ”a long dark cloud stretching across the heavens, broad in the centre and tapering at each end, resembling the figure of the ark, and supposed to foretell great floods. But it depends on the direction of the ark. If it is from south to north it is a sign of good weather, but if from east to west bad weather.”

Rain before seven, clear up before eleven.

Rain water collected as it falls on Holy Thursday is very good for diseases of the eye.

If it rains on St. Swithin's day it portends a good crop of apples.

Rain in the east, three days at least.