Part 10 (1/2)

Flies are more troublesome before rain.

Gnats playing up and down in the open air near sunset is a sign of heat.

If in the shade, warm and mild showers, but if they join in stinging those who pa.s.s them it presages cold weather and rain.

Children, even now, when they find a Ladybird or cow lady say:--

Click, Clock, Clay. What time o'day.

One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Click, clock, clay.

Another custom is to get a ladybird and put it on the back of the hand and say:--

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, Your horse is on foot, your children are gone; All but one, and that's little John, And he lies under the grindle stone.

If it does not fly away then it is thrown up into the air.

In some places the insect is called cow lady, and then the rhyme begins cow lady, cow lady, etc.

PLANTS.

When the Dandelion clocks are blowing children carefully pluck them and with as perfect a head as possible hold it upright in front of them and say:--

Clicketty, Clock, what's o'clock?

and then try and blow as much off the head as possible, and as many times as it takes to blow the down off the heads such will be the time.

Children gather Timothy gra.s.s and beginning with the top seed say:--

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich man, Poor man, Beggar man, Thief.

At each word the hand touches the next seed and on whichever name the last seed comes such will be the sweetheart. The words are repeated over and over again until all the seeds are counted.

FLOWERS AND SEEDS.

Clare mentions these signs in his Shepherds Calender

And scarlet-starry points of flowers, Pimpernel, dreading nights and showers Oft call'd ”the Shepherd's weather-gla.s.s,”

That sleeps till suns have dried the gra.s.s, Then wakes, and spreads its creeping bloom, Till clouds with threatening shadows come, Then close it shuts to sleep again; Which weeders see and talk of rain, And boys, that mark them shut so soon, Call ”John that goes to bed at noon.”

Seeds should be sown and plants and roots planted when the moon is on the rise to ensure successful results.

If seeds are sown when the moon is on the wane there will be bad crops.

If a man or woman plants a sage tree and it thrives, the one who planted the tree will rule the house.