Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-08-27
Che faulty Circle.
West of England Fork-LOre.

lowing notes collected by local correspond
ent. They pertain to supers tito ms still in
force on the Irish Sea and near the Welsh
border:
"Our country is rich in the superstitions
relating to childhood. 1t W ould fill an ordi-
nary sized volume if all were collected. 1t
must suffice for our purpose to give few of
the more common and well-known sayings
and practices. First let US glance at the
sayings of childhood, such as innocent
charms. found chiefly in rhyme. Were it
not for this rhyning method it would have
but little attraction for children-hence they
still linger in our midst.
"Children amuse themselves by chanting
to snails, | suppose, in their simple way to
charm them-generally the large garden
snail with thick brown she'll is chosen.
The following, which is varied to suit cir
cumstances, also in different divisions of the
country the rhyme changes:
"Snail, snail, come out of your hole,
Or else rll beat you as black AS a coal.
Or
Snail, snail, put out your horns,
Father and mother are dead,
Brother and ter far away,
Begging for barley bread.
g In the North of Ireland We hear the
children repeat as follows:
"she muddy. shell muddy,
Put out your horns,
For the kings daughteri is
coming TO town,
With a red petticoat and green gown.
cit is pleasing to observe this peculiar
charm, lnLen led, though often to the child's
astonishment and vexation In vain, to per-
suade the snail to shoot out his horns, is
not confined to the United Kingdom. Thus
IN Naples 1t occurs somewhat like
Snail, snail, slug slow,
To me thy four horns show;
If thou dost not show me thy four
VIII throw thee out of the door,
For the crow in the gutter
To eat for bread and butter
and
"Sna, snail, put out your horn,
Your mother is laughing yoa to scorn,
For she has little son just born.
The cuckoo, on its first appearance, is
hailed with delight by all classes. Children
sometimes sing when it is first heard
"Cuckoo, cuckoo, cherry tree,
Catch penny for Johnny and me.
colder people. when they first hear its
! welcome notes, turn their money in their
pockets, so they may not be without money
all the following year. Speaking OF birds,
we frequently, in Central Cheshire, hear an
other charm or saying of childhood in ref
erence to the crow. 1t seems to be regarded
with aversion; in fact it's croaking is a pre-
dlction of death
Grow, crow, get out of my sight,
Or else Plfcat thy liver and lights.
"Well would it be if this rhyme would
terrify it from the corn fields. 1t would
save Tommy with his clapper (often nearly
as large as himself) on the gate, much trou-
BILE and labor, without taking into account
the immense quantity of breath spent in
boil
sight of the coveted wheat.
"Among other birds, the pretty robin red
breast comes ID for his share of superstitions.
1t is supposed to bring calamity and bad luck
to any one inJurlng the bird, for
| 1.-THE robin and the wren
| Are Gods cock and hen.
Zone legend about this bird, which seems
to be screened and sheltered by everyone, is
to account for its bright red breast, from
! which it takes it's English name. 1t is be-
lieved when our Saviour Was dying,no other
bird except the robip would look upon the
scene, and it alone was filled with compass
sion for the suffering Son of God. 1t tried
with its small beak to turn aside one of the
thorns which was lancerating bis brow; in
doing so its breast was dyed red with the
Saviour blood, and when after wards q
blessing was pronounced upon it for its kind
ness, il was permitted through all succeed
ing ages to wear the symbol on its breast
"a Welsh story states that he acquired his
red-breast by conveying daily drop of
water IN its bill to aid in qucnchiug the
thirst of the lost; and by so coming near the
flames its breast is scorched, therefore it is
named Brow rhuddyn' (breast burned)
prefer to hear the tale OF the cross than
the latter, which appears to have been in
vented to terrlfy our little ones with the
horrors of the bottomless pit.
:" The little lady-bird is not forgotten by
our children, but In this case it is very inno-
cent, aud the little insect is used only with
kindness; innocent prattle can do but little
harm. When one is discovered it is placed
on the chlld's open hand, and verse, which
like all Others varies much, is used to per
} suade it 10 open its wings and fly away. Il
, is more successfully used than the small
charm, for this simple reason, when it feell
the warmth from the hand it qui ,kly flies off
" Lady-bird lady bird, fly to thy home,
Thy house is on fire, thy children all roam,
Except little John, who sits in his pan,
Weaving good laccs as fast as he can.
: More often We hear oufy ady-bird, lady
bird, fly away home repeatcdIover and owe
again. In Cheshire the lady-Dird is knowr
better perhaps by the name of cow-lady
1t is the COccinella OF Linn8us.
When boy Is stung with the nettle b,
: scientifically applies the dock leaf, beatin,
the part violently, repeating at the sam
time this verse until cure is effected:
Nettle in-Dock out.
Dock in-Nette out
Nettle iu-DOck out,
4 Dock rub Nettle out.
u Or more commonly thus
/, Nettle out, dock in,
p Dock remove the nettle sting.
V l say scientifically applies because the net
II tie venom is of strong alkaline nature, O
b the contrary all docks contain an acid prime
y pie, which of course ncurralizes the nettI,
/. st,p1-thus tho sm a rtipo itob;nn .~...l:o