The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-19
CHILDREN'S SUPERSTITIONS.
Their Spells, Charms, Signs and Fortune
Telling. ~

Their Spells, Charms, Signs and Fortune
Telling.
"HE sUPERSTITIONS OF CHILD
MI rem at the south as used in their
910 little games. 'telling fortunes" etc.,
are very interesting.
For instance, in some parts of the south
in the game Of tag if the boy or girl
giving the tag is quick enough to say,
'.Ticky, ticky, tag. my tags poison, you
can't get my tag till tomorrow after sun
down." that girl OF boy is under a ''spell''
and is exempt from ''tags'' until the time
specified. after which time the s'spell' is
In making a wish which they are anxious
to have come true they pick up a stone that
is Embedded in the ground, spit on the I'M
der side and replace it, being careful to fit
it in just as it was; by SO doing they think
they will get their wish" The same
method is used for curing toothache, but
first the rum around the tooth Is pricked
until 1t bleeds. Warts also are removed in
this way. They believe that a tooth that is
extracted should always be buried: other
wise the coming one will be a dogs tooth.
They will TRY their fortunes" by going
across a book, and gathering nine
switches of different kinds, dip them in
the brook, then bend them together, using
with the Irvine a hair from the head of
MO peIbOu bFViHk tub ICrLune. Llcn
they are put under the pillow Mt night, and
the dream will be Of the future husband or
wife. These children have Il very pretty
way of telling fortunes" with the dodder
vine, or love vine, as they call it. A piece
is broken off and twisted round the head
three times, then dropped on a bank be-
hind them. If the sweetheart is true it
grows. II it dies he or she is false.
The mullen stalk is also used to learn the
constancy or fckieness of the lover. The
stalk is broken but not detached, and if it
continues to grow the absent one is con-
slant. or vice versa. They havo also many
ways of telling fortunes by the moon; the
most popular one is this: When the new
moon is seen for the first time three stems
are taken backward, aud these words re-.
peated:
New moon. true moon. true and bright.
If l have a true love, Let me dream of him to-
night.
II I'm to marry near. let me hear Il bird cry;
film to marry Ear, let me hear a COW low,
And il I'm never to wed, let me hear q hammer
Strange to cay, according to their &C.
counts. one of these three sounds is sure to
be heard.
On hearing the first wood dove in the
spring they will ait down, remove the shoe
and stocking from the left foot. and in the
heel of the stocking will ba found q hair,
the color OF that of the man or woman they
will marry.
Then the flight of the turkey buzzard is
always noted, especially if flying alone, auG
the bird is addressed thus:
Hail, hail, lonely turkey buzzard,
Ely TO the east, fly TO tho west.
Fly to the one that ! love be t!
LIE me know by the flap of tho wing
Whether no Tor she) loves mo or not"
The birds direction of fight ia noted
also the motion of the wings. II thew fla,
it is considered z true sign that the lover O
sweetheart is true.
There is a superstition common anon,
children II almost all localities in TIL
south that if you kill a snake and hang
in q tree 1t will surely rain within tire
days.
Another one is, that hair-combine
should never be thrown out Of doors, ft
the reason that the birds will uso them
building their nests and thus produce cor
slant headache to the person to whom the
belonged.
very pretty custom is common amor
the little girls, They search under Il
leaves in the woods for the little blus flow
they call Innocence which comes in :.
early spring, and il they find one they "
surely have u new dress before nnoth
week. EMILY IHpRsToN.
Copyright.