The daily sentinel., 1901-08-30
BIRD SUPERSTITION.
CUCKOO BELIEVED TO POSSESS
OFT OF PROPHECY.
Consulting the Fsathersd Prophet
About Length of Life and the Num-
bsr Of Years Girls win Have e wait
Before BsIax Married.

oE& DSAnk 1n8Ikho&As
One of the first heralds Of approach
ing spring is the cuckoo. He is bird
of passage, who. like most of his kind.
spends his summers in Europe, and
his winters in Asia or Africa. He ar
rives in England about the beginning
of April, resting little time at Malta
soon after midsummer. Among the
peasantry in some parts of France, 1t is
supposed that after st. James day,
July %, the cuckoo changes into a
bird Of prey, and inhabits the noun
tains during the winter; but that in
the spring time he resumes his nat
ural form, and returns to France on
the back Of Kite. There is no bird
which is SO generally believed to pos
sess the gift Of prophecy as the cuckoo.
In Germany there is a popular belief
that the one who first hears him in the
spring can ascertain how many years
he has to live. He simply asks the
bird the question, and as many times
as 1t responds, SO many times will the
questioner see the trees put forth their
leaves, and watch their fruit arrive at
maturity. In Sweden the young girls
consult the cuckoo to know when they
will be married, and the number of
times he answers indicates the number
OF years they will have to wait; but II
he continues an unreasonable time,
they say he is settled on a magic
branch, and consequently his predic-
tions are not to be relied upon. A
very important point, according to
them, in the Interpretation of his re-
sponses, Is to notice from what d.
rection his voice comes. II from the
north, it means sorrow and trouble
for all the year; but If from the east,
west or south, pleasure and happiness
may be anticipated. II one has money
in ones pocket the first time one hears
him, prosperous year will follow; but
If the purse is empty it will be difH-
cult to replenish 1t. And one is liable
to die Of hunger during the year If the
cuckoo is heard for the first time when
one is fasting. In Servia, the cuckoo
presages disaster If he is heard in the
forest before the trees have assumed
their foliage; on the contrary, II the
branches are already covered with
leaves when he first appears, happiness
and plenty may be expected. In Switz-
erland, and in some parts Of Germany,
the cuckoo Is called the bakers boy"
According to a legend, he is in reality
a bakers boy. who in the hardest OF
times was not ashamed to steal the
food of the poor, or to pilfer the best
of the bread when 1t was taken from
the oven, crying out as he did so In
the most impudent manner, "Guk,
guk!" which in old German means
Look. look!" God was so angry with
him for his depredations that he
turned him into bird, with pow
derry gray plumage, to remind him OF
his ancient calling, and condemned
him to repeat constantly the same
words, in remembrance of his unscru-
pulous fault The Russians regard the
cuckoo as a bird of ill-omen the pre-
cursor of sorrow and death. Accord
ing to their legends, he is a young
girl, who angered the gods by weeping
toe long for the death of her brother.
and was changed into a cuckoo. In al
most all countries it Is considered un-
lucky to kill this bird. in spite OF his
reprehensible propensities from do
mestic point of view. Whether his
objection to nest-building arises from
natural laziness, or from natural in
competence, it is difficult to say; but
1t is indisputable that he has strong
ly developed tendency to utilize the
ready-made nests of other birds. This.
however, does not prevent his being
welcomed among us as the harbinger
OF spring, and the forerunner OF the
singing birds, who in summer fill the
land with music.