Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/144

 132 Journal of American Folk-Lore.

unless you chance to be standing at the time. If you are lying down you will be sick during the remainder of the year ; and if sit- ting you will have bad health all the rest of the year.

When an unmarried woman hears the first cooing of a dove in the spring, she should take nine steps forward, and then nine steps backward, all without speaking. Then she should take off her right shoe, and in it she will find a hair from her future husband's head.

If an owl hoots around the house, it is a sign of death. If you put an iron in the fire, however, when you hear it hoot, it will immediately go away. But that may not prevent the calamity.

For a turtle-dove to flutter in front of you is a very bad sign.

You should never turn a meal sack or flour sack wrong side up when emptying it. If you do, you will be in need of the article which it contained, and be compelled to borrow before you can otherwise procure any more.

You should never take a broom with you when you move, unless you throw it clear through the house which you are about to occupy before taking in any other article whatever.

You should not sweep before breakfast Sunday morning. If you do you will hear of the death of a relative or friend before the week ends.

Two persons should never sweep at the same time in the same house. It is an omen of bad luck.

If you force the accumulations of sweeping out through the door with a broom, you sweep away your fortune with them. If you have no open fireplace, you should gather up the accumulations and burn them in a stove.

If you see a broom lying across the doorway when you go to a neighbor's house, do not step over it under any circumstances. It is a trap to catch witches, who always step over brooms. If you step over one, you will be inevitably regarded a witch.

Do not allow a cat to follow after you and mew. It is an ill omen.

Never take a cat with you when you move.

Never kill your own cat. If you must get rid of it, and can think of no other way, get somebody else to kill it for you.

If a black cat comes to your house, do not allow it to remain, because it comes for the express purpose of bringing you bad luck.

But if a spotted cat comes, keep it by all means if you can, as it will bring good luck.

If a chicken crows after it goes to roost, go immediately and kill it. If you do not, you will hear bad news.

If a hen crows at any time, kill her at once. She is trying to crow bad luck to you or some of your family.

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