Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/68

 co Journal of American Folk-Lore.

353. The next person you see after meeting a snake is an enemy.

Maine. 355. Break your first brake, Kill your first snake, Ami you will conquer all your enemies.

Northern Ohio. Kill the first snake you see in the spring, and you will conquer all your enemies that year. If the snake gets away, you will be troubled with new enemies that year. Talladega, Ala.

357. If the first snake you see in the spring is dead, you will lose a friend. Lawrence, Kan.

On the other hand, the equally ancient friendliness of the sacred snake is preserved in an opinion that it is lucky to have that crea- ture frequent the house (Bruynswick, N. Y., before 1830). The toad stands on a better footing, inasmuch as he is protected by a theory that his slaughter is dangerous. To kill him makes the cows go dry, or give bloody milk ; to step on him is a sign of disappoint- ment. It is a children's saying that to kill a toad will cause you to stub your toe ; a fortunate protection for an ugly creature. Very likely the regard for toads is connected with an idea that they were forms of the guardian spirit or familiar demon. The doctrine that the murder of a cat brings ill luck is so universal that in many places it is almost impossible to get any one to perform that office. In general, the cat appears as the transformation of the witch. Such reputation must have been ancient. In an old Irish hero tale we find that the nocturnal visit of cats was sufficient to scare the stoutest hearts ; and the chief of Arthur's encounters, according to Welsh and French mediaeval story, was with an enchanted cat. But the modern lore as to cats is mixed ; there are opposite views as to the nature of the luck brought by the visit of one, or being followed by one. Obviously, originally, if would depend on the rela- tion : cither the witch would be pursuing with evil intent, which would intrinsically be probable ; or she would be under the control of the individual, in which case the luck would be good. In Massa- chusetts, people are shy about moving cats to a new home ; and in Kansas it is unlucky to move into a house where the cat (the genius of the preceding family) has been kept. But in the survival, one is likely to find diametrically opposite precepts.

1 weather prophet, the cat is known to be wise, and omens are

taken from the most commonplace movements. "Weather" formed

a topic of the first volume of "Current Superstitions;" the signs

ined from animals contribute a section to the second volume.

Such expectations are of great antiquity. In the third century

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