The talk of bird shit being lucky reminds me of a story:
[spoiler]Once upon a time, an innocent young man set out upon an adventure.
He traveled to many strange exotic lands. He saw so many things he would have never believed existed, had he not seen them with his very own eyes.
In one, distant mountainous place, he met a wiseman, who took him on as a student. The wiseman taught him the names of the local flora and fauna. He show the young man the plants that cure many illnesses. The student collected samples of plants unknown in his world. He took pictures of animals thought to be legends or fairytales.
One day, while he and the wiseman were walking through the forest, a huge, beautiful bird sitting in a tree above the path, answered the call of nature, leaving the young man’s left arm dripping.
When the young man looked around for something to clean off the mess, the wiseman stopped him. “Son, that is the Foo bird. Their droppings are sacred to my people. If you remove the droppings I must turn my back on you. If you take my teaching to your heart, you will wear the mantle bestowed by the Foo bird with honor through your life. You will be prosperous and wise throughout your life as long as you do.”
The young man, not wanting to offend his mentor, took the advice and left the guano on his arm. Soon, it dried and was hardly noticable.
As time passed he learned all he could from the wiseman and returned to his home land. With the knowledge he’d garnered from his travels and the plant and animal discoveries he’d made, he became wealthy. He had houses in several cities. He aquired boats and planes, and horse stables. His life seemed ideal to all who knew him, but he wasn’t happy.
He had no one to share his wealth and knowledge with. Women found the ancient bird droppings unattractive, and more than a bit wierd.
Finally, a beautiful intellegient woman became his friend. Over time, the friendship grew into something more.
Although the two had never been intimate, he asked for her hand. She agreed, but insisted that he wash off the bird droppings.
Even though he hated to go against the wishes of his teacher, he agreed.
That evening he stepped into the shower, soaped up a cloth and wiped away the long worn mark.
He fell instantly dead.
Moral: If the Foo shits, wear it.[/spoiler]
