“One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a girl, four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told
Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss
Ten for a time of joyous bliss”
the above rhyme also appears in folklore and superstitons regarding the magpie. other versions are as follows:
“One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth.
Five for rich, six for poor,
Seven for a witch – I can tell you no more.”
“One’s sorrow, two’s mirth,
Three’s a wedding, four’s a birth,
Five’s a christening, six a dearth,
Seven’s heaven, eight is hell,
And nine’s the devil his old self.”
“One for sadness, two for mirth;
Three for marriage, four for birth;
Five for laughing, six for crying:
Seven for sickness, eight for dying;
Nine for silver, ten for gold;
Eleven a secret that will never be told.”
granted, magpies (as well as other blackbirds) have long been associated with various and sundry evils such as death, witchcraft, illness, etc. i never really thought of sneezing as all that terrifying a prospect, but then, i didn’t live (or die) during the plagues.
magpie h.