FABLE AND FOLKLORE 5 



Sis' Dove she know mo'n anybody or anything in de worl'. 

 She know pintedly de time anybody gwine die. You'll hear 

 her moanin' fer a passin' soul 'fo' you hear de bell tone. 

 She know 'fo' cotton-plantin' time whe'r de craps dat gatherin' 

 '11 be good er bad. To' folks breaks up de new groun' er 

 bust out middles, Sis' Dove know what de yield '11 be. She 

 know it an' she'll tell it, too. 'Caze ev'ybody know if 

 Sis' Dove coo on de right han' of a man plowin', dare '11 be 

 a good crap dat year; but ef she coo on de lef dar '11 be a 

 faillery crap dat year. 



Sis' Dove she know about all de craps dat grow out er de 

 groun' but she 'special know about corn, fer she plant de fi'st 

 grain er corn dat ever was plant' in de whole worl\ Whar 

 she git it ? . . . Umm — hum ! You tell me dat ! 



From the belief in the intuitive wisdom of birds comes 

 the world-wide confidence in their prophetic power. 

 Hence their actions, often so mysterious, have been 

 watched with intense interest, and everything unusual 

 in their behavior was noticed in the hope that it might 

 express a revelation from on high. Advantage was taken 

 of this pathetic hope and assurance by the Roman augurs 

 in their legalized ornithomancy, of which some descrip- 

 tion will be found in another chapter. Nine-tenths of it 

 was priestly humbug to keep ordinary folks in mental 

 subjection, as priestcraft has ever sought to do. The 

 remaining tenth has become the basis of the present 

 popular faith in birds' ability to foretell coming weather. 

 Let me cite a few aboriginal examples of this faith, 

 more or less sincere, in the ability and willingness of 

 birds to warn inquiring humanity. 



The Omahas and other Siouan Indians used to say 

 that when whippoorwills sing at night, saying "Hoia, 

 hohin?" one replies "No." If the birds stop at once, it is 

 a sign that the answerer will soon die, but if the birds 

 keep on calling he or she will live a long time. The 

 Utes of Colorado, however, declare that this bird is the 



