18 COCCINELLIDiE — LADY- BIRDS. 



Kiiferl', kilferl', kiifcrl', 

 Flieg nach Mariabrunn, 

 Und bring uns il schone sun. 



Or,— 



Little birdie, birdie, 

 Fly to Marybrunn, 

 And bring us a fine sun. 



Marybnin being a place about twelve English miles from 

 the Austrian capital, with a miracle-working image of the 

 Virgin (still connected with the Virgin), who often sends 

 good weather to the merry Viennese.^ 



And, from the marsh of the Elbe, to this little insect the 

 following words are addressed : 



Maikatt, 

 Flug weg, 

 Stuif weg, 

 Bring me morgen goet wedder med. 



Or,- 



May- cat, 

 Fly away, 

 Hasten away, 

 Bring me good weather with you to-morrow. ^ 



In England, the children are wont to be afraid of injur- 

 ing the Ladj-bird lest it should rain. 



With the Northmen the Lady-bird — Our Lady's Key- 

 maid — is believed to foretell to the husbandman whether the 

 year shall be a plentiful one or the contrary : if its spots 

 exceed seven, bread-corn will be dear; if they are fewer 

 than seven, there will be an abundant harvest, and low 

 prices.^ And, in the following rhyme from Ploen, this in- 

 sect is invoked to bring food : 



Marspaert (Markpaert) fleeg in Himmel ! 

 Bring my'n Sack voll Kringeln, my een, dy een, 

 Alle Kitten Engeln een. 

 Or,- 



Marspiiert, fly to heaven! 

 Bring me a sack full of biscuits, one for me, one for thee, 

 For all the little angels one.* 



In the north of Europe it is thought lucky when a young 

 girl in the country sees the Lady-bird in the spring ; she 



1 Chambers' Pop. Rhymes, 1841, p. 170-1. 



2 Thorpe's North. MythoL, iii. 182. 



3 Ibid., ii. 104. 

 * Ibid., iii. 182. 



