North-cuckoo is sorrow-cuckoo, 

 South-cuckoo is dead-cuckoo, 

 East-cuckoo is consolation-cuckoo, 

 West-cuckoo is best-cuckoo. 



This verse is not found in Denmark, 

 but is found' under different forms all 

 over Svveden and Norway. In Iceland, 

 where the cuckoo never comes, the 

 neighingbird or common snipe takes the 

 cuckoo's place. 



There is much folk-lore attached to 

 the first cuckoo, but I will only men- 

 tion that it is a common belief in Ger- 

 many, France and al;l of Southern Eu- 

 rope, that in the course of the year, a 

 person will not be in want of money, 

 if he has been so lucky as to have some 

 money about him the first time he hears 

 the cuckoo; in several places, they add: 

 the lapwing, the stork, and the swal- 

 low. It is a common behef in all of 

 Europe, that a person will be deceived 

 by the cuckoo, if he has not yet eaten 

 anything when he hears him the first 

 time. This can be followed by very bad 

 consequences. In some places, people 

 go so far as to beilieve that the person 

 must prepare to die before the year is 

 over; in other places, however, they 

 say there are no bad consequences. 

 Thus a housekeeper, that is deceived, 

 cannot get the milk to curdle. So if a 

 person wishes to be safe, he takes, 

 before going out in the morning, a bite 

 of bread and a dram. This dram, on 

 the island of Runoe, is called 'Tulsey" 

 (fool-dram). In Denmark, we find the 

 phrase: "To take a bite before the 

 cuckoo," and it is said in fun of one 

 who has eaten a hearty breakfast: The 

 cuckoo cannot fool him. 



It is not the cuckoo only, but also 

 many other returning birds of passage 

 that can deceive and beguile. In Swe- 

 den and Norway, this is the case with 

 the hooded crow and the loon; in Lap- 

 land, with the wild goose and the swan; 

 in France, with the nightingale. 



Crossmas-day in spring, the third of 

 May, the swallow may be expected and 

 then the summer has come. One swajl- 

 low does not make a summer; but with 

 the large flocks, the summer arrives. 



If the swallow comes eight days be- 

 fore Crossmas, the summer will be cold, 

 Crossmas is the right day. The swallow 

 brings happiness to the house where he 

 builds and like the stork, he protects 

 the house from fire. He is also received 

 as a welcome guest. In several places 

 in Germany, the tower watchman had 

 as a duty to notice when the swallow 

 came, and then the town judge imme- 

 diately procllaimed the happy news; and 

 at the head -of all his house the farmer 

 went to the barn the day the swallow 

 was expected and opened the gate for 

 him. The swallow will look around in 

 his home and then sit down and twit- 

 ter: 



When we flew away the barns were full. 

 But now there is nothing left. 

 Swit, swaet, swit, swaet, it is eaten. 

 It is gone! 



This verse is found in many different 

 forms through Denmark, Sweden, Ger- 

 many and France. 



There are many things to observe in 

 connection with the first swallow. If a 

 person will blow after it, everything 

 will go easy for him in the course of 

 the year. If a person remains standing 

 when he sees the first swallow, and digs 

 under his left foot and finds a small 

 piece of coal, it is a sure cure for ague. 

 In Germany and France they say that 

 the person digging will find a hair of 

 the same color as that one's future wife 

 or husband will have. 



The nightingale does not come until 

 the thornbush is green, and then all the 

 summer birds are gathered together, 

 and the short but happy life in song 

 commences. Each singing bird is sit- 

 ting and singing for his enraptured 

 mate. 



Frants p. Lund. 



116 



