CHAPTER V 



THE SWALLOW IN PROVERBS AND RffiDLES 



Just as little by little the peculiar habits 

 and traits of the swallow were translated into 

 beliefs and omens, so gradually these beliefs 

 and omens crystallized into proverbs and 

 riddles, and as such they became a part of 

 the common speech of many peoples. The 

 bird's springtime coming and autumn de- 

 parture, her hatred of the sparrow, her curi- 

 ous nest, her incessant chatter and continu- 

 ous flight — each serves as a means for the 

 fanciful expression of some simple fact. 

 The proverbs have often a deeper meaning, 

 and under many a plain statement we may 

 find concealed a wise and homely truth. 



The coming of the swallow depends upon 

 the state of the weather; therefore the precise 

 date varies from country to country. In Italy 



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