Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
any noise at all. Certainly I have watched the latter often 
and never heard a sound. It is curious that the old saying, 
“ One swallow doesn’t make a summer,” seems to have 
been current among the Greeks, only I think their wording 
was, “One swallow does not make springtime.” The 
Spanish version, according to Cervantes, was, “ Una golon- 
drina no pace verano,” while the Italians say, “ Un fiore non 
fe primavera.” The Swallows were hawking very low over 
the river to-day, so it will probably rain to-morrow. This 
as a sign of rain is noted by Virgil in the “ Georgies,” as also 
by the Greek poet Aratus. One can count on fair weather 
when they fly high. In Rhodes it used to be the custom 
for children to go from door to door in the early days of 
Spring carrying a Swallow and singing a little song which 
ran somewhat thus, I think : 
See here the Swallow, 
See here the Swallow 
With dusky wing and breast snow white, 
She brings the Springtime young and bright. 
I believe, in a charming prose book of Longfellow’s, too 
little known, he alludes to this custom, and, I think, has 
given a poetical version of this child’s song. The old 
Greek poet Athenseus in the “ Song of the Swallow,” gives a 
pretty version of it. 
There is an old saying here : 
Quick, quick, the Swallow comes, 
Keep your arms close, 
For if she touch them wi’ her wings, 
You their power will lose. 
There is a quaint old Provencal poem called the 
“ Virgin’s Cradle Song,” which shows that in Provence the 
Swallow was not always a welcome guest — le hien venu : 
0 sleep soft, my Jesu, 
From the mountains to-day, 
To rest in thine arms 
The Dove wingeth her way. 
1 have brought thee fresh straw, 
Thy poor sheets I’ve washed white, 
Thou’lt sleep softly, my Bird, 
In thy cradle to-night, in thy cradle to-night, 
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