Animal Lore

To stop leg or stomach cramps, you should wear a bone from the head of a cod. 

You can stop a dog from barking and howling by turning one of your shoes upside down.

The health of children is said to improve if you allow them to play with dogs. 

If you see a dog rolling in the grass, you should expect good luck or news from afar is coming. 

It is good luck to allow strange dogs to follow you home. 

A person who owns three cats, each a different color, is said to carry great luck. 

A three-colored cat is said to prevent fires. 

Owning a white cat brings the owner poverty. 

If a spotted cat wanders into your home, it is said to be a sign of good fortune coming your way. 

If you are ever followed by a black cat, you will be lucky. 

It is said that if you give a cat to a friend, that will break off the friendship. 

If you see a cat put its paw over its head, it means company is coming. 

When the pupils of a cat's eyes are nearly closed, it shows that it is low tide. Widely opened pupils means high tide. 

The time of day may be noted by observing the relative size of a cat's pupils. 

A cat scratching on the front door (from the outside) means company is coming. 

Letting a cat look at you soon after washing its face will almost certainly indicate your pending marriage in the near future! 

Be sure to make a wish when you see a newborn calf; it's likely to come true. 

Goats always seem to seek shelter before bad weather, so watch them. 

When buying a horse, remember this country saying:
One white foot, buy him;
Two white feet, try him;
Three white feet, try another day;
Four white feet, give him away.
Saying "white horse" seven times will help you find a lost article. 

Never give a pig away. You'll be giving away your luck! (In Germany they say "Du hast Schwein" when you seem to have good luck.) 

If when starting a journey, you see a rabbit cross your path, it will be a safe journey.
If a squirrel runs across the road in front of you, it means good luck and wealth are soon to be yours. 

Buzzards are a long time in between wing beats. So if you see a lone buzzard, make a wish before he flaps his wings and your wish will come true. 

Seeing the shadow of a buzzard on the ground without seeing the buzzard means company is coming. 

To stop an owl from making its night calls, tie a knot in a blue handkerchief 

A rooster crowing late at night means a storm is coming. 

A rooster crowing in front of your door means news from a distance is coming. 

A rooster crowing in the early part of the night means there is news coming fast. 

To keep evil away from your house, throw the egg of a white hen over your right shoulder toward the front door of the house. 

When you see a crow for the first time in a new year, observe its flight -- that will indicate the distance you will travel that year. If the crow just sits there, it means no journey; if it flies out of sight, it means you'll take a very long journey. 

Here is an ancient folk rhyme about crows and what their flock size indicates:
One crow, sorrow,
Two crows, mirth,
Three crows, a wedding,
Four crows, birth.

It was believed that, not long ago, crows could talk. 

Make a wish when you hear the first call of a dove on the Spring Equinox and the wish will come true. 

What you are doing when you hear the first whippoorwill, you will do all the year long. 

It is good luck to have a wren build a nest near your home (preferably in your yard). 

It is good luck to have a wild bird come into your house. 

When a mockingbird flies over the house of someone single, that person will be married within the year. 

If a dark bird sits on your windowsill, you should expect luck. 

You will receive a letter from a loved one if you see a red bird cross a road you are traveling. 

In some parts of the United States, it was believed that moles were incarnations of old people who had passed on. 

Black hellbore herb is used in the blessing of domestic animals. Mix the herb into water at dawn, strain, and bless the animals by sprinkling them. 

Red clover holds energy thought to be benevolent to animals. Utilize this herb in the healing of domestic animals. 

Whatever occupation one has when he hears the frogs croak for the first time in the spring, will be one's occupation for the entire year. 

Here is a saying about seeing spiders that foretells your immediate future: 

If you see a black one, it means sad news;
If you see a brown one, it means glad news;
If you see a white one, it means good luck in all views.
Make a wish when you see a spider spinning a web and the wish will come true. If you see a brown spider crawling around on any clothes in your closet, don't brush it away! The spider means you will be getting new clothes. 

A bee flying into the house means a stranger is coming. 

If you say "mumbly up" repeatedly over an anthill, the ants will come up out of the hole. Saying "mumbly down" makes the ants go back down. 

Never talk to snakes: snakes are thought to be deaf.
It is lucky to have a snake live in, near, or under your house.