Counting
rhymes exploiting crows and magpies
(from The Folklore of Birds, by Laura C. Martin, 1993)
One for sorrow, two for
mirth,
Three for a wedding,
four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.
Eight for
heaven, nine for
hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.
One for sorrow,
two for joy,
three for a girl,
for for a boy,
five for silver,
six for gold,
seven for a secret,
never to be told,
eight for a wish,
nine for a kiss,
ten for a time
of joyous
bliss.
(from The Dictionary of Superstitions published by Oxford University Press)
One for sorrow,
two for mirth,
three for a wedding,
four for birth,
five for rich,
six for poor,
Seven for a
witch,
I can tell you no more.
One crow sorrow,
Two crows mirth,
three, a wedding,
four, a birth,
five brings silver,
six takes wealth,
seven crows a secret,
More I can nae tell.
One for sadness, two for mirth;
Three for marriage, four for birth;
Five for laughing, six for crying:
Seven for sickness, eight for dying;
Nine for silver, ten for gold;
Eleven a secret that will never be told.