The Even-ash
: SUPERSITITIONS: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales
A girl must pluck a leaf from the even-ash, and, holding it in her hand,
say--
This even-ash I hold in my hand,
The first I meet is my true man.
She carries it in her hand a short distance, and if she meets a young
man, he will be her future husband. If not, she must put the leaf in her
glove, and say--
This even-ash I hold in my glove,
The first I meet is my true love.
She carries it in her glove a short time, with the same intention as
before, but if she meets no one, she places the leaf in her bosom,
saying--
This even-ash I hold in my bosom,
The first I meet is my husband.
And the first young man she meets after this will infallibly be her
future partner. There are a great variety of rhymes relating to the
even-ash. Another is--
If you find even-ash or four-leaved clover,
You will see your love afore the day's over.
More
-
The Emperor's New Clothes
MANY years ago there was an emperor who was so fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on them. He did not give himself any concern about his army; he cared nothing about the theater or for driving about in the woods, except for the sake o... The Enchanted Canary
I ONCE upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived at Avesnes one of his lords, who was the finest man--by which I mean the fattest--in the whole country of Flanders. He ate four meals a day, slept twelve hours out of the twenty-four... The Enchanted Cave Of Cesh Corran
CHAPTER I Fionn mac Uail was the most prudent chief of an army in the world, but he was not always prudent on his own account. Discipline sometimes irked him, and he would then take any opportunity that presented for an adventure; for he was ... The Enchanted Deer
A young man was out walking one day in Erin, leading a stout cart-horse by the bridle. He was thinking of his mother and how poor they were since his father, who was a fisherman, had been drowned at sea, and wondering what he should do to earn... The Enchanted Elm
[Illustration: Young girl sitting in a tree.] Once upon a time, while riding, a brave, young prince dashed merrily ahead of his friends, and after galloping across a ploughed field, turned his horse's head down a grassy road leading to a wood.... The Enchanted Head
Once upon a time an old woman lived in a small cottage near the sea with her two daughters. They were very poor, and the girls seldom left the house, as they worked all day long making veils for the ladies to wear over their faces, and every mor... The Enchanted Horse
It was the Feast of the New Year, the oldest and most splendid of all the feasts in the Kingdom of Persia, and the day had been spent by the king in the city of Schiraz, taking part in the magnificent spectacles prepared by his subjects to do hono... The Enchanted Island
All at once it grew dark around them. Neither Cap'n Bill nor Trot liked this gloom, for it made them nervous not to be able to see their enemies. "We must be near a sea cavern, if not within one," whispered Princess Clia, and even as she spoke ... The Enchanted Knife
Once upon a time there lived a young man who vowed that he would never marry any girl who had not royal blood in her veins. One day he plucked up all his courage and went to the palace to ask the emperor for his daughter. The emperor was not much ... The Enchanted Peafowl
Have you ever heard the story of the Peafowl who became a Queen and of the Tsar's Youngest Son who married her? Well, here it is: There was once a Tsar who took great delight in his garden. Every morning you could see him bending over his flower... The Enchanted Princess
In a certain kingdom there once served in the king's army a soldier. He served him honestly and faithfully for twenty-five years. For his good service the king gave him a leave of absence, and presented him with his war-horse and armor. The soldie... The Enchanted Ring
Once upon a time there lived a young man named Rosimond, who was as good and handsome as his elder brother Bramintho was ugly and wicked. Their mother detested her eldest son, and had only eyes for the youngest. This excited Bramintho's jealousy... The Enchanted Snake
There was once upon a time a poor woman who would have given all she possessed for a child, but she hadn't one. Now it happened one day that her husband went to the wood to collect brushwood, and when he had brought it home, he discovered a p... The Enchanted Types
One time a knook became tired of his beautiful life and longed for something new to do. The knooks have more wonderful powers than any other immortal folk--except, perhaps, the fairies and ryls. So one would suppose that a knook who might gain any... The Enchanted Watch
Once upon a time there lived a rich man who had three sons. When they grew up, he sent the eldest to travel and see the world, and three years passed before his family saw him again. Then he returned, magnificently dressed, and his father was so... The Enchanted Wreath
Once upon a time there lived near a forest a man and his wife and two girls; one girl was the daughter of the man, and the other the daughter of his wife; and the man's daughter was good and beautiful, but the woman's daughter was cross and u... The Engineer And The Dwarfs
A tunnel had been dug through a crag which had hitherto been considered as a serious obstacle in the railway route; the light now shone through at the farther end. There was a shout of joy from the tired workmen. The air had been stifling in the t... The Envious Neighbour
Long, long ago an old couple lived in a village, and, as they had no children to love and care for, they gave all their affection to a little dog. He was a pretty little creature, and instead of growing spoilt and disagreeable at not getting everyt... The Escape Of The Galley-slaves
In the year 1563 the 'Three Half Moons,' with thirty men on board, set sail from Portsmouth for the south of Spain, intending to sell their goods to merchants in the town of Seville, situated on the river Guadalquivir. The wind was behind them and... The Espousal Of The Rat's Daughter
Mr. Nedzumi, the Rat, was an important personage in the hamlet where he lived--at least he was so in his own and his wife's estimation. This was in part, of course, due to the long line of ancestors from whom he was descended, and to their inti... The Even-ash
A girl must pluck a leaf from the even-ash, and, holding it in her hand, say-- This even-ash I hold in my hand, The first I meet is my true man. She carries it in her hand a short distance, and if she meets a young man, he will be ... The Evil One And Kitta Grau
One day the devil met Kitta Grau: "Where have you been, old man?" asked Kitta Grau, for she recognized him. "Well," said the evil one, "I have been out on the farmstead where the newly wedded couple live. This is the third time I have tried t... The Fables Of Pilpay The Hindu
Pilpay is thought to have been a Hindu who lived many centuries before Jesus was born, and who wrote fables that have been translated into almost every language. His fables are older than those of AEsop. ... The Fair One With Golden Locks
There was once a king's daughter so beautiful that they named her the Fair One with Golden Locks. These golden locks were the most remarkable in the world, soft and fine, and falling in long waves down to her very feet. She wore them always thus, ... The Fairies
BY WILLIAM ALLINGHAM Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together: Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feath... The Fairies And The Fiddler
In the pretty little village of Hayfield, not far from the borders of a thick forest, lived a good-natured, idle fellow, named Simon, who supported his wife and two children by trapping or shooting in winter, and by fishing or doing odd jobs of... The Fairies Of Merlin's Crag
About two hundred years ago there was a poor man working as a labourer on a farm in Lanarkshire. He was what is known as an "Orra Man"; that is, he had no special work mapped out for him to do, but he was expected to undertake odd jobs of any kind... The Fairies' Dancing-place
BY WILLIAM CARLETON Lanty M'Clusky had married a wife, and, of course, it was necessary to have a house in which to keep her. Now, Lanty had taken a bit of a farm, about six acres; but as there was no house on it, he resolved to build one; and ... The Fairy Aurora
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn't happened, it wouldn't be told. There was once a great and mighty emperor, whose kingdom was so large that no one knew where it began and where it ended. Some believed it was boundless, others said ... The Fairy Bird Or The Humming-bird Moth
<p>When I was a schoolboy, a number of my companions brought the news that the strangest bird in the world had come that day to our garden and hovered over the flowers. It was no bigger than a bumble-bee. "No! It was not a humming-bird," th... The Fairy Detestable
Rosalie looked in eagerly. The little house was dark; she could see nothing but she heard the little voice:-- "Thanks, Rosalie, it is to you that I owe my deliverance." The voice seemed to come from the earth. She looked, and saw in a corner ... The Fairy Folk
BY ROBERT BIRD Come cuddle close in daddy's coat Beside the fire so bright, And hear about the fairy folk That wander in the night. For when the stars are shining clear And all the world is still, They ... The Fairy Frog
Once upon a time there lived a man of learning and wealth who had an only son, named Hanina. To this son, who was grown up and married, he sent a messenger asking that he should immediately come to his father. Hanina obeyed, and found both his fat... The Fairy Greyhound
Paddy M'Dermid was one of the most rollicking boys in the whole county of Kildare. Fair or pattern[3] wouldn't be held barring he was in the midst of it. He was in every place, like bad luck, and his poor little farm was seldom sowed in season; an... The Fairy Lamps
<p>There was once a little barelegged, brown-limbed boy who spent all his time in the woods. He loved the woods and all that was in them. He used to look, not at the flowers, but deep down into them, and not at the singing bird, but into its eyes, to... The Fairy Nurse
There was once a little farmer and his wife living near Coolgarrow. They had three children, and my story happened while the youngest was a baby. The wife was a good wife enough, but her mind was all on her family and her farm, and she hardly ... The Fairy Of The Dawn
Once upon a time what should happen DID happen; and if it had not happened this tale would never have been told. There was once an emperor, very great and mighty, and he ruled over an empire so large that no one knew where it began and where it e... The Fairy Princess Of Ergetz
I In a great and beautiful city that stood by the sea, an old man lay dying. Mar Shalmon was his name, and he was the richest man in the land. Propped up with pillows on a richly decorated bed in a luxurious chamber, he gazed, with tears in his... The Fairy Queen
Come, follow, follow me-- You, fairy elves that be, Which circle on the green-- Come, follow Mab, your queen! Hand in hand let's dance around, For this place is fairy ground. When mortals are at rest, ... The Fairy Thorn
An Ulster Ballad BY SAMUEL FERGUSON "Get up, our Anna dear, from the weary spinning wheel, For your father's on the hill, and your mother is asleep: Come up above the crags, and we'll dance a Highland reel Around the fair...