Strands#265 Did You Hear That?
Quizzes & Puzzles15 mins ago
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Thames TV took Magpie from an old nursery rhyme rather than the other way around. Depending on who you listen to it's either a Scottish counting rhyme, a way to predict the future or both!
There are a few versions of it too - instead of 3 for a girl, 4 for a boy, many years ago my gran (a very superstitious Scottish lady) taught me the rhyme
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 ane sel'
Because as ali_alic says magpies are supposed to mate for life someone also told me they salute a single magpie when they see one to ward off bad luck! Don't know where that superstition comes from but I hope he does it discreetly!