I know its a old wifes tale but i wonder if anyone believed in it.
1 for sorrow
2 for joy
3 for a boy
4 for a girl
5 for silver
6 for gold
7 for a secrect never to be told.
2006-08-31 07:30:14 · 25 answers · asked by Steph 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
Yes I do.
I always salute 1 magpie.
2006-08-31 07:34:44 · answer #1 · answered by red 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, very much so.
However, you can neutralise the bad luck in the following three ways.
1. Get someone else to see it too.
2. Spot a second magpie nearby
3. Say hello to it.
Now ask yourself what happens when you see three magpies. Effectively, that's 1 magpie which represents bad luck, accompanied by 2 magpies which represent good luck.
Do they cancel each other out?
Do you get neutral luck?
Or do you go away and hide in a corner until the madness passes?
2006-08-31 14:44:48 · answer #2 · answered by Swampy_Bogtrotter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kind of....
Magpies mate for life so the idea was that if you only saw one its partner had died and they would be alone for the rest of their life :-(
I used to be very superstitious of it until I 'fought back'. I read in the Terry Pratchett about a character called Nanny Ogg when she saw a single magpie she would look at it & say
(adopt an accent of a mad old lady from the west country - or Nanny from Count Duckula)
"Right there then you little bringer of mis-fortune, If I have one bit of bad luck I'll know its down to you, the next time I see you you little b****r I'll rip your tail feathers out & put them where the sun don't shine!!!"
So in fact a magpie seeing a single nanny Ogg was bad luck.
I translated this to "Right you single magpie you either come right up to me in the next few seconds so I can deal with you - If you don't I'll take that as there will be no bad luck for me today"
Mad as it sounds - IT WORKS
2006-08-31 14:52:20 · answer #3 · answered by David 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think this is a British thing, I'm French but apparently, according to my boyfriend who's from England, you can cancel out the bad luck or a single magpie if you say 'morning (or afternoon) mr magpie, give my fondest regards to mrs magpie', I do it all the time - I've got nothing to lose
2006-08-31 14:39:43 · answer #4 · answered by Moo 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I always salute a magpie and say "good morning Mr Magpie" - regardless of who happens to be staring at me
2006-08-31 14:36:25 · answer #5 · answered by voluptuous 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes I do and I always salute a solo magpie and say good day/evening/night
2006-08-31 14:43:19 · answer #6 · answered by Emma O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
8 a wish, 9 a kiss 10 is a bird you should not miss.
crazy isn't it but don't we all look for that second magpie
2006-08-31 14:39:41 · answer #7 · answered by quornandwafflesagain 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
well it is bad luck for the magpie because they mate for life so something must have happened to its mate.
you must salute it and say " good morning/afternoon Mr magpie how are your wife and children"
2006-08-31 14:38:13 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I hate seeing a single magpie and gawd, what an awful racket they make!
2006-08-31 17:58:13 · answer #9 · answered by gerbiltamer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You always salute one magpie and say 'Good Morning' to it - a combination of tradition and superstition.
2006-08-31 14:39:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋