Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts Part 47

11 Jack-o-Pulpit

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Have you tasted the bread of wisdom, the treasure that cures much ignorance, that is buried in the aisle of Jack-o-Pulpit's Church?

Can you tell what walked around your tent on the thirtieth night of your camp-out?

Then are you wise. You have learned the twelve secrets of the woods. But if you have not, come and let us teach you.

WEATHER WISDOM

When the dew is on the gra.s.s, Rain will never come to pa.s.s.

When the gra.s.s is dry at night, Look for rain before the light.

When gra.s.s is dry at morning light, Look for rain before the night.

Three days' rain will empty any sky.

A deep, clear sky of fleckless blue Breeds storms within a day or two.

When the wind is in the east, It's good for neither man nor beast.

When the wind is in the north, The old folk should not venture forth.

When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth.

When the wind is in the west, It is of all the winds the best.

An opening and a shetting Is a sure sign of a wetting.

(Another version) Open and shet, Sure sign of wet.

(Still another) It's lighting up to see to rain.

Evening red and morning gray Sends the traveler on his way.

Evening gray and morning red Sends the traveler home to bed.

Red sky at morning, the shepherd takes warning; Red sky at night is the shepherd's delight.

If the sun goes down cloudy Friday, sure of a clear Sunday.

If a rooster crows standing on a fence or high place, it will clear. If on the ground, it doesn't count.

Between eleven and two You can tell what the weather is going to do.

Rain before seven, clear before eleven.

Fog in the morning, bright sunny day.

If it rains, and the sun is s.h.i.+ning at the same time, the devil is whipping his wife and it will surely rain tomorrow.

If it clears off during the night, it will rain again shortly.

Sun drawing water, sure sign of rain.

A circle round the moon means "storm." As many stars as are in circle, so many days before it will rain.

Sudden heat brings thunder.

A storm that comes against the wind is always a thunderstorm.

East wind brings rain.

West wind brings clear, bright, cool weather.

North wind brings cold.

South wind brings heat. (On Atlantic coast.)

The rain-crow or cuckoo (both species) is supposed by all hunters to foretell rain, when its "Kow, kow, kow" is long and hard.

So, also, the tree-frog cries before rain.

Swallows flying low is a sign of rain; high, of clearing weather.

The rain follows the wind, and the heavy blast is just before the shower.

OUTDOOR PROVERBS

What weighs an ounce in the morning, weighs a pound at night.

A pint is a pound the whole world round.

Allah reckons not against a man's allotted time the days he spends in the chase.

If there's only one, it isn't a track, it's an accident.

Better safe than sorry.

No smoke without fire.

The bluejay doesn't scream without reason.

The worm don't see nuffin pretty 'bout de robin's song.--(Darkey.)

Ducks flying over head in the woods are generally pointed for water.

If the turtles on a log are dry, they have been there half an hour or more, which means no one has been near to alarm them.

Cobwebs across a hole mean "nothing inside."

Whenever you are trying to be smart, you are going wrong. Smart Aleck always comes to grief.

You are safe and winning, when you are trying to be kind.

WHEN LOST IN THE WOODS