"False (evil) eyes see thee,
Like this water
May they perish
Sickness depart
From thy head,
From thy breast,
From thy belly,
From thy feet
From thy hands,
May they go hence
Into the evil eyes!"WHEN A CHILD REFUSES BREAST MILK
When a child refuses the breast the gypsies believe that a Pçuvus-wife, or
a female spirit of the earth has secretly sucked it. In such a case they place
between the mother's breasts onions, and repeat these words:--
"Pçuvushi, Pçuvushi,
Ac tu náshvályi
Tito tçud ač yakhá,
Andre pçuv tu pçábuvá!
Thávdá, thávdá miro tçud,
Thávdá, thávdá, parno tçud,
Thávdá, thávdá, sár kámáv,--
Mre čáveske bokhale!""Earth-spirit! Earth-spirit
Be thou ill.
Let thy milk be fire
Burn in the earth!
Flow, flow, my milk!
Flow, flow, white milk!
Flow, flow, as I desire
To my hungry child!"The same is applied when the milk holds back or will not flow, as it is
then supposed that a Pçuvus-wife has secretly suckled her own child at the
mother's breast. It is an old belief that elves put their own offspring in the
place of infants, whom they sometimes steal.