portends troubles; if they prick you, secret enemies will do you an injury
with your friends; if they draw blood, expect heavy losses in trade." But
to dream of passing through brambles unhurt denotes a triumph over
enemies. To dream of being pricked with briars, says the "Royal Dream
Book,"[6] "shows that the person dreaming has an ardent desire to
something, and that young folks dreaming thus are in love, who prick
themselves in striving to gather their rose."
Some plants are said to denote riches, such as the oak, marigold, pear
and nut tree, while the gathering of nuts is said to presage the discovery
of unexpected wealth. Again, to dream of fruit or flowers out of season is
a bad omen, a notion, indeed, with which we find various proverbs
current throughout the country. Thus, the Northamptonshire peasant
considers the blooming of the apple-tree after the fruit is ripe as a certain
omen of death--a belief embodied in the following proverb:
"A bloom upon the apple-tree when the apples are ripe,
Is a sure termination to somebody's life."
And once more, according to an old Sussex adage--"Fruit out of season
Sounds out of reason."
On the other hand, to dream of fruit or any sort of crop during its
proper season is still an indication of good luck.[7] Thus it is lucky to
dream of daisies in spring-time or summer, but just the reverse in
autumn or winter. Without enumerating further instances of this kind,
we may quote the subjoined rhyme relating to the onion, as a specimen
of many similar ones scattered here and there in various countries:[8]
"To dream of eating onions means
Much strife in thy domestic scenes,
Secrets found out or else betrayed,
And many falsehoods made and said."
Many plants in dream-lore have more than one meaning attached to
them. Thus from the, "Royal Dream Book" we learn that yellow flowers
"predict love mixed with jealousy, and that you will have more children
to maintain than what justly belong to you." To dream of garlic indicates
the discovery of hidden treasures, but the approach of some domestic
quarrel.
Cherries, again, indicate inconstancy; but one would scarcely expect
to find the thistle r e g a r d e d a s l u c k y ; for, according to an old piece of