considered lucky, and their singing keeps away the fairies at night, who are
always anxious, in their selfish way, to have the whole hearth left clear for
themselves, that they may sit round the last embers of the fire, and drink the
cup of milk left for them by the farmer's wife, in peace and quietness. The
crickets are supposed to be hundreds of years old, and their talk, could we
understand it, would no doubt be most interesting and instructive.
THE BEETLE
The beetle is not killed by the people for the following reason: they have
a tradition that one day the chief priests sent messengers in every direction
to look for the Lord Jesus, and they came to a field where a man was
reaping, and asked him--
"Did Jesus of Nazareth pass this way?"
"No," said the man, "I have not seen him."
"But I know better," said a little clock running up, "for He was here to-
day and rested, and has not long gone away."
"That is false," said a great big black. beetle, coming forward; "He has not
passed since yesterday, and you will never find Him on this road; try
another."
So the people kill the clock because he tried to betray Christ; but they
spare the beetle and will not touch him, because he saved the Lord on that
day.
THE HARE
Hares are considered unlucky, as the witches constantly assume their
form in order to gain entrance to a field where they can bewitch the cattle. A
man once fired at a hare he met in the early morning, and having wounded
it, followed the track of the blood till it disappeared within a cabin. On
entering he found Nancy Molony, the greatest witch in all the county,
sitting by the fire, groaning and holding her side. And then the man knew
that she had been out in the form of a hare, and he rejoiced over her
discomfiture.
Still it is not lucky to kill a hare before sunrise, even when it crosses your
path; but should it cross three times, then turn back, for danger is on the
road before you.
A tailor one time returning home very late at night from a wake, or
better, very early in the morning, saw a hare sitting on the path before him,
and not inclin&1 to run away. As he approached, with his stick raised to
strike her, he distinctly heard a voice saying, "Don't kill it." However, he
struck the hare three times, and each time heard the voice say, "Don't kill it."