One for sorrow,
two for joy,
three for a girl,
four for a boy,
five for silver,
six for gold,
seven for a secret never to be told,
eight for a wish,
nine for a kiss,
ten for a time of joyous bliss.
That’s how I believe the rhyme about magpies goes. What the rhyme fails to cover is the sight a saw by the side of the motorway on my way home today. What does the sight of ten magpies fighting over the corpse of a recently dead fellow magpie signify? I’m guessing it’s probably not going to be a good omen.