I believe it is Scottish, or at least Northern. It's one of the variants I heard when I was young, the more usual being the 'one for sorrow, two for joy' one which was of course the theme song to the TV show 'Magpie'. I've been told there are versions of the rhyme which go up to about 20-something, but I've never heard them.
:) here's a good summary of versions of that rhyme (which also indicates that magpies don't exist across the pond) http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/rhyme.html
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timeasmymeasure
?
Date: 2002-09-29 05:38 am (UTC)Re: ?
Date: 2002-09-29 05:48 am (UTC)two for joy.
Three for a girl
and four for a boy.
Five for silver,
six for gold,
and seven for a secret never to be told.
According to
Re: ?
Date: 2002-09-29 06:35 am (UTC)two for mirth
three for a wedding
four for a birth
five is heaven
six is hell
seven's the devil his ane sel'
Re: ?
Date: 2002-09-29 03:01 pm (UTC)Re: ?
Date: 2002-09-30 12:22 am (UTC)I've been told there are versions of the rhyme which go up to about 20-something, but I've never heard them.
no subject
Date: 2002-09-29 05:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-09-29 05:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-09-29 05:57 am (UTC)here's a good summary of versions of that rhyme (which also indicates that magpies don't exist across the pond) http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/rhyme.html
The Devil
Date: 2002-09-29 03:04 pm (UTC)Yup, and he's off down to Georgia to air some of them out. He was muttering something about having a soul to steal.
Re: The Devil
Date: 2002-09-30 01:07 am (UTC)