When the wind is in the east, Then the fishes do bite least; When the wind is in the west, Then the fishes bite the best; When the wind is in the north, Then the fishes do come forth; When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fish's mouth. This weather-wise advice to anglers was obtained from Oxfordshire. It is found in a variety of versions throughout Great Britain. The Lincolnshire shepherds say,— When the wind is in the east, 'Tis neither good for man nor beast: When the wind is in the south, It is in the rain's mouth. March winds are proverbial, and the following distich is not uncommon in Yorkshire: March winds and April showers, Bring forth May flowers. To which we may add,— The south wind brings wet weather, The north wind wet and cold together; The west wind always brings us rain, The east wind blows it back again. The solution of the following pretty nursery-riddle is a hurricane of wind: Arthur o' Bower has broken his band, He comes roaring up the land: The King of Scots, with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower. |
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