Thank’ee most kindly for poppin’ in, I hope that you find summat of interest and glean enough information to make you wanna pop back for another brevit.
Owd Mr Chatterpie (part one)
Over the years magpies have bin known by several names in Shropshire like Mr Magpie, Pyeamelt and Mag Bush Mag. They were originally called Pie and Maggie Pie was just the common name, like Jenny Wren or Robin Redbreast, that somehow stuck.
I’m sure most of us know at least one version of the magpie counting rhyme, mostly frum ITV’s rival to Blue Peter, Magpie.These rymes have bin around for yeehrs ‘n’ yeehrs and possibly originate frum counting the owd clergymen when they were a bit more numerous,their black ‘n’ white robes reminiscent of the magpies plumage.
I saw seven magpies in a tree One for you and six for me One for sorrow Two for joy Three for a girl Four for a boy Five for silver Six for gold Seven for a secret That's never been told.
Published in 1922, Mary Webb’s ‘Seven for a Secret’ contained the above version:
In 1932 the Border Counties Advertizer serialised Mary’s book and gave away this amazing puzzle.I dunna know why they used a slightly different version to Mary mind.
Danker me! that’s enough chunnerin’ frum me for one day, thank’ee muchly to anyone who is still reading this far down,now run along and play nicely