THE WIND.
Reading edition
THE WIND.
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.