The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

PRENATAL SUPERSTITION

MY WIFE HAS A PATTERN OF BIRTH MARKS ON HER SHOULDER
WHICH ENCOMPASS AN AREA OF ABOUT A SQUARE INCH. THE
MARKS SEEM TO DEPICT NO PARTICULAR PATTERN, BUT I WAS
INFORMED BY MY MOTHER-IN-LAW THAT THE PATTERN IS THAT
OF A CHICKEN WHICH IT MAY WELL BE. IT SEEMED THAT
WHEN MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS CARRYING MY WIFE, SHE
VISITED A FARM OF SOME FRIENDS. DURING THE COURSE
OF THE VISIT, SHE WENT IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER-IN-LAW.
STEPPING THROUGH A DOORWAY IN A SECTION OF THE BARN,
SHE UNWITTINGLY ENTERED THE CHICKEN-COUP. APPARENTLY
HER ARRIVAL SO DISTURBED THE CHICKENS THAT THEY BECAME
AROUSED. SHE CLAIMED SHE WAS ACTUALLY ATTACKED BY
SEVERAL OF THEM AND IT WAS ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY
THAT SHE ESCAPED UNHARMED. FOUR MONTHS LATER, MY
WIFE WAS BORN AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS NOT IN THE
LEAST SURPRISED TO SEE THE MARK OF THE CHICKENS UPON
HER SHOULDER. AS I SAID, IT MIGHT WELL BE THE MARK
OF A CHICKEN, ALTHOUGH WITHOUT PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE,
IT MAY TAKE ANY FORM ONE WISHES TO SEE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 00-00-1950