The child frets yawns or cringes a lot The adult yawns "he just doesn't feel good" or they have a cold or a flu "a light disease" II DIAGNOSIS The mother or the grandmother goes and licks out the eyes "the child has einehore the eyes are salty" "She takes a glass of water and charcoal She puts in three pieces of charcoal If they fall down If they sink . . ." or "You take a glass of water You put three or four twigs on top of the glass Crack an egg over the branches If the egg sticks in them . . ." "Hold a new knife at the head If it turns black . . ." III TREATMENT By charm in silence in whispers facing east Schneider: "I once asked 'Tell me what it is woman what a good eye means How do you cast out a good eye?' She says 'This is a secret' I say 'Teach me the secret I should know too' She says 'I am only an old Jewish woman Should I teach you to cast out a good eye? It's nothing with nothing One time it may succeed and one time it may not succeed' She teaches me She says: 'Woe is the child 'So is the mama' She takes the corner of her dress or apron She chants 'Orneh borneh dembeneh korneh buckwheat and beans dembeh korneh oats and black beans: he who gave you the good eye from his head his own eyes fly' or 'In the rafters two cracks lie in wait to catch the evil eye Cracks in all the corners lie in wait to catch the evil eye' or 'No evil no terror no wheat and no bran May Sarah abandon her crying and pain Not till the ceiling crops with rye shall she receive an evil eye'" Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271, www.cc.press.org | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN AFTER DAYS; RONDEAU by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON YOU MAY REMEMBER by LULU PIPER AIKEN BIOTHANATOS by JOSEPH BEAUMONT A NIGHT FANCY by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE DEATHLESS LOVE by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE TO A.G.A. by EMILY JANE BRONTE |