In the Hungarian gypsy-tribe of the Kukuya, the following method of protecting horses is used: The animal is placed by the tent-fire and there a little hole is dug before him into which ninefold grass and some hairs from his mane and tail are put. Then his left fore-hoof is traced on the ground, and the earth within it is carefully taken out and shaken into the hole, while these lines are repeated:-- "Yeká cunul yeká bál, Tute e bokh náñi sál, Ko tut corel, the merel Sar e bálá, cunulá, Pal e pçuv the yov ável! Pçuvus, adalen tute, Sástes gráy ác mánge!" "A straw, a hair! May you never be hungry! May he who steals you die! Like the hair and the straw, May he go to the ground! Earth, these things to thee! May a sound horse be mine!" If the animal be a mare and it is desired that she shall be with foal, they give her oats to eat out of an apron or a gourd, and say:-- "Trin kánályá, trin jiuklá, Jiánen upre pláyá! Cábá, pçares hin perá! Trin kánályá, trin jiuklá Jiánen tele pláyá, É çevá ándrasaváren Yek cumut ándre çasáren, Tre perá sik pçáreven!" "Three asses, three dogs, Go up the hill! Eat, fill thy belly with young! Three asses, three dogs, Go down the hill, They close the holes, They put the moon in (them) Thy belly be soon fruitful!" "The moon has here," remarks Wlislocki, "a phallic meaning, the mention of the ass, and the use of the gourd and apron are symbols of fertility. Vide De Gubernatis, 'Animals in Indian Mythology,' in the chapter on the ass." There is another formula for protecting and aiding cattle, which is practised among other races besides that of the gypsies; as, for instance, among the Slovacks of Northern Hungary. This I shall leave in the original:-- "Dieses Verwahrungsmittel besteht darin, dass dem gekauften weiblichen Thiere der Mann den blanken Hintern zeigt, einem männlichen Thiere aber eine weibliche Person. Hiebei werden die Worte gesagt:-- "Sár o kár pál e punrá, Kiyá mánge ác táysá! Wie der Schwantz am Bein, Sollst du stets bei mir sein!" Or else:-- "Sár e minc pal e per, Kiyá mánge ác buter! Wie das Loch im Leib, Also bei mir bleib!" To secure swine to their owner a hole is dug in the turf which is filled with salt and charcoal dust, which is covered with earth, and these words uttered:-- "Adá hin tute Ná ává pál menge Dáv tute, so kámáv Pçuvusheyá, áshuná, Cores tuna muká Hin menge trin láncá, Trin máy láce Urmá, Ke ferinen men!" "This is thine, Come not to us! I give thee what I can Oh Spirit of earth, hear! Let not the thief go! We have three chains, Three very good fairies Who protect us."