My readers will appreciate the satisfaction this testimony gave me, coming as it did from one who had never before looked into a cup. Moreover, that this witness should have been one of the male sex added to its value! This prediction of danger for someone in India was borne out by facts that were disclosed shortly afterwards. These instances which I have given illustrate the variety and interest which are to be found in divination by tea-leaves. CHAPTER VI WRITING IN THE TEA-LEAVES SOME FREQUENT SYMBOLS Another source through which messages are received by the tea-leaves will be found in the writing which will be seen from time to time. Moreover, it has the great advantage of being clear and easy to decipher, so that there may be no doubt of what is intended to be understood by it. The tea-leaves can never be accused of being illegible. Occasionally it is very minute writing, and would probably be passed over by those who read their cups in a superficial manner. To those who study them carefully the future is revealed. No one would reasonably expect to find a speech from the Prime Minister or an invitation to a tea-party written for them in the tea-leaves. But words they certainly will find. A short time ago I saw in my cup, in perfect copperplate writing, the word "wait." I was annoyed by it, for what is more annoying than having to wait? Sometimes it may happen that the tea-leaves--as with their relatives, the tumbler and automatic writing--become a little shaky in their spelling. But this is not a serious defect, and the trifling errors do not prevent the word from being translatable. It is a recognised fact that writing seen through a medium, whether it be tea-leaves, or a dream, is of importance, and should always be regarded with attention and with an endeavour to understand its message. I should like to point out that certain figures and symbols are of so frequent occurrence that it may be well to emphasise their general significance by referring to them here, in addition to their meaning being given in the dictionary. Among those which threaten misfortune, or sorrow, are the following: Crosses, snakes, spades, pistols, guns, toads, cats. Joy and success are indicated by such symbols as a crescent moon, clover leaves, flowers, trees, anchors, fruit, circles, stars. Having learned the symbols and the combined symbols by heart, it will require only a little practice to interpret their meanings without hesitation. For those who find difficulty in committing the dictionary to memory, an essential for proficient reading of the cup, I would suggest that they write down any meaning which may seem specially hard to remember, roughly drawing its symbol beside it. In this way the difficulty will soon be overcome. CHAPTER VII THE "NELROS" CUP TWO EXAMPLE READINGS OF ITS SIGNS "If thou wouldst learn thy future with thy tea, This magic cup will show it thee."