Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 44177-h.htm or 44177-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44177/44177-h/44177-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44177/44177-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See https://archive.org/details/mythsfablesoftod00drak Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). THE MYTHS AND FABLES OF TO-DAY * * * * * * BY THE SAME AUTHOR =The Watch Fires of ’76= Illustrated =$1.25= =The Campaign of Trenton= =.50= =Burgoyne’s Invasion of 1777= =.50= =The Taking of Louisburg= =.50= =The Battle of Gettysburg= =.50= =Our Colonial Homes= Illustrated =2.50= =Old Landmarks of Boston= Illustrated =2.00= =Old Landmarks of Middlesex= Illustrated =2.00= =Captain Nelson= A romance of Colonial Days =.75= =The Heart of the White Mountains= Illustra’d =7.50= =The Same= Tourists’ Edition =3.00= =Old Boston Taverns= Paper =.25= =Around the Hub= A Boys’ Book about Boston =1.12= =New England Legends and Folk Lore= Illus’d =2.00= =The Making of New England= Illustrated =1.50= =The Making of the Great West= Illustrated =1.50= =The Making of Virginia and Middle Colonies= =1.50= =The Making of the Ohio Valley States= Ill’d =1.50= =The Pine Tree Coast= Illustrated =1.50= _Any book in the above list sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price, by_ LEE AND SHEPARD BOSTON MASS. * * * * * * THE MYTHS AND FABLES OF TO-DAY “_Lord, what fools these mortals be!_” [Illustration: HALLOWE’EN.] THE MYTHS AND FABLES OF TO-DAY by SAMUEL ADAMS DRAKE Illustrations by Frank T. Merrill Boston Lee and Shepard MCM Copyright, 1900, by Samuel Adams Drake. _All rights reserved._ THE MYTHS AND FABLES OF TO-DAY. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. CONTENTS PAGE I. A RECKONING WITH TIME 1 II. THE FOLK-LORE OF CHILDHOOD 25 III. WEATHER LORE 34 IV. SIGNS OF ALL SORTS 47 V. CHARMS TO GOOD LUCK 55 VI. CHARMS AGAINST DISEASE 85 VII. OF FATE IN JEWELS 109 VIII. OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE 122