When my mother was pregnant with my elder sister, she spilt some boiling water from a kettle on her forearm. A friend who was with her at the time told her that when the child was born it would have a birthmark on its arm in the same spot.

A few days after the birth this friend visited my mother and the first thing she did was ask to see the baby's forearm. My mother had forgotten all about the incident with the boiling water, but when she rolled back the baby's sleeve there was the birthmark!

It's still there, and my mother swears to the accuracy of this old-wive's tale.

__________________
- There must be a new moon out, she said. He's always bad then.