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  What it means

  What will Saint Joseph bring? The duck will lay its first eggs — a weather proverb tied to Saint Joseph’s Day (19 March), predicting the arrival of spring.

  Vocabulary

  • znieść — to bear, to endure; also to lay (eggs)
  • święty Józef — Saint Joseph
  • kaczka — duck
  • jaja — eggs

  Grammar note

  Wordplay on 'znieść': 'co zniesie' means both 'what will he endure/bring' and 'what will she lay'. The double meaning drives the humour.

  Cultural context

  Saint Joseph's Day (19 March) is a traditional marker of early spring in the Polish folk calendar.

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