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  What it means

  “When a spider comes in July, it brings rain with it; when it spins its web, it senses a nearby storm.” Spiders appearing indoors or spinning webs in July were read as signs of approaching rain or a thunderstorm.

  Vocabulary

  • pająk — spider
  • przywodzić — to bring along
  • pajęczyna — spider's web, cobweb
  • snuć — to spin, to weave
  • burza — storm, thunderstorm

  Grammar note

  'Za sobą' is a reflexive prepositional phrase meaning 'behind itself / with it'. 'Bliską burzę' is the accusative of 'bliska burza'.

  Cultural context

  Spider behaviour was widely used in Polish folk meteorology. Spiders spinning webs or moving indoors were considered reliable predictors of rain.

  Intermediate

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