I've always loved swallows. Not only are they some of the cutest birds, but they also have many links to folklore and fairy tales in various cultures.

That is, until one flew into the house. To clarify, it wasn't my house, but it was under my care. (Luckily, the dogs, including the bird dog, did not attempt to catch it, and we successfully managed to get it outside shortly afterward. Not before I snapped this image!)

Despite this successful mini-rescue, I was quite distressed.

You see, we, Russians, are superstitious. We are particularly superstitious about birds in the house: at times, these are a very bad omen. I even searched online for a protective Slavic folk ritual that I could do to ward off potential evil.

To make matters more complex, however, there are also very good omens associated with swallows, specifically.

So I called my mom, who reassured me. Swallows in the house are a very good sign in our family, she suggested. Many Moons ago, when my grandfather was very ill, a swallow flew into the window, and he was seemingly miraculously cured, she recalls.

Thus, I've convinced myself that this swallow was a positive sign. They are just too adorable to bring bad luck, right? Right?