When the cuckoo comes to the bare thorn, Sell your cow and buy your corn, But when she comes to a full bit, Sell your corn, and buy your sheep.

The cuckoo’s arrival at a bare thorn serves as the cue for one course of action: sell a cow and buy corn. The advice depends on what the bird encounters when it comes.

The contrasting condition, described as a “full bit,” calls for a different choice: sell corn and buy sheep. In each case, the rhyme ties a farm decision to the sign observed at the cuckoo’s arrival.

The rhyme can be discussed as a seasonal saying that links a natural sign to decisions about livestock and corn. Keep its two conditions together: it gives different advice depending on what the cuckoo finds.