Trip at the toe, live to know woe,
Trip at the ball, live to spend all,
Trip at the heel, live to do well.
One funeral brings two more.
A variation of this makes the "two more" dependent on a Sunday
intervening between the death and burial of the body.
Another variation affirms that the first death must be that of a female.
When a grave opens for a "she," it will open for three.
It is the custom, in some places, to place some salt, in a pewter plate,
on the chest of a dead body; but especially when the death has been
through dropsy. This was done only a short time since.
The roaring noise of a fire foretells a quarrel in the house.
A thin flake of smut on a bar of the grate betokens a visit from a
stranger.
Cinders flying out of the fire, taking the form of a purse and giving a
jingling noise when shaken, foretells the receiving of money. When they
are in the shape of a coffin (and with no jingling) this betokens a
death.
If anyone by stirring or otherwise makes a dull fire get bright, it is
said to make his or her sweetheart smile.
To prevent cramp at night place your shoes by the bedside in the form of
a T. One end pointed to, and the end of the other shoe pointed from the
bed, is also considered a preventative.
Knives laid edge upwards on the table cut Angels' feet.
Two knives, crossed on the table, foretells a quarrel within an hour.
To drop a knife mean a male visitor and, in the case of a fork, a female
visitor.
Never give, or accept, a sharp edged or pointed present without giving a
coin in exchange, or friendship will be broken.
Knives crossed and laid on the floor is a strong protection against the
power of witchcraft.
A very old woman told me she once tried the knives on one of her
neighbours, as she suspected the woman of overlooking her; so she asked
the woman to come and see her one day but before the woman came into the
house she crossed two knives and put them on the floor in a dark corner.
When the suspected person came in she wouldn't sit down and soon left,
appearing to be very uncomfortable; so she was a "wrong un" but the old
lady said she was all right after that, and had no more trouble.
Straws crossed and placed on a footpath, or on the road, prevents a
witch from passing.
Many years since I remember hearing of this being done as a suspected
woman was coming along, and it was said the woman got very angry and
foamed at the mouth but she didn't pass the straws.