Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/281

 Superstitions from Central Georgia 269

107. If a snake bites a man, he goes and eats some snake-weed ; as the blood of a man is poisonous to a snake, he will die if he cannot get the weed.

108. When a king-snake fights a rattlesnake and gets bitten, the king-snake goes into the woods and gets a snake-root leaf as antidote.

109. A "coach-whip " will run you down and whip you to death.

BIRDS.

no. When a screech-owl "hollers" about a sick-room, the sick person will in all probability die.

in. To stop a screech-owl from " hollerin','' turn your left hand pants pocket inside out, or take off the left shoe and turn the sole up, or throw "a chunk of fire " out of the window.

112. If a screech-owl flies into a room, it is a sign of sickness or death, or of some evil. If any one kills the owl, some member of the family will be killed or hurt.

113. It is bad luck to kill a buzzard, a mockingbird, a bluebird, a bee-martin, or a thrush ; the last two oppose and keep off hawks.

114. If a buzzard flies over your house, you are going to get a letter or hear good news.

1 1 5. Jaybirds go to hell on Friday, carrying a small stick as fuel for the Devil.

116. To keep hawks from catching chickens, put a white flint rock in the fire.

117. To break up a killdee's nest is a sign that you will break a limb.

MISCELLANEOUS.

118. In spring, cow-lice turn to gnats ; hog-lice turn to fleas.

119. A toadstool is called the Devil's snuff-box, and the Devil's imps come at midnight to get the snuff. In the morning you can tell when the imps have been for the snuff, as you will find the toad- stool broken off and scattered about. The snuff is used as one of the ingredients of a "cunjer-bag."

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