An’ sum held ti ’t ’at mair ’an yance
Wiv her feet fra t’ grund they’d seean her prance,
Loup hoos heigh up, wi’ t’ Divil dance.
. . . . .
The above would, I believe, be written about the year 1810 by one who wrote under the signature of R. H.[24] At that time Molly must have been dead some twenty years, but her deeds would still be remembered by many. Mr. W. Hird, from whom I had the above fragment, told me he used to know the whole piece, which was of considerable length.
But to return to recent times, still keeping to Bedale. I remember a shopkeeper’s wife saying to me, ‘That girl has been lucky, but then she had a veil on when she was born, so one need not wonder.’
The case is a simple one, I know, but a straw shows which way the wind blows, and here was the belief still flourishing in the potency of the caul. This happened about twenty years ago. One has no need to go that far back; so recently as four years ago, a man, a native of Great Ayton, said to me, pointing to a girl, ‘Ah’ve putten that lass’s muther intiv a straange stew. Ah’ve stown’ (stolen) t’ lass’s mask, an’ her muther’s ommaist to’n’d t’ hoos upsahd doon latin’ on ’t, bud Ah s’all let her ’ev ’t back agaan; Ah wadn’t keep ’t foor nowt;’ and then he added, ‘An’ Ah wadn’t wark neeabody onny ill wi’ ‘t.’ Here again you have the old belief showing itself as strongly as in days past.
But to return to the baby. The baby’s nails must not be cut during infancy; should they grow inconveniently long, they may be bitten off by the mother, for if they were cut, the child would grow up light-fingered, i.e. a thief. When the child has celebrated its first birthday, they may be properly cut; but here again certain days must be avoided—Fridays and Sundays are considered to be very unlucky. It is a common saying—
Better t’ baan ’ed ne’er been born,
‘An cut its naals on a Sunday morn.