There is no virtue attached to the pieces of the nails when cut, but the first pieces bitten off should be carefully preserved, until there is a scrap from every nail on both hands; these must be wrapped together and buried under an ash-tree, and the child, if not freed from the diseases incident to the young, will only have them in a slight degree.
The old rhyme says—
Cut ’em o’ Munday, cut ’em foor health;
Cut ’em o’ Tuesday, cut ’em foor wealth;
Cut ’em o’ Wednesday, cut ’em foor news;
Cut ’em o’ Thorsday, ya cut foor new shoes;
Cut ’em o’ Friday, ya cut ’em foor sorrow;
Cut ’em o’ Seterday, t’ bairn nivver need borrow;
Cut ’em o’ Sunday, ’t ’ed better be deead,
Foor ill-luck an’ evil ’ll lig on its heead.