The mother should be careful to see that no child is allowed to jump over the head of another, as in that case the overleapt infant would never grow. The Kafirs have the same idea, and some tribes will not play leap-frog for that reason.
When a seventh son is born, it is still said that he ought to be a doctor. He was anciently supposed to be able to cure the "king’s evil" by touching; and the seventh son of a seventh son had still higher and more Divine attributes. If a seventh daughter appeared without any boy intervening, she was to be a witch.
When the boy is old enough to put his instilled and inherited beliefs into practice, he may charm the butterfly to alight on his hand by saying (it must be said often enough!):
"Le, la let, ma bonnie pet!"
If he wishes for fine weather, he may sing:
"Rain, rain, go to Spain!
Fair weather come again!"
The snail will look out from its shell if he says:
"Snail, snail, come out of your hole,
Or else I’ll beat you as black as a coal!"
And when stung by a nettle, dock-leaves are laid on the stung place, and this rhyme chanted:
"Nettle in, dock out;
Dock in, nettle out;
Nettle in, dock out;
Dock rub nettle out!"