_Thunder._—In a storm of thunder and lightning iron, for instance the poker and tongs, put in the fire, averts all danger from the house. This curious belief seems to have been widespread at one time throughout the Western Highlands, though now its memory barely survives. Its _rationale_ seems to have been in some way to propitiate the fire, of which lightning is the most powerful exhibition. A woman in Cnoydart (a Roman Catholic district), alarmed by the peals of a thunder-storm, threw holy water on herself, put the tongs in the fire, and on being asked the reason, said, “The cross of Christ be upon us! the fire will not harm us.” Perhaps the practice had some connection with the belief that the _Beither_, or thunder-bolt, was of iron, a sharp-pointed mass. It seems one of the most irrational practices possible, but was probably of remote origin. In Kent and Herefordshire, a _cold iron bar_ was put on the barrels, to keep the beer from being soured by thunder. _Theft._—The stealing of salt, seed of plants, and lint make the thief liable to judgment without mercy. He may escape punishment from men but he will never attain to rest, as the rhyme says: “The stealer of salt, and the stealer of seeds, Two thieves that get no rest; Whoever may or may not escape, The stealer of grey lint will not.”[66] Another version of the rhyme is: “Thief of salt and thief of seeds, Two thefts from which the soul gets no repose; Till the fish comes on land The thief of lint gets never rest.” _Salt._—In addition to the testimony this rhyme bears to the value of salt, there was a saying, that a loan of salt should be returned as soon as possible; if the borrower dies in the meantime and without restitution being made his ghost will revisit the earth. No fish should be given out of the house without being first sprinkled with salt. Meal taken out of the house in the evening was sprinkled with salt to prevent the Fairies getting its benefit. _Combing the Hair._—A person should not comb his hair at night, or if he does, every hair that comes out should be put in the fire. Otherwise they will meet his feet in the dark and make him stumble. No sister should comb her hair at night if she have a brother at sea. If the hair is allowed to go with the wind and it passes over an empty nest, or a bird takes it to its nest, the head from which it came will ache. No person should cut his own hair, as he will by doing so become an unlucky person to meet. If the hair, when thrown on the fire, will not burn, it is a sign the person will be drowned. _Bird Nests._—On falling in with a nest for the first time that year, if there be only one egg in it, or if there be an odd egg in it, that egg should be broken. Any one finding a cuckoo’s nest will live to be widowed.