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The belief itself is documented to the 16th century, and may be older. Found in
European countries such as Sweden, it also crossed the ocean to North America. It is generally told to children, and not commonly believed anymore by adults. In the verse in Simple Simon (above), the point is made even
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is a legendary superstition of Europe and
America, and an English language idiom. The superstition is that sprinkling salt on a bird's tail will render the bird temporarily unable to fly, enabling its capture.
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97:. Other examples include "Ye'll ne'er cast saut on his tail" (English: You'll never cast salt on his tail) is a Scottish proverb of unknown antiquity.
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Salting of a bird's tail has been used by analogy as an idiom for immobilization of persons since at least the 19th century, by writers such as
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Film
Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts
207:, Anna (1973). "The Magpie with Salt on her Tail". In Olenius, Elsa (ed.).
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Alker, Sharon; Davis, Leith (2012). Nelson, Holly Faith (ed.).
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365:. Edinburgh: Alexander Hislop & Company. p. 325.
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Popular
Beliefs And Superstitions From North Carolina
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179:Farmer, John Stephen; Henley, W. E., eds. (1903).
93:with his song, “No Salt On Her Tail” performed by
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391:. Boston: Ticknor & Company. p. 380.
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258:"Salting a Bird's Tail — Fact or Folklore?"
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283:Matthew Chatfield (November 25, 2006).
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23:The new year of 1922 preventing the
431:Superstitions of the United States
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69:tries to immobilize the American
285:"Laying salt on a pigeon's tail"
50:And thought he could not fail,
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388:A Dictionary of Lowland Scots
52:Because he had a little salt,
441:Metaphors referring to birds
309:McCall, Douglas L. (1998).
232:Hand, Wayland, ed. (1964).
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359:Hislop, Alexander (1868).
209:Great Swedish Fairy Tales
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