Salt on a bird's tail (US 22)

[Ninie Poulsen]

I think it's like... If you can actually sneak up to a bird, close
enough to put salt on it's tail, you could grab it... 
The mere act of sprinkling salt shouldn't prevent the bird from flying
(http://www.eskimo.com/~icebrkr/truelies.html)

F. Sprinkle salt on a bird's tail to catch it by preventing it flying
away.
T. If the bird let you get close enough to salt its tail, you could grab
it.
(From: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/folklore-faq/part4/)

 -99E. 

-----Original Message-----
From: dcml-bounces at stp.ling.uu.se [mailto:dcml-bounces at stp.ling.uu.se]
On Behalf Of Daniel van Eijmeren
Sent: 27. november 2003 01:49
To: dcml at stp.ling.uu.se
Subject: Re: Salt on a bird's tail (US 22)

STEVEN ROWE to me, 26-11-2003:

>> Isn't "putting salt on a bird's tail" a common phrase that already 
>> existed before Barks used it in this story? 
>> If so, where does this phrase come from? And what's the original 
>> thought behind it? (Why salt, for example?)

> not so much a common phrase, but a widely believed folk story.... if 
> you can sneak up behind a bird and sprinkle salt on it's tail - you 
> can capture it.

No! You ain't kidding! Or could it be that you coincidentally are a 
"BIG machine that can answer ANY question", or something? :-)

> it was common useage by at least the 1840s
> (mentioned in a book by  sir walter scott), and probably 1700s if 
> not earlier

Are there websites which have investigated this folk story of sprinkling

salt on a bird's tail? That trick doesn't really work, does it?

--- Daniël  <- in shock

"Well, if you want to check it out, ASK THE BIRD!"
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