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WHEN SAILING IN ANY OF THE GREAT LAKES AROUND MICHIGAN
IT IS VERY UNLUCKY TO MENTION THE EDMUND FITZGERALD.
THE INFORMANT GIVES ONE EXAMPLE BASED IN ONTARIO WHERE
THE CREW, WHEN FINISHED WITH THEIR JOURNEY ON THE LAKES
WAITED UNTIL THEY GOT ONTO THE DOCK AND THEN SANG " THE
WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD" IN FULL AS A KIND OF THANK YOU
FOR MAKING THE TRIP SAFELY. THE INFORMANT ALSO CLAIMS THAT
ONE TIME HE WAS OUT ON THE LAKES IN A BOAT WITH A FRIEND AND
AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE EDMUND FITZGERALD THEY HAD PROBLEMS
WITH THE RUDDER ON THE BOAT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CHARLEVOIX
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal SPEECH -- Proper Name |
Date learned: 07-00-1989
Camp Songs, Girl Scouts
This song was taught to me
by a Girl Guide Troop from England
It is sung to the tune of O'Christmas Tree
or O'Tannenbaum
O'Tom the toad, O'Tom the toad
Why are you lying in the road?
O'Tom the toad O'Tom the Toad
Why are you lying in the road?
You did not see the truck ahead.
And now you're marked with tire tread.
O'Tom the Toad O'Tom the Toad
That's why you're lying in the road.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Camp Innisfree ; Howell
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Good humor Jest Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Social reunion Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children BELIEF -- Animal |
Date learned: 07-00-1989
IF ONE URINATES AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ONE
WILL ACQUIRE A STY UPON ONE'S EYE WITHIN ONE WEEK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LEXINGTON
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
NEVER REPLACE YOUR OLD CALENDAR WITH THE ONE FOR THE
NEW YEAR UNTIL THE SECOND DAY OF JANUARY OR YOU WILL
BRING BAD LUCK FOR THE NEW YEAR.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- 39815 BELIEF -- Measure of time Year BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1935
A GROUP OF FOUR GIRLS WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN TAKING A
SHORTCUT HOME AT NIGHT THROUGH A CEMETERY. THEY NOTICED
A MAUSOLEUM IN THE CEMETERY WITH AN OPEN DOOR. THE GIRLS
WERE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT IT AND GATHERED NEAR THE DOOR TO
LOOK INSIDE. THE GROUP THEN BEGAN TO COAX ONE OF THE
GIRLS TO GO INSIDE. THEY DARED HER UNTIL SHE FINALLY
AGREED TO STEP INSIDE. AS SOON AS SHE DID, THE OTHER
GIRLS IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE DOOR ON HER. THE GIRL
INSIDE BEGAN TO SCREAM TO BE LET OUT, BUT THE OTHERS
WERE NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. THEY WERE ALL, BY
THIS TIME, QUITE FRIGHTENED AND SCREAMING THEMSELVES.
FINALLY, THE CARETAKER CAME TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON
AND WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH HIS KEY. WHEN HE
DID, THE GIRL STEPPED OUT FROM THE MAUSOLEUM WITH HAIR
THAT HAD TURNED COMPLETELY WHITE AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO
SPEAK FROM THAT TIME ON. THE GIRL WAS APPROXIMATELY
FIFTEEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
Submitter comment:
THE INFORMANT'S MOTHER TOLD HIM THIS STORY. SHE IN
TURN SAID IT WAS TOLD TO HER BY HER OWN MOTHER AS
WELL.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Magic |
Date learned: 00-00-1940
THIS IS THE STORY OF A MAN NAMED WILLIAM SHIRLEY WILLIAMS.
HE LIVED IN TENNESSEE UNTIL, AS A YOUNG MAN, HE DECIDED TO
VENTURE WEST. HE ENDED UP SETTLING AMONGST SOME INDIANS
IN WYOMING AND BECAME WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED BY THEM.
HE WAS GIVEN AN INDIAN NAME BY THEM WHICH SPOKE OF HIS
MOST DISTINGUISHING PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC: HIS FLAMING
RED HAIR. EVENTUALLY, BECAUSE HE HAD BECOME SO ADEPT IN
THE WESTERN WILDERNESS, HE WAS SOUGHT AFTER AS A GUIDE BY
OTHER WHITE MEN AND MOVED TO DAKOTA TERRITORIES. HE WAS
EVEN SAID TO HAVE AIDED THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION OF
1804-1806. ONE DAY, WHILE LEADING A GROUP OF WHITE
EXPLORERS, AN INDIAN ATTACK LED TO HIS DEATH. WHEN THE
INDIANS CAME UPON THE DEAD MEN TO SCALP THEM, ONE OF THEM
RECOGNIZED THE FACE OF THEIR OLD FRIEND, WILLIAM SHIRLEY
WILLIAMS. BY THIS TIME HIS HAIR HAD TURNED GRAY, SO HE
WAS NOT EASILY RECOGNIZABLE AT A DISTANCE. THE INDIANS
FELT SO SORRY TO HAVE KILLED THE MAN WHOM THEY HAD KNOWN
AND LIVED WITH THAT THEY GAVE HIM A CHIEFTAIN'S BURIAL.
Submitter comment:
THIS STORY WAS DISCOVERED BY A RELATIVE OF MINE WHO WAS
RESEARCHING OUR FAMILY HISTORY. IT WAS TOLD TO HIM BY
PEOPLE IN A TOWN HE WAS VISITING THAT HAS A STATUE OF
WILLIAM SHIRLEY WILLIAMS STANDING IN THE MAIN PART OF
TOWN. THE LEGEND IS COMMONLY TOLD IN THE TOWN. WILLIAM
SHIRLEY WILLIAMS IS BELIEVED TO BE A RELATIVE OF THE
ROGER WILLIAMS WHO CAME TO AMERICA ON THE MAYFLOWER AND
EMIGRATED FROM WALES WITH HIS BROTHERS IN THE 18TH
CENTURY. HE IS A DISTANT RELATIVE OF MINE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CLAWSON
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Secular hero |
This is not really a game, just something to pass time.
It involves taking a blank piece of paper that is perfectly
square and making a series of folds to create a three-
dimensional message teller.
On the outside are four flaps with a color spelled out
on each flap.
A child would take the message teller and present it to
another and say, "Pick a color."
The second child would then pick one of the four colors.
The first child would then manipulate the paper item,
spelling out the color and presenting an alternate set
of numbers with each letter said.
On the last letter spelled, the second child would choose
a number from the 4 of the 8 that are revealed.
The first child would again manipulate the paper, counting
the number, while presenting alternate sets of numbers.
When the counting is finished, the second child again
picks a number, but this time the first child lifts up
the flap underneath the number to reveal a "message."
Usually there are both good and bad messages.
Some that we used as kids were, "You are nice" or
"You are ugly."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement |
Date learned: 00001980S
Little Billy Jokes
Little Billy runs into the house and says, "Mommy, Mommy!!"
"Quick get me a spoon!!"
His mother says, "What for?"
Billy replied, "Johnny threw up in the back seat of the car
and he's getting all the big chunks!"
Little Billy says, "Mommy, why is Daddy running
so fast down the driveway?" To which his mother replies, "Shut
up and reload this gun."
Little Billy asks, "Mommy, what happened to furball, the
kitty?" To which his mother replies, "Shut up, and finish
your meatloaf."
Submitter comment:
These are Little Billy jokes. I used to know several of them
all having to do with something gross or disgusting.
Several of the jokes have a certain formula.
E.g. - Little Billy says, "Mommy, why are/is ___________?
To which his mother would reply, "Shut up, and ___________.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK
James Callow Keyword(s): Sick Jokes
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote |
Date learned: 00001970S
Good Luck
Standing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean just before
sunrise can put you in a great state of mind and can bring
you a world of good luck. If you then take a quarter out
of your pocket
and throw it out into the ocean as far as you can it will
bring you 25 days of good luck. This all must be done before
the sun rises.
Where learned: FLORIDA ; FORT LAUDERDALE
Keyword(s): Buying luck
James Callow Keyword(s): East ; POSITION DIRECTION
Date learned: 00-00-1991
The Flaming Scar
An archeologist had a dream which said that if he gave
a proper burial to an ancient Egyptian king he would be
saved from death by a sign of a flaming scar. One day
he was to take an elevator in Cairo and he spotted a man
with a flaming scar and avoided the elevator. Moments later,
it fell four stories. In Paris on his way to a charity bazaar
he again spotted a man with a flaming scar and avoided him
for later he heard that a fire where he was to speak had
killed dozens. In Chicago the same occurrence and the same
happening (Iroquois Theatre, 1903, hundreds killed) and on
his honeymoon he spotted him again and took his bags off
for had he got on he would have boarded the Titanic, saving
himself not once but four times.
Submitter comment: Brian told me these two stories from his archeology class.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being |
Date learned: 00001980S
A minister, a priest and a rabbi were talking of how they
split the money between God and themselves from the
collection plate and the minister said that he would draw
a circle, throw up the money, and whatever landed in the
circle God would get and what was outside he would get.
The priest said that he drew a line, threw up the money
and what went on one side God got and the other side he
got. The rabbi said that he just threw the collection
plate in the air and whatever God caught that was God's.
Submitter comment: Told at a family reunion by my uncle.
Where learned: VIRGINIA ; NORFOLK
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote |
Date learned: 00001980S
In the Arab world there is one town in Egypt
where all the people are supposed to be stupid.
The name of the town is Said (pronounced Sa-eed) and
there are many jokes about them. There are even whole plays
built around them. MM
(Here's one of the jokes:
One day this man from Said went to Cairo for the first
time in his life. When he got there he was very amazed
at the traffic lights and since he had never seen one
before and didn't know what they were for, he asked
someone. The man knew he was from Said and so he
told him that when the light is green then only the
people from Cairo can go. When the light is orange,
only the foreigners can drive and when the
light is red then this is when the Saidians may
drive. The Saidian, of course, believed him because when
the light was green a lot of cars drove through and he figured
it was because he was in Cairo that there were so many going.
Then when the light turned orange a few cars tried to make
through and he figured these were the few foreigners in town.
So when the light turned red he went and a cop pulled him
over. When he saw the cop he waved and said, "It's alright,
I'm from Said!")
Where learned: Lud, Gaza
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001960S
(In the Arab world there is one town in Egypt
where all the people are supposed to be stupid.
The name of the town is Said, pronounced Sa-eed, and
there are many jokes about them. There are even whole plays
built around them. Here's one of the jokes:) MM
One day this man from Said went to Cairo for the first
time in his life. When he got there he was very amazed
at the traffic lights and since he had never seen one
before and didn't know what they were for, he asked
someone. The man knew he was from Said and so he
told him that when the light is green then only the
people from Cairo can go. When the light is orange,
only the foreigners can drive and when the
light is red then this is when the Saidians may
drive. The Saidian, of course, believed him because when
the light was green a lot of cars drove through and he figured
it was because he was in Cairo that there were so many going.
Then when the light turned orange a few cars tried to make
through and he figured these were the few foreigners in town.
So when the light turned red he went and a cop pulled him
over. When he saw the cop he waved and said, "It's alright,
I'm from Said!"
Where learned: Lud, Gaza
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001970S
They say the Saidians give their chickens hot
water to drink so that the eggs they lay will
be hard boiled.
Where learned: Lud, Gaza
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001970S
Two Saidians were in a boat and they were drunk.
The boat started to sink so one of them says, "Hey,
the boat is sinking!" The other man says, "So what.
It's not ours."
Where learned: Lud, Gaza
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001970S
There was a bunch of Saidians in a car on their way to
Cairo.
One man says to the driver, "Hey, slow down. You're
going 60 miles an hour."
The driver says, "Do you know how to drive?"
"No."
"Then shut up."
A minute later, another man says, "You had better slow down,
you're going 70 miles an hour!"
The driver says, "Do you know how to drive?"
"No."
"Then shut up."
A second later, another man says, "Slow down! You're going
80 miles an hour!"
The driver says, "Do you know how to drive?"
"Yes."
"Then tell me where the brake is."
Where learned: Lud, Gaza
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001970S
New broom sweep clean, but old broom know the corners.
Submitter comment:
This is in reference to younger people taking over an
older person's job. The younger person may do a good job
but the older person can do it twice as well.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
Yo have mo front 'n Katie Ben.
Submitter comment:
You have more "gumption" than Katie Ben. The story goes back
to the 1940's in Saint Thomas when there was a problem with
the congregation of a Methodist church. Everyone was afraid
to talk about it, including the minister, even though all knew
a problem existed. Katie Ben, a child, got up in church and
spoke out or took the "front." The informant has no idea what
the problem was at the time but that is where this saying came
from.
Where learned: VIRGIN ISLANDS ; Saint Thomas
Keyword(s): 'n = than ; mo = more ; Yo = you
James Callow Keyword(s): Effrontery Boldness Audacity ; Personal name in proverb
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
To cure asthma, take the child outside and place him/her in
front of a tree on your property. Take a nail and drive it
into the tree at the same level as the top of your child's
head. Make sure the nail can slide in and out of the hole
easily, so that the hole will remain a permanent part of the
tree. If it closes up repeat the process, every year until
the asthma goes away.
Submitter comment:
The informant told me that since most children outgrow asthma
as they enter adolescence this is done for only two years
maybe before it is believed that this has cured him/her.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; 48221
James Callow Keyword(s): MEASURING ; PLUGGING
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Date learned: 03-00-1991
Love
There was a little girl who lived all alone, her parents were
dead. All she had was a dog named Love. One day a murderer
broke into her house and said the only way he would let her
live is if she can think of a riddle that he could not guess.
She had three days to come up with the riddle. The man then
left. The girl thought and thought and thought. She stroked
her dog and rocked in her chair. On the third day the man
returned. The little girl had on a pair of gloves, a pair of
boots and a thick pair of pants. This was her riddle.
Love I sit
Love I stand
Love I hold, in my right hand.
I can see Love,
But Love can't see me.
If you can unriddle this,
You can hang me.
The man thought and thought and thought. The girl rocked and
rocked and rocked. Finally the man left, he could not figure
out the riddle. He never returned again and the girl spared
her life. The answer to the riddle was she had cut up her
dog. She placed a piece of the dog named Love under her
bottom as she sat in the chair. She placed another piece of
the dog in her boot and still another in her glove of her
right hand. She could still see the dog, but it, being dead,
could not see her.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; Sparta
James Callow Keyword(s): neck riddle
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ordinary Tale |
Date learned: 00-00-1950