Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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OLE PETE BATEESE
OLE PETE BATEESE GOT CHASE ONE NIGHT
BY WOLF UP BY THE SOO.
DESE WOLF DEY T'REE, FOUR IN DE PACK
AND DEY SCARE HIM TRU AND TRU.
PRETTY SOON OLE PETE CLIMB UP A TREE;
HE T'INK HE STAY AWHILE.
DESE WOLF DEY SIT DOWN IN DE SNOW
AND LICK DERE CHOPS AND SMILE.
PETE QUICK TWO WOLF GO TROT AWAY;
PETE T'INK DE REST SOON GO.
PRETTY QUICK DESE WOLF COME RIGHT STRAIGHT BACK;
PETE'S SPIRITS DEY SINK LOW.
FOR W'AT YOU T'INK DESE WOLF DEY GOT?
BIG BEAVER- ONE? NO- TWO!
DEY SET DEM DOWN BESIDE DAT TREE
AND SAY, "BY GAR, NOW CHEW."
DOSE BEAVER START IN CHEW DAT TREE;
DEY CHEW LIKE BEAT DE BAND.
PETE T'INK HE SOON BE ON DE GROUN'
UNLESS HE TAKE A HAND.
SO PETE PULL OUT HIS ONE-QUART HOOCH
AND LET IT RUN OUT SLOW.
IT TRICKLE DOWN DE TRUNK TO WHERE
DOSE BEAVER CHEW BELOW.
DOSE BEAVER DEY GOT DRUNK, BY GAR.
DEY DON'T SEE NONE TOO GOOD.
DEY MAKE MISTAKE AND CHEW DE WOLF
INSTEAD OF CHEW DE TREE.
DOSE WOLF RUN 'WAY, AND PETE CLIMB DOWN
AND SIT DOWN IN DE SNOW.
AND CRY AND CRY TO T'INK FOR WHERE
HIS ONE-QUART HOOCH SHE GO.
Submitter comment:
THIS POEM IS RECITED ON WEEKEND PARTIES BY
CHEERS FROM THE LOGGING CREWS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
James Callow Keyword(s): FRENCH DIALECT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse |
WHEN YOU HAVE A BOTHERSOME ITCH THAT WON'T GO AWAY, BATHE
IN OATMEAL TO RELIEVE YOURSELF FROM THE ITCH.
Submitter comment:
THIS IS TRUE. THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE OATMEAL THAT
STOPS THE ITCH BUT YOU HAVE TO RINSE THOROUGHLY OR IT
WILL CAUSE YOU TO ITCH.
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- P5754 |
Date learned: 00001980S
WHEN YOU ARE HOT ON A HOT SUMMER DAY AND THERE ISN'T A
POOL AROUND, YOU CAN SOAK YOUR FEET IN COLD WATER AND IT
WILL COOL YOUR BODY.
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Mineral |
Date learned: 00001980S
A guide at the geology center in Chelsea told us
the legend of the discovery of maple syrup.
An Indian on the Eastern coast, I think it was Iroquois,
had stored his hatchet in the side of a maple tree.
Sometime in late winter or early spring, he removed his
hatchet to go hunting. At the base of the tree, there was
a birch bark basket, which happened to catch the maple
water that ran out of the tree when the hatchet was
removed. The Indian's wife needed the birch bark basket
to cook the moose meat in, and so she decided to also use
the water that was already in it. She proceeded to boil
the meat in the maple water all day, and in turn, discovered
that the water made maple syrup (and also tasty moose meat).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; CHELSEA
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant |
Date learned: 03-00-1990
Bloody Mary
At slumber parties we always used to hear from at least
one person a story about Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary was
supposed to be seen by a person who stood in front of
a mirror, in the dark. The designated person would
stand in front of a mirror anywhere in the house and say
bad things about Bloody Mary. The person would call her
name and say things like "Show yourself Bloody Mary,
or are you too scared?" The person would also call her
names or even swear at her. If the person got Bloody
Mary angry enough, she would appear in the mirror and
cause an injury to the person who had called her.
Submitter comment:
A few people that I knew had enough nerve to do this.
Even though two of the people that did were unaffected,
three of the people I know who tried this came out with
severe scratches on both of her arms, and one also
had severe scratches on her throat.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Date learned: 00-00-1980
Miss Lucy
A popular game that was played in grade school was a
game called "Miss Lucy". This game was played by the
girls on the playground at lunch time or at recess.
This is a hand clapping game that can be played by two
or four people. This is probably one of the simplest
hand clapping games played. When playing,
the two people would stand opposite each other.
To begin, each person would first clap
their own hands together. Then each person would clap
her right hand with the other person's right hand.
This would be followed by each one clapping their own
hands again. Then they would clap left hands. This
was again followed by clapping their own hands.
Then they would clap their left hand with the other
person's right hand and at the same time clap their
right hand with the other person's left hand. Then
this would be followed by them clapping their own hands
together again. Then they would begin the whole process
all over again. For this game, this song would be
sung in rhythm to the clapping.
Miss Lucy had a baby,
She named him Tiny Tim.
She put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap.
He tried to eat the bathtub,
But it wouldn't fit down his throat.
Miss Lucy called the doctor.
The doctor called the nurse.
The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse.
In came the doctor.
In came the nurse.
In came the lady with the alligator purse.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): HUMOR ; Ravenous ; Voracious
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Athletic sport and exercise Gymnastics |
Date learned: 00001970S
Five Tappers
In grade school we used to play a game during
lunch when we had to stay inside due to bad weather.
The game was played by everyone in the class. The
supervisor of the class would pick five people at
random to be the tappers. The rest of the class stayed
at their desks. The students at their desks had to put
their heads down on the desk and cover their eyes so
they couldn't see. Then once everyone was all set, the
five tappers would go through the room and each would
tap one person. Once a person was tapped, they
put one hand on top of their head so the tappers would
know who was already tapped, and nobody got tapped more
than once. When each tapper tapped a person they went
to the front of the room; then the class lifted their
heads. The ones who had been tapped stood up next to
their desk and tried to guess who was the one who had
tapped them. If the person guessed correctly, the
one who tapped them had to go to their desk and the one
who guessed right took their place as the next tapper.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Guessing |
Date learned: 00001970S
My father likes to tell riddles and trick people.
Here is one of his favorites.
If eggs are twelve cents a dozen how much are a
hundred eggs?
The answer may be obvious to you, but, if it is said
quickly it will easily confuse the listener.
The answer is one dollar.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00-00-1974
My father used this riddle on many people. How
many pieces of string does it take to reach the moon?
Answer, one if it's long enough.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
When my mother was growing up she lived with her
parents and her grandparents. Her grandparents
had come from Malta and still kept close ties to
the country. Hundreds of years ago the Turks
attacked Malta and destroyed almost everything.
When it rained out my mother would often see her
grandparents looking out the window. If the sun
happened to be out while it was raining they
would say, very negatively, "another Turk." In
this way she was taught that for every time it
rained while the sun was out, a Turkish child was
born and therefore it was a bad day. Because this
happens more rarely, they could be happy that there
were less Turks in the world.
Submitter comment:
This is usually said as a derogatory statement,
usually in disgust. My grandmother and mother
never say this because they believe that it is
unfair to hold this grudge today.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew BELIEF -- Birth PROVERB -- Blason Populaire |
Date learned: 00001950S
When you're eating a whole fish that still has
the bone in it, you should only pick the meat
from one side. To get at the other side you
should break the bone, remove it, and then
continue eating. If you flip the fish over to
get at the other side, your boat will flip the
next time you go fishing.
Where learned: THAILAND
Date learned: 00001960S
After Easter throw wheat so that there will be a
good harvest. You should also throw wheat inside
your home to insure that you will have bread to
eat in the coming year. This was important
because most people worked on the farm and this
was their only income, so a bad crop was
disastrous.
Submitter comment:
Mrs. Wojtan grew up in Kansas on a farm with over
forty acres of wheat. Before the depression this
was the only income. This was practiced every
year and she believed that it worked.
Where learned: KANSAS ; Manhattan
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F535 CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting |
Date learned: 00001920S
If someone admires your baby and says that
it's beautiful you must spit or the baby will
become sick or get a rash on its face. Her
parents and her husband's parents both truly
believed this. Her husband's parents used to
wipe the baby's face three times with a wash
cloth to prevent a rash if anyone admired the
baby.
Submitter comment:
Mrs. Wojtan doesn't believe this herself anymore,
but says many people in Kansas used to when she
was growing up.
Where learned: KANSAS ; Manhattan
| Subject headings: | 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple Favorites BELIEF -- Curse BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001920S
You should never give anyone a religious gift.
It is a sign of bad luck. A friend had died
and left her relative a beautiful rosary that
had come from a monastery. The relative thought
that this was a sign of bad luck so she tried to
give it to another woman. She didn't want it
either because she was afraid that something
would happen to her. She was forced to keep it
and she said she didn't think anything came from
it but she still refuses to give any religious
gifts to anyone.
Where learned: KANSAS ; Manhattan
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00001920S
At Easter my great grandmother would make
large cookies in the form of boys and girls
with a hard-boiled egg on the stomach. These
were called "figololi" and were supposed to
bring you good luck if you ate them. My
great grandmother was born in Malta and moved
to Detroit.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert BELIEF -- Good luck |
Date learned: 00001920S
My aunt heard this story from a friend whose
friend had it happen to her. She had gone to
a large nursery and bought a cactus that was
about two or three feet tall. She had just had
a baby and was home alone all day caring for it.
When she sat down to rest she thought she saw the
the cactus moving a little. When she told her
husband he just figured that she was fatigued from
taking care of the baby all day. One day it really
started to bother her so she called the store.
The manager got on the phone and told her not to
panic but to put the cactus in a dark closet and
to leave the house until he arrived. A few minutes
later, they arrived, went into the house, covered
it up and carried it to a truck. The manager was
also sending an exterminator to the house.
Apparently a whole shipment of cactuses from the
southwest had eggs laid in them by tarantulas.
When the sun warmed up the cactus, the eggs would
begin to hatch and that's what gave the cactus the
appearance of moving. If they don't eat their way
out, the cactus will literally explode from the
pressure created by all the baby tarantulas inside.
Submitter comment:
I thought that this story was true, but in the
last couple years I've heard other people tell
similar stories. I think my aunt also thought it
was true.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Animal PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00001980S
Whenever my brother or I did or said something
stupid my father would put his hands about six
inches from his ears and keep them at an equal
distance while moving them so it looked like he
was pulling a towel through his ears. He did
this to show us that we were acting as if we
didn't have anything in our head. The most
effective use of this was when my mother would
say something stupid and my father did it behind
her back. I have never seen anyone else do this
and my father can't remember when he started
doing it.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001970S
In Hungary the day after Easter, Easter Monday,
is also considered a holiday. On that day all
the boys visit the homes of their neighbor girls
and sprinkle them with water. Today they often
use cologne. The girls, in turn, give the boys
a colored Easter egg. The boys that they really
like are given red eggs.
Where learned: GERMANY ; Binabiburg
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Easter eggs CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting Easter Monday Dyngus BELIEF -- Water BELIEF -- Marriage BELIEF -- Color |
Date learned: 00001940S
Superstition
If a member of the family dies, a hole should be knocked in
the plaster of the ceiling and a lock of their hair put in it
to prevent the soul from escaping.
Submitter comment:
This was learned by the informant from Michael O'Connor, who
was born in County Cork, Ireland. He was my great grandfather.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): PLUGGING
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial |
Date learned: 00001930ca
Cough Remedy
Take one lemon from the garden-house potted lemon tree.
Boil the lemon slowly for ten minutes.
Take two tablespoons of glycerine, stir the glycerine
and lemon juice well, then fill up the drinking glass
with honey. Give to those as needed because of
coughing spells. Or cut the nipple of a baby bottle
so a baby can suck down the mixture. For adult males,
three tablespoons of moonshine can be added.
Submitter comment:
From the doctoring book of Springhill Plantation,
kept by Florida Amanda Pearce before the Civil War.
(More at Informant profile.)
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00001940CA