The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

I LOVE COFFEE

I LOVE COFFEE/ I LOVE TEA/ I LOVE THE BOYS/ AND THE BOYS LOVE ME.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): QUATRAIN FIRST PERSON ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 11-18-1968

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FISHY

I WISH I WAS A FISHY IN THE BROOK/I WISH I WAS A FISHY IN THE BROOK/
FOR I'D SWIM IN MY NUDIE/ WITHOUT A BATHING SUITIE/ OH, I WISH I WAS
A FISHY IN THE BROOK }

Where learned: MICHIGAN

Keyword(s): ENVELOPE STRUCTURE ; FEMININE RHYME IMPERFECT RHYME ; HUMOROUS RHYME ; REPETITION FIRST PERSON ; RHYME: AABBA

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LITTLE BAR OF SOAP

I WISH I WAS A LITTLE BAR OF SOAP/ I WISH I WAS A LITTLE BAR OF SOAP
FOR I'D SLIPPIE AND I'D SLIDDIE/ DOWN EVERYBODY'S HIDDY/ OH, I WISH
I WAS A LITTLE BAR OF SOAP}

Where learned: MICHIGAN

Keyword(s): BATHTUB VERSE ; ENVELOPE STRUCTURE ; FEMININE RHYME NEOLOGISM ; REPETITION FIRST PERSON ; RHYME: AABBA

Date learned: 10-02-1965

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CHILDREN'S VERSE

I WOKE UP SUNDAY MORNING,
I LOOKED UPON THE WALL,
THE COOTIES AND THE BEDBUGS
WERE HAVING A GAME OF BALL.
THE SCORE WAS 6 TO NOTHING,
THE COOTIES WERE AHEAD.
THE BEDBUGS HIT A HOMERUN AND KNOCKED ME OUT OF BED.

Submitter comment: FROM THE CHILDREN OF HER NEIGHBORHOOD.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

Keyword(s): HANGOVER VISION ; INSECTS ; MARVELS ; QUATRAIN HUMOR NONSENSE ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 00001964 SUMMER

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VERSE

MINNIE MINNIE HA HA, WENT TO SEE HER PAPA,
PAPA DIED, MINNIE CRIED. MINNIE HAD A BABY,
CALLED HIM TINY TIM, PUT HIM IN THE BATHTUB
TO TEACH HIM HOW TO SWIM.
DRANK A GALLON OF WATER, ATE A BAR OF SOAP,
MINNIE CALLED THE DOCTOR, MINNIE CALLED THE NURSE,
MINNIE CALLED THE LADY WITH THE ALLIGATOR PURSE.
OUT WENT THE DOCTOR, OUT WENT THE NURSE,
IN STAYED THE LADY WITH THE ALLIGATOR PURSE.

Data entry tech comment: THERE CAN ALSO BE ADDED ANOTHER VERSE BETWEEN LINES 9 AND 10.

Where learned: LIBRARY

Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; BATHTUB VERSE MONOLOGUE ; JUMP ROPE RHYME

Date learned: 00-00-1967

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A DRIVER'S NIGHT PRAYER

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP,/ I PARKED MY CAR ACROSS THE STREET.
AND IF IT ROLLS BEFORE I WAKE,/I PRAY THE LORD TO PULL THE BRAKE.

Submitter comment: TAKEN FROM INFORMANT'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK.

Where learned: NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): IMPERFECT RHYME ; QUATRAIN ACCIDENT AUTOMOBILE PARODY OF PRAYER ; RHYME: AABB

Date learned: NOT RECORDED BY THE COLLECTOR

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OLD MOTHER HUBBARD

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD WENT TO THE CUPBOARD,/ TO GET HER POOR DAUGHTER A
DRESS./ WHEN SHE GOT THERE, THE CUPBOARD WAS BARE,/ AND SO WAS
HER DAUGHTER, I GUESS.

Where learned: ROYAL OAK

Keyword(s): INTERNAL RHYME ; NURSERY RHYME PARODY ; RHYME: ABCB ; SURPRISE ENDING

Date learned: 10-15-1967

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THE CHICKENS

SAID THE FIRST LITTLE CHICKEN/WITH A QUEER LITTLE SQUIRM,
"I WISH I COULD FIND/ A FAT LITTLE WORM."

SAID THE NEXT LITTLE CHICKEN,/ WITH AN OLD LITTLE SHRUG:
"I WISH I COULD FIND,/ A FAT LITTLE BUG."

SAID A THIRD LITTLE CHICKEN,/ WITH A FAINT LITTLE MOAN:
"I WISH I COULD FIND/ A WEE GRAVEL STONE."

"NOW SEE HERE," SAID THE MOTHER,/ FROM THE GREEN GARDEN PATCH,
"IF YOU WANT ANY BREAKFAST,/ JUST COME HERE AND ASK."

Submitter comment: DEMONSTRATE ACTIONS

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE

Keyword(s): CHAIN ; QUATRAIN FOOD ; RHYME: ABCB ; TALKING ANIMALS

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EENSY WEENSY SPIDER

THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER/ WENT UP THE WATER SPOUT/ DOWN CAME THE RAIN
AND WASHED THE SPIDER OUT./ OUT CAME THE SUN/ AND DRIED UP ALL THE
RAIN/ AND THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER/ WENT UP THE SPOUT AGAIN.

Where learned: NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): MONOLOGUE BABY TALK ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 09-27-1968

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LIMERICK

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY FOM WOOSTER/WHO WAS OFTEN ANNOYED BY A ROOSTER.
SHE CUT OFF HIS HEAD/ UNTIL HE WAS DEAD/ AND NOW HE CAN'T CROW LIKE
HE USETER.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): FEMININE RHYME ; IMPERFECT RHYME ; NONSENSE ANTICLIMAX ; RHYME: AABBA ; SLANG

Date learned: 11-18-1968

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LIMERICK

THERE WAS AN OLD MAN OF PERU/ WHO DREAMED HE WAS KISSING HIS SHOE.
HE AWOKE IN THE NIGHT/ IN A TERRIBLE FRIGHT,/ AND FOUND IT WAS
PERFECTLY TRUE }

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; REDFORD

Keyword(s): RHYME: AABBA

Date learned: NOT RECORDED BY THE COLLECTOR

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LADY FROM TELLER

THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY FROM TELLER/ SHE SAT ON A BOW-LEGGED FELL'ER
SHE MADE A MISHAP/ AND SHE FELL FROM HIS LAP/ AND SHE FOUND HERSELF
DOWN IN THE CELLAR.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED IT FROM HER FATHER MANY YEARS AGO.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FEMININE RHYME ; RHYME: AABBA

Date learned: 08-00-1964

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LIMERICK

THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY NAMED SUE/WHO SAW A STRANGE BEAST AT THE ZOO.
WHEN SHE ASKED, IS IT OLD?/ SHE WAS SMILINGLY TOLD,/ IT'S NOT AN OLD
BEAST, BUT A GNU.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WYANDOTTE

Keyword(s): ANIMALS ; DIALOGUE ; PUN ; RHYME: AABBA

Date learned: 11-12-1968

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TOO MUCH CHEESE

THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN NAMED NED,/WHO, JUST BEFORE GOING TO BED,
ATE VERY MUCH/ OF A CHEESE THAT WAS DUTCH__/ AND WHEN HE WOKE UP HE
WAS DEAD }

Submitter comment: ORIGIN: AUNT MARY WHO LIVES IN ST. LOUIS, MO. USED TO SAY THIS RIME
TO HIM BEFORE GOING TO BED.

Where learned: FITZGERALD PLAYGROUND ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FOOD ; RHYME: AABBA

Date learned: 07-29-1964

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FALLING...

YOU MAY FALL FROM THE PORCH ROOF,/ YOU MAY FALL FROM ABOVE,
BUT THE GREATEST FALL YOU'LL EVER HAVE,/ IS WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA

Keyword(s): RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 09-12-1965

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AUTOGRAPH VERSE (COLLECTOR'S TITLE) ; ANNOUNCING A SIGNATURE (CLASSIFIER'S TITLE)

I THOUGHT AND THOUGHT, I THOUGHT IN VAIN,
BUT ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS TO SIGN MY NAME.

Submitter comment: THIS ITEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF COLETTE'S BY A
SCHOOLMATE.

Where learned: NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): FUNCTION ; IMPERFECT RHYME ; ITERATION ; RHYME: AA ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 10-08-1967

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK (COLLECTOR'S TITLE) ; ANNOUNCING A SIGNATURE (CLASSIFIER'S TITLE)

IT TICKLES ME/ IT MAKES ME LAUGH/ TO THINK YOU WANT/ MY AUTOGRAPH

Data entry tech comment: LINES DIVIDED BY KEYPUNCHER

Where learned: NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): FUNCTION ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 09-00-1968

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VERSE AUTOGRAPH MATERIAL (COLLECTOR'S TITLE) ; CHIMNEY CORNER WISDOM, ADVICE (CLASSIFIER'S TITLE)

IF YOU FIND A FELLOW GOOD AND TRUE,/ HANG TO HIS COAT TAIL AND
STICK LIKE GLUE./ BUT IF YOU FIND YOUR HOLD MUST SLIP,/ GRAB
ANOTHER AND LET HIM RIP. MARTHA BORGMANN

Submitter comment: RECOPIED FROM AN OLDER AUTOGRAPH BOOK DATING AROUND 1850.
THE SELECTIONS FROM THE OLDER BOOK WERE ALSO COLLECTED IN INDIANA.

Where learned: AUTOGRAPH BOOK ; INDIANA ; BROOKVILLE

Keyword(s): ADVICE QUATRAIN ; RHYME: AABB

Date learned: 08-09-1960

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LOOK NOT (COLLECTOR'S TITLE) ; CHIMNEY CORNER WISDOM, ADVICE (CLASSIFIER'S TITLE)

LOOK NOT FOR THE BEAUTY/ NOR WHITENESS OF THE SKIN.
BUT LOOK FOR THE HEART/ THAT IS LOYAL WITHIN.

FOR BEAUTY MAY FADE/ AND SKIN GROW OLD,
BUT THE HEART THAT IS LOYAL,/ WILL NEVER GROW OLD.

Submitter comment: LEARNED IN DETROIT.

Where learned: DETROIT

Keyword(s): ADVICE QUATRAIN ; METONYMY ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 00-00-1963

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VERSE (COLLECTOR'S TITLE) ; CYNICAL INSIGHT (CLASSIFIER'S TITLE)

NEEDLES AND PINS,/ NEEDLES AND PINS,/ WHEN YOU GET OLDER,/ YOUR
TROUBLE BEGINS. P.S. DON'T COME TO ME.

Where learned: AUTOGRAPH BOOK

Keyword(s): LOSS OF YOUTH ; REPETITION ; RHYME: AABA

Date learned: 00-00-1959

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