The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

TRUE FRIENDS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS--
PRECIOUS AND RARE.
FALSE ONES ARE LIKE LEAVES--
FOUND EVERYWHERE.

Submitter comment: THIS USED TO BE ONE OF MY PEN PALS (1957). THIS WAS
ONE OF HER CLEVER SAYINGS.

Data entry tech comment: OFTEN FOUND IN AUTOGRAPH BOOKS.

Where learned: Wyoming ; ROCK SPRINGS

Keyword(s): FRIENDSHIP JEWELS ; METER: TROCHAIC ; QUATRAIN FUNCTION AUTOGRAPH VERSE ; RHYME: MASCULINE, ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): AUTUMN LEAVES SCATTERED EVERYWHERE--AMA BARR

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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WHEN YOU ARE OLD AND ABOUT TO DIE,
CALL ME UP SO I CAN CRY.
(TELEPHONE NUMBER).

Where learned: SCHOOL ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANTICLIMAX IRONY COUPLET ; AUTOGRAPH VERSE? ; METER: ANAPESTIC ; PREPARATION FOR DEATH OLD AGE FRIENDSHIP ; RHYME: MASCULINE

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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FLOWERS MAY WITHER,
SONGS MAY DIE,
SOME WILL FORGET YOU,
BUT NEVER WILL I...

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; BATON ROUGE

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH VERSE? ; RHYME: MASCULINE, ABCB ; SINCERITY INDIRECTION PLEDGE FRIENDSHIP

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JOHN AND KATHY SITTING IN A TREE,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
FIRST COMES LOVE
THEN COMES MARRIAGE
THEN COMES JOHN PUSHING A BABY CARRIAGE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH VERSE?

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SIGNATURE

WHEN YOU GET MARRIED AND HAVE TWINS,
DON'T COME TO ME FOR SAFETY PINS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH

Date learned: 04-00-1970

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Language: Rhyme

If wisdom's ways you'd willing seek

Five things observe with care;

Of whom you speak, to whom you speak,

And how, and when and where.

Submitter comment:

Found in autograph book from 1880's

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Language ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; Speak ; VERSE ; When ; Where ; Whom ; WISDOM

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Autograph Rhyme

Each life's an album, every page

From fair haired youth to gray old age

Is writ in prose or story.

God grant your life and album be

Filled up with records good to see

The "finis" found in Glory.

Submitter comment:

Found in autograph book from the 1880's

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AGE ; Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Elderly ; Glory ; Gray ; Old ; Record ; RHYME ; Signature ; Story ; VERSE ; Young ; YOUTH

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Autograph Rhyme

Friend Pierce, may your cares all fly away like dew before the sun

And when you've nothing else to do just think of me for fun.

Submitter comment:

Located in autograph album from the 1880's

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Language ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Verse

Round went the album, hither it came

for me to write in so here is my name.

Submitter comment:

Found in autograph book from the 1880's

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Language ; NAME ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE ; Write

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Autograph Rhyme

Autograph Book Rhyme:

Don't steal this book, my honest friend, for fear the gallows be your end. And when you die the Lord shall say, "Where is the book you wtole away?" But if you cannot tell, the Lord shall cast you into hell. Whoever steals this book of knowledge, will sweetly graduate from Sing-Sing College.

Submitter comment:

The autograph book this is taken from is collected from the years 1929-1933.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

BN [C760] is crossed out and the word FlyLeaf is written next to it.

Submission card located in a pile marked [?]

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; BOOK ; Glanshaw

Keyword(s): AFTERLIFE ; AUTOGRAPH ; FlyLeaf ; HELL ; Judgment ; PRISON ; RHYME ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): FlyLeaf

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Autograph Rhyme

Autograph Book Rhyme:

I pity the River/I pity the Brook/I pity the one /Who steals this book.

Submitter comment:

Submission is from informant's Junior High Autograph Book, dated 1929-1933

Data entry tech comment:

Motif and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C760] has been crossed out. The word FlyLeaf is written enxt to it.

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; BOOK ; GLENSHAW

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; BOOK ; FlyLeaf ; poem ; RHYME ; River ; Signature ; VERSE ; WATER

James Callow Keyword(s): FlyLeaf

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Language: Rhyme

REMEMBER ME, WHEN THIS YOU SEE
AND ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND
THAT YOUR MOTHER WILL BE A FRIEND TO YOU WHEN OTHERS
ARE UNKIND.

Submitter comment:

AUTOGRAPH BOOK NOW AT INFORMANT'S HOME IN ST. CLAIR
SHORES, MICHIGAN. BOOK BELONGS TO GERTRUDE CARROLL
NOW, CAROLINE SLINEY'S DAUGHTER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated / 02-24-2011 / TRD

James Callow comment:

NOT WRITTEN IN VERSE FORM

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; Friend ; Kind ; Language ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; Unkind ; VERSE

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Language: Rhyme

WHEN I AM DEAD AND IN MY GRAVE
AND ALL MY BONES ARE ROTTING,
THIS LITTLE BOOK WILL TELL MY NAME
WHEN I AM QUITE FORGOTTEN.
(SIGNED) EMMA THORNDIKE

Submitter comment:

UNDATED ENTRY IN CAROLINE SLINEY'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK KEPT
IN FRANKLIN, MICHIGAN IN ABOUT 1890.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated / TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; BOOK ; Dead ; Forgotten ; Gone ; Language ; RHYME ; Signature

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Maxim

Album Rhyme:

On this page in memory pressed,

May my name forever rest.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

I can remember writing this in grade school friends' autograph books.

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Saying ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

From Grade School Book:

2 Nice

2 Be

____

4 Gotten

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

From Grade School Book:

2 Nice

2 Be

____

4 Gotten

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

Gradeschool Autograph:

When you get married and live in a holler: Send me a kiss on a paper dollar.

Submitter comment:

Collected from my grade school autograph book.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; Dollar ; KISS ; Married ; Paper ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

I wish you luck, I wish you joy, I wish you first a baby boy.

And when his hair begins to curl, I wish you then a baby girl.

And when her hair is straight and thin, I wish you next a set of twins.

And when they're crawling on the floor, for heanev's sake, don't have any more!

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; BABY ; Boy ; Crawl ; Curl ; Floor ; Girl ; HAIR ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; Straight ; THIN ; TWINS ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

Cynical Autograph Rhyme;

Roses are red, Violets are green.

You have a shape like a submarine.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; COLOR ; Cynical ; FLOWERS ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Submarine ; VERSE ; Violets

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Autograph Rhyme

Roses are red, leaves are green.

You have a shape like a submarine.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; COLOR ; Cynical ; FLOWERS ; Green ; Leaves ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Submarine ; VERSE

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