The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

RUSSIAN PROVERB

IF YOU CHASE TWO RABBITS AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WILL CATCH NEITHER.

Submitter comment: NONE

Data entry tech comment: IT MAKES THE SAME SENSE AS THE PROVERB, ' A BIRD IN THE HAND IS
WORTH TWO IN A BUSH.' WHICH ROUGHLY MEANS THAT ONE SHOULD BE
HAPPY WITH ONE HAS AND NOT GO FOR OTHER THINGS.

Where learned: RUSSIA ; MOSCOW

Keyword(s): HUNTING ; OBSERVATION

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BEER-HUNTER

THIS DRINKING GAME REQUIRES A SIX-PACK WITH THE OLD PULL TABS.
THERE IS TO BE ONE BEER FOR EVERY PLAYER. PLACE THEM IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE GROUP, BUT TAKE ONE AND SHAKE IT UP REAL GOOD. PUT IT BACK
IN THE PILE AND MIX THEM AROUND SO THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHICH CAN IS
THE "LOADED" ONE. AT EACH PLAYER'S TURN HE TAKES A BEER OUT OF THE
PILE AND HOLDS IT UP TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD WITH THE OPENING
FACING HIM. HE THEN PULLS THE TAB AND IF IT WAS THE "LOADED" BEER
HE GETS DRENCHED, BUT IF IT WAS A SAFE ONE THEN HE HAS TO CHUG IT.
THE GAME CONTINUES UNTIL ALL THE BEERS ARE GONE.

Submitter comment: THIS GAME GETS ITS NAME FROM AN EPISODE IN THE MOVIE "THE DEER-
HUNTER" WHERE A GROUP OF PRISONERS OF WAR WERE FORCED TO PLAY
RUSSIAN ROULETTE AQAINST EACH OTHER.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): "THE DEERHUNTER," A MOVIE

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A COMMON BATTLE PRACTICE OF THE MOHAWK INDIANS WAS TO CUT
OUT A PIECE OF THEIR OPPONENT'S HEART AND EAT IT AS A SYMBOL
OF VICTORY. THEY ALSO WERE REQUIRED TO DRINK THEIR ENEMY'S
BLOOD. DEER HUNTERS TODAY CARRY ON THIS TRADITION BY
DRINKING THE BLOOD OF THE FIRST DEER THAT THEY KILL

Submitter comment: I WAS AT AN OUTDOOR FIRING RANGE WITH MY DAD WHEN HE
BEGAN TALKING WITH A MAN ABOUT DEER HUNTING. THE MAN
CLAIMED HE WAS OF MOHAWK INDIAN DESCENT, AND TOLD US THE ABOVE
STORY.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MARYSVILLE

James Callow Keyword(s): CANNIBALISM ; HUNTING

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"RUN RABBIT RUN"

Run rabbit
Run rabbit
Run, run, run.
Run rabbit
Run rabbit
Run, run, run.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Goes the farmer's gun.
So run rabbit
Run rabbit
Run, run, run.

Submitter comment: This was a song that we sung as a family, usually
while driving on long trips. It is a "round" song
which is sung in the same manner as "ROW, ROW, ROW
YOUR BOAT." My mother states that this is a song
which she learned while growing up in Lexington, Kentucky.

Where learned: OHIO ; CINCINNATI

Keyword(s): HUNTING

James Callow Keyword(s): ONOMATOPOEIA

Date learned: 00001950S

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ARABIAN MAXIM (TRANS.)

IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO GET TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; CAMPUS

Keyword(s): HUNTING

Date learned: 08-00-1967

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Custom: Animal

Hunter's and Woodsman's Belief:

Although there is an open season on them all year a Good Sportsmen or Hunter will never shoot a porcupine. This is because if a person was ever lost in the woods without any food or a gun a porcupine can be easily killed with a stick or a club and the meat is very nutritious.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Club ; FOOD ; Gun ; Hunt ; LOST ; Porcupine ; Survival ; Woods

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Belief: Animal

Legend about the Rhinoceros:

In the Far East the horn of a rhinoceros is thought to be an aphrodisiac. Becasue of this the rhinoceros is almost extinct in this region.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B444, N800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; APHRODISIAC ; ETHNIC ; Extinct ; Far East ; Horn ; HUNTING ; Rhinoceros

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Belief: Animal

It is a belief among hunters that is a bear looks at you eye to eye at the instant you kill it, its spirit will haunt you after its death.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Regarding set-up of the submission card:

By moving the circumstances of collecting information to the right (taking up 2 instead of 1 line with it) you'll leave room for a title.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Pioneer

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bear ; BELIEF ; DEATH ; Haunting ; HUNTING ; SPIRIT ; SUPERSTITION

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Belief: Animal

How Snakes Eat Eggs:

The snake, which has no teeth with which to chew, will swallow an egg whole, climb a tree, and then fall out of it to break the egg.

Submitter comment:

Informant was told this by the family's cleaning woman who firmly believed it to be true.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

Keyword(s): Consume ; Egg ; FOOD ; Hunt ; Prey ; Serpent ; Snake ; Tree

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Superstition: Animals

Hunting Superstition:

When a hunter shoots his game and he is sure it is dead he should never for any reason shoot it again as this will disturb its spirit and it will haunt him.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: NORTHERN MICHIGAN

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; DEATH ; GAME ; Hunter ; HUNTING ; Kill ; Shoot ; SPIRIT

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Proverb

The sleeping fox catches no poultry.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ATTENTION ; Aware ; Chicken ; Fox ; Hunt ; LAZY ; METAPHOR ; Poultry ; SLEEP

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