The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

REMEDY

WHENEVER A PERSON HAS RINGWORMS, JUST STEAL SOMEONE ELSE'S WASHCLOTH
AND WASH THE STRICKEN PERSON'S FACE WITH IT. INFORMANT NEVER
ACTUALLY OBSERVED THIS TECHNIQUE IN USE, HOWEVER, HE DID SAY HIS
MOTHER HAD SEEN IT USED BEFORE.

Where learned: SOUTH CAROLINA

James Callow Keyword(s): THEFT

Date learned: 10-15-1972

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BRE RABBIT

WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT BRE RABBIT. BRE RABBIT, BRE
FOX AND THEIR AH..WELL ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE FOREST HAD GOTTEN
TOGETHER AND THEY HAD FOUND A WHOLD CROCK OF MILK, AND EVERYBODY
WANTED A BIG SHARE. WE WE A GONA DIVIDED THIS, THIS, THIS, MILK
UP EQUALLY AMONG EACH OTHER. AND NO ONE WELL TAKE MORE THAN THE
OTHERS GOT. WE ALL GONA GET A FAIR SHARE OF THIS MILK. SO AH..
HE SAY EVERTHING..WE AINT GOT TIME TO DIVIDE THIS THIS MILK UP NOW
BECAUSE IT'S COMING IT'S GETTING NIGHT. NOW WE'LL DIVIDE THIS MILK
UP IN THE MORNING. AND NO ONE SHALL DRINK A DROP OF THIS MILK.
SO EVERYBODY AGREED AND THEY ALL WENT AND THEY LAID DOWN. AND AH.
EVERYBODY AGREED AND THEY ALL WENT AND THEY LAID DOWN. AND AH..
EVERYBODY FELL A SHOUND ASLEEP. WELL BRE RABBIT HE GOT HUNGRY
THAT NIGHT. HE GOT UP AND HE SNEAKED OVER TO THE CROCK OF MILK.
HE DRINK ABOUT ...TWO THIRDS OF THAT MILK... HE WENT ON BACK TO
ASLEEP. WHEN MORNING CAME, EVERYBODY GOT UP..BRE FOX SWISHED OVER
THERE AND LOOKED AT THE CROCK. AND CRIED OH MY GOODNESS SOMEONE
STOLLED TWO THIRDS OF THE MILK. NOW ONE OF US HAD TO DO IT. SO..
I'M GONA FIND OUT WHICH ONE IT US WAS. NOW WHAT WE'RE GONA DO.
WE GONA BUILD US A BIG BARN FIRE...AND WE'RE GONA LAY DOWN BESIDE
IT. AND WE KNOW THAT THAT MILK GONA RUN, CAUSE THAT HEAT. SO WE
ALL WE WENT AND GATHER WOOD AND BUILT A BIG BARN FIRE. AND THE
HEAT GOT REAL HOT.. AND THIS BIG OLE HEATING FLAMES LEAPIN UP IN THE
AIR. AND EVERYBODY SAY, ALL RIGHT NOW WE AL GONA LAY BESIDE THE
FIRE. NO BODY MOVES. I'M GONA, WE GONA CHAIN EACH OTHER TO THE
SPOT. AND THEY ALL LAYING THERE...WELL BRE RABBIT HE KNEW THAT
IF HE HE KNOWS THAT IN THE MORNING ITS GONA BE HIS TURN TO GET IT.
SO HE CRAWLED OVER THERE BESIDE BRE BEAR, TO ...AND DID HIS THING.
AND WENT ON BACK OVER TO HIS SPOT AND WENT TO SLEEP.. SO IN THE
MORNING WHEN..EVERYBODY WOKE UP THEY LOOKED AROUND AND
LOOKED OVER THERE BY BRE BEAR. AND THEN THEY SAW WHAT HE DONE DONE.
AND ALL JUMPED ON BRE BEAR AND TRIED TO BEAT HIM TO DEATH.. AND
THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS.. YOU MIGHT STEAL MILK AND GET AWAY
WITH IT..BUT YOU'LL FIND A BEAR IN THE WOODS...

James Callow comment: COLLECTOR'S SPELLING CORRECTED WHEN NOT AFFECTING PRONOUNCIATION ; K2155 (SUPPOSED) EVIDENCE OF CRIME LEFT SO DUPE IS BLAMED

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): IS "DID HIS THING" A ; THEFT OF MILK (COMPARE THEFT OF BUTTER)

Date learned: 10-00-1974

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WATERMELON

YOU CAN TALK ABOUT YOUR APPLES, YOUR PEACHES AND YOUR PEARS,
YOUR CINNAMON HANGIHG ON YOUR CINNAMON TREE, ON THE TREE,
BUT GIVE ME, OH GIVE ME, I REALLY WISH YOU WOULD
SOME OF THAT WATERMELON HANGING ON THE VINE.

CHORUS:
HAMBONE IS SWEET ( SLURP ), CHICKEN IS GOOD ( M
),
POSSUM MEAT IS VERY, VERY FINE, AIN'T IT SO,
BUT GIVE ME, OH GIVE ME, I REALLY WISH YOU WOULD
SOME OF THAT WATERMELON HANGING ON THE VINE.

THE NIGHT I WENT TO FETCH IT WAS ON A STORMY NIGHT.
THE MOON HAD NOT AS YET BEGUN TO SHINE, BEGUN TO SHINE.
THE FARMER, HE SAW ME AND SHOT ME THROUGH THE FENCE
BUT I NEVER LEFT THAT MELON ON THE VINE.

CHORUS

Keyword(s): EUPHEMISM ; THEFT

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR.

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STORY ABOUT THE DEVIL,S DANCING IN THE WOODS

IT WAS HARVEST TIME AND ALL THE YOUNG FOLK WERE THRASHING THE GRAINS
THAT HAD JUST BEEN HARVESTED.
ONE AUTUMN NIGHT ABOUT 11 O,CLOCK WHILE THEY WERE THRASHING THE GRAIN
THEY HEARD MUSIC COMING FROM THE RAFTERS, THEY LOOKED UP AND SAW
SOME DEVILS DANCING UP IN THE LOFT. THESE DEVILS WERE ALL BLACK AND
ALL THEIR CLOTHING WERE BLACK. THEY DANCED ON ONE LEG AND ONLY HAD
ONE EYE AND ONE NOSTRIL. THE MUSIC WAS PLAYED ON A SMALL ACCORDION
AND FIDDLE.
THE YOUTHS WERE TYPICALLY BRAVE AND BOISTERIOUS AND DECIDED TO TAKE
THE INSTRUMENTS AWAY. THE DEVILS LEFT AT THE FIRST COCKS CROW
(ONE O,CLOCK) WITH A WHISTLE AND A BANG. SO THE NEXT NIGHT THE
YOUTHS , AS THE DEVILS WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE AT THE COCK,S CROW,
KNOCKED ONE INSTRUMENT OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE DEVILS.
BUT WHEN THEY REACHED THE INSTRUMENT IT WAS JUST A LARGE CHARRED
PIECE OF WOOD. THE NEXT NIGHT THE DEVILS CAME BACK AND BEGGED
CKRYVEL, KRYVEL GIVE US BACK OUR FIDDLE" BUT THE YOUTHS DID NOT
RETURN IT. THE TWO YOUTHS WHO HAD TAKEN IT HAD TO PREPARE THE
STOVE FOR DRYING OUT THE GRAINS BEFORE THE THRASHING. THEY THREW THE
CHARRED WOOD INTO THE STOVE BUT IT WOULDN,T BURN. SO THEY WENT TO
BED AND THE NEXT MORNING THE TWO WERE FOUND STRANGLED.

Submitter comment: THIS STORY WAS TOLD TO MY GRANDMOTHER BT HER GRANDMOTHER WHEN SHE WAS
A CHILD. THE TIME IS APPROXIMATELY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY WHEN THE
STORY WAS TOLD. THE STORY TOOK PLACE AROUND 1850.
SHE TOLD MY GRANDMOTHER THAT SHE ACTUALLY SAW THESE DEVILS.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): DO NOT TAKE THINGS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO YOU -PAYMENT CAN BE COSTLY ; THEFT FORM DEVIL

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IF SOMETHING IS STOLEN, AND THERE ARE MANY SUSPECTS, YOU CAN KNOW
THE REAL PERSON THAT STOLE THE ITEM BY DOING THIS SIMPLE TEST.
OPEN THE BIBLE TO JOB CHAPTER SEVENTEEN, PLACE A KEY IN THAT
SECTION, AND USE A ROPE TO TIE THE KEY AND THE BIBLE TOGETHER.
LET EACH OF THE SUSPECT SWEAR SAYING THUS, "IF I TAKE THE LOST ITEM
LET ME BE MENTALLY SICK IMMEDIATELY". IF THE PERSON WHO STOLE THE
ITEM SAYS THIS, HE WILL BECOME MENTALLY SICK WITH IMMEDIATE
EFFECT.

Submitter comment: THE INFORMANT LOOKED SERIOUS WHILE NARRATING THE ITEM.

Where learned: NIGERIA ; LAGOS

James Callow Keyword(s): DETECTION OF THIEF ; THEFT

Date learned: 02-00-1967

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IF A CHILD'S FINGERNAILS ARE CUT BEFORE HE IS SIX
MONTHS OLD, HE WILL STEAL.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 09-01-11

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

James Callow Keyword(s): AGE ; THEFT ; Thief

Date learned: 10-23-1973

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