Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
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WHAT IS IT THAT NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE?
A MOUSES' NEST IN A CAT'S EAR.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMALS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 10-12-1965
NOW, IF I LAID THREE EGGS HERE AND FIVE EGGS OVER THERE, HOW MANY
WOULD I HAVE? WELL, TO TELL THE TRUTH, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN
DO IT.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): FOOD
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1968
WHAT TIME IS IT? FIVE O'CLOCK. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT. I'VE BEEN
ASKING PEOPLE ALL DAY, WHAT TIME IT IS AND EVERYBODY TELLS ME
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): TIME
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1968
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION? IF YOU WERE
STANDING IN A VAT OF PUKE UP TO YOUR NECK AND SOMEONE THROWS A
BUCKET OF DIAHRRHEA AT YOU, WOULD YOU DUCK?
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): GROSS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 11-09-1968
HAVE YOU EVER READ THE BIBLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH? NO? DON'T
BOTHER; THE HERO DIES IN THE MIDDLE.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): RELIGION
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1968
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOUSE ON ONE SIDE OF A FIELD AND
A HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD? A LOT.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1969
Scare Stories
44
1) Teenage Couple driving in the country, run out of gas.
2) Hear drip, drip, drip - its blood.
28
1) Next door neighbors in love.
2) Girl wore a yellow ribbon around her neck that she wouldn't take off.
3) She untied it, her head fell off.
1
1) Two children home alon eon Halloween see a ghost.
2) Turns out to be their uncle in costume
Data entry tech comment:
No information listed on card. Omitted: Collector data, informant date.
Unknown meaning of numbers preceeding each story.
Bogg Number added by TRD
James Callow comment:
18400 Praire
Corner of Pickford and Praire
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Car ; Costume ; Drip ; Fable ; HALLOWEEN ; Ribbon ; Scary ; Stories ; SYMBOLISM ; Urban Legends ; Yellow Ribbon
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Prose Narrative |
Ethnic: Irish
Some more: when these men arrived they would not work either - it seems the air strip went over a large mound and this is Ireland is recognized as a grave yard for the "Little People" and to disturb it is unheard of. So to this day the strip is still uncompleted. [sic]
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Card was located in a pile marked with [?].
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Airport ; Airstrip ; BELIEF ; BURIAL ; ETHNIC ; GRAVEYARD ; IRELAND ; Irish ; Legend ; Little People ; Mound ; SYMBOL
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome |
Play on Words
Thrones:
IN darkest Africa one time, there were some wicked men who terrorized the natives of the various tribes by exploiting them for their valuables. In fact, these men would go to the chief's hut and steal his throne, because they were usually adorned with gold and diamonds and all sorts of other precious stones.
Well, the word got around to one particular chief that thesemen were coming to his village. Not wanting his throne stolen, he had it hidden up in the attic of his grass hut. When the wicked men arrived, they only found a plain wooden chair as a throne. Thinking that this was not a worthwhile village profitably, they decided to leave. All of a sudden, without warning, the ceiling gave out, and the chief's magnificent throne fell to the ground in front of everybody. discovering this prize, the men packed it up and left the king with no throne.
The moral of this story: People who live in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.
Submitter comment:
I heard this a few years ago, but I don't remember when. the informant has also slipped my mind. / I don't remember where or whom I heard this from.
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [S570] crossed out/replaced with current classification
Written underneath the BN: [Shaggy Dog - Pun Type]
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): DETECTION OF THIEF ; Fable ; JOKE ; PUN ; SHAGGY DOG STORY ; Throne ; WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale |
Graffiti
When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember that your primary objective was to drain the swamp.
Submitter comment:
Graffiti regarding final examinations and the purposes of education.
Data entry tech comment:
BN and Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Upper left hand corner, the name JIM: is written.
Bottomright hand corner, the name Dick Kowalczyk is written.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Alligators ; EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GRAFFITI
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Phrase |
Language
Equidae - Horse Family
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by TRD
The only informatino given on the card is the BN and the three words.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Biology ; Classification ; DEFINITION ; Equine ; FAMILY ; HORSE ; Language
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal SPEECH -- Vocabulary SPEECH -- Folk Name for Animal |
Belief: Animal
Toads give warts.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): Amphibians ; ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; SUPERSTITION ; Toads ; Wart
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
Some people believe that handling toads will give a person warts.
Submitter comment:
I do not believe this statement
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740] is crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): AMPHIBIAN ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CURSE ; Disfigure ; SUPERSTITION ; Toad ; Wart
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Superstition: Animals
Turtles:
A belief in N.E. [New England?] states that if a snapping turtle bites you, it will hang on to you till the full moon and it will then let go.
Submitter comment:
I learned this from an old Fisherman.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P600, P752] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Bite ; Full Moon ; New England ; Region ; Snap ; SUPERSTITION ; Turtle
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Belief: Animal
The Hoop Snake:
It is believed that a certain snake in the Southwest, the hoop snake, can travel by rgabbing its tail in its mouth and rolling like a hoop.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Collector last name possibilities: Ston, Stan, Star, Stor, Stair, Stain, Stoin, Stoir.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Hoop ; REGIONAL ; Serpent ; Snake ; Southwest ; SUPERSTITION ; TRAVEL
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Animal |
Lady Bug
If a lady bug landed on you, you would say this little verse
and blow it off your hand. If it flew away out of sight, without
landing, her children were safe.
Lady Bug, Lady Bug
Fly fast away
Your house is on fire
And your children astray.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNKNOWN ; ROSEVILLE ; Child
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse BELIEF -- Insect |
Date learned: 00001950S
Counting Game
Eeenie meenie, dik-sha deenie
ooka amaleenie
acha pacha umma lacha
I Love You
Data entry tech comment:
The only information available on the card is that it was submitted by a "Joy."
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): COUNTING RHYME ; GAME ; RHYME ; Selection
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime |
Jump rope song
Grace, Grace, dressed in lace
Wnt upstaris to power her face
How many boxes did she waaste
One, two, three.......
Data entry tech comment:
Collector does not state where informant learned this song nor does the collect state where the informant lives.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |