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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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RUB A RAW POTATO ON A WART AND THEN PLACE POTATO
UNDER A ROCK TO GET RID OF WARTS.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

James Callow Keyword(s): TRANSFER PLUGGING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Plant

Date learned: 00001900s

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IF YOU PASS A LOAD OF HAY AND MAKE A WISH, IT WILL
COME TRUE PROVIDED YOU DON'T LOOK BACK.

Submitter comment: HEARD WHEN INFORMANT WAS A CHILD IN GRAND MARAIS,
MICHIGAN.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; GRAND MARAIS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Prayer

Date learned: 01-11-1964

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A SON USUALLY GROWS TO BE A LITTLE TALLER THAN HIS FATHER.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

Date learned: 11-00-1968

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IF, WHEN PICKING THE PETALS OFF OF A FLOWER, ONE AT
A TIME, YOU SAY HE (SHE) LOVES ME FOR THE FIRST
PETAL, HE LOVES YOU NOT FOR THE SECOND, HE LOVES
YOU FOR THE THIRD, AND SO ON TO THE LAST PETAL,
THE LAST PETAL WILL DETERMINE IF THE PERSON LOVES
YOU OR NOT.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT REMEMBERS THIS FROM CHILDHOOD IN WISCONSIN.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WISCONSIN

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Use of object for determining true love P861.2

Date learned: 10-17-1967

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IF YOU DREAM ABOUT TEETH, SOMEONE WILL DIE.
IF YOUR TEETH HURT IN THE DREAM, THE PERSON WILL
BE CLOSE TO YOU AND THE DEATH WILL BRING PAIN.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Mouth, teeth, lips, tongue
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
BELIEF -- Dreams Foretelling a death

Date learned: 11-00-1968

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IF YOU GIVE A FRIEND A KNIFE, IT WILL CUT YOUR FRIENDSHIP IN TWO.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: Food Drink -- Service Table furnishing and decoration Implement to handle food
BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

Date learned: FROM CHILDHOOD

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BAD LUCK IN THREES

BAD LUCK, ESPECIALLY DEATHS, COMES IN THREES.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; Grandmother ; TOLD BY

Subject headings: 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
BELIEF -- Bad luck

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

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FAIRIES ARE REAL. MY MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT WHEN MY TOOTH
FELL OUT, TO PUT IT UNDER MY PILLOW AND THE TOOTH FAIRY
WOULD COME AND LEAVE SOME MONEY. WELL, ID DID IT EVERY
TIME AND EVERY TIME IT WORKED, I WONDER WHO THE FAIRY WAS?

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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FAIRIES ARE REAL. MY MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT WHEN MY TOOTH
FELL OUT, TO PUT IT UNDER MY PILLOW AND THE TOOTH FAIRY
WOULD COME AND LEAVE SOME MONEY. WELL, ID DID IT EVERY
TIME AND EVERY TIME IT WORKED, I WONDER WHO THE FAIRY WAS?

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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ONE FEATURE OF THE TELEVISION SHOW, "MICKEY MOUSE CLUB,"
WAS A LOOK THROUGH AN ENCYCLOPEDIA. THE THEME FOR
THIS FEATURE USED A RHYTHMIC SPELLING OF "ENCYCLO-
PEDIA"--ENCYC/LO/PEDIA. TODAY, IF YOU ASK ALMOST
ANY YOUNG PERSON WHO GREW UP WITH THE MICKEY MOUSE
CLUB SHOW TO SPELL ENCYCLOPEDIA, HE WILL DO IT
IN THE RHYTHM TAUGHT BY JIMINY CRICKET! {CHARACTER
ON THAT SHOW, AND FROM PINOCCHIO}.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion
SPEECH -- Formula

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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JOKE-GESTURE ABOUT STRONG MEN, ON HOW THEY USE ANY
EXCUSE TO SHOW OFF. EXAMPLE IS POINTING GESTURE:
THEY FLEX THEIR ARM THEN TURN WRIST AND THEN POINT.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
SPEECH -- S236
SPEECH -- Games Riddles Jokes

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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Superstition

Superstition:

Anything tried on Friday the 13th will fail.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880.6] crossed out and replaced with P574.5

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CURSE ; DATE ; Day ; Friday ; jinx ; SUPERSTITION ; TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA ; Weekday

James Callow Keyword(s): TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA

Subject headings: 686 Specific number by specific number being described
BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour

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Belief: Children's Song

If you step on a crack you'll break your mother's back.

Submitter comment:

Stepping on Cracks Superstition

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with C860.740

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself

Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief

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Myth

Easter Bunny:

The Easter Bunny - A big rabbit with a white tail who hides eggs around your house.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P429] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Bunny ; CUSTOM ; Easter ; Eggs ; Hare ; holiday ; MYTH ; Rabbit

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Weather

IF IT RAINS, THE DEAD ARE HAPPY.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial

Date learned: CHILDHOOD

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PATTY THE BAG

APPARENTLY, IN IRELAND PATTY THE BAG IS A WITCH CREATURE WITH
WHICH CHILDREN ARE THREATENED IF THEY MISBEHAVE,
E.G. IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT, PATTY THE BAG WILL TAKE YOU.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT HAD KNOWN OF THE LEGEND SINCE HER CHILDHOOD IN IRELAND.
SHE WAS BORN C. 1870

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; IRELAND

James Callow Keyword(s): THREAT

Subject headings: BELIEF -- P435,

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES,
BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME.

Submitter comment:

REPLY TO A TAUNT.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; GRADE SCHOOL

Keyword(s): BONES ; Defense ; poem ; Reverse Taunt ; RHYME ; SONG ; Sticks ; STONES ; TAUNT ; WORDS

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse
BELIEF -- P870 P870.570

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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PROVERB

BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP, BUT IT HELPS.

Submitter comment: CORRUPTION OF THE FAMILIAR.

Data entry tech comment: VARIANT

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; HOME

Keyword(s): HUMAN BODY

James Callow Keyword(s): HUMOR ; PARODY

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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KRAKOWIAK (POLISH DANCE)

LIKE THE AMERICAN SQUARE DANCE.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; NOT GIVEN ; HOME ; PENNSYLVANIA ; MICHIGAN ; LETTER ; OHIO ; NEW JERSEY ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; AUTOGRAPH BOOK ; GROSSE POINTE ; HARPER WOODS ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; WARREN ; JAPAN ; RUSSIA ; GRAND RAPIDS ; SHIPLE HALL ; GARDEN CITY ; ROYAL OAK ; TOLEDO ; TRENTON ; FARMINGTON ; KALAMAZOO ; CANADA ; ONTARIO ; MARYGROVE COLLEGE ; DETROIT ; MAIL ; INDIANA ; DETROIT, ASSUMED ; TOLD AT HOME ; FERNDALE ; SOUTHFIELD ; TENNESSEE ; MACKENZIE HIGH SCHOOL ; HAMTRAMCK ; DEARBORN ; MINNESOTA ; ILLINOIS ; NEW YORK ; FLORIDA ; KOREA ; WISCONSIN ; NEW HAMPSHIRE ; STUDENT UNION ; READING ; AUSTRALIA ; Sylvania ; Sterling Heights ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED ; GROSSE POINTE PARK ; OAK PARK ; SOUTHGATE ; STURGEON LAKE ; REDFORD ; TOORAK ; VICTORIA ; ROSEVILLE ; LINCOLN PARK ; TRAVERSE CITY ; HUNTINGTON WOODS ; PONTIAC ; TROY ; PORT CHESTER ; SOUTH AMERICA ; BROOKVILLE ; MONTREAL ; SEOUL ; NORTH OLMSTED ; EASTOWN THEATER ; ERIE ; University of Notre Dame ; FRANKLINVILLE ; TORONTO ; TOLD AT ; TOLD BY ; TOLD IN ; SCRANTON ; MONROE ; GLENVIEW ; MOSCOW ; GULLEY ; FINLAND ; HARBOR BEACH ; HOUGHTON LAKE ; Hudson Lake ; INDIANAPOLIS ; JONESBORO ; KANSASVILLE ; LEXINGTON ; MASSILLON ; MAUCH CHUNK ; MELVINDALE ; MILFORD ; NEW ROCHELLE ; NIAGARA FALLS ; PANAMA CITY ; PATAGONIA ; ARGENTINA ; RESIDENCE HALL ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES ; TOLD AT HONORS HOUSE ; AMERICAN HISTORY CLASS

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Dance

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Mandy

Mandy was a Bahama girl (2x's)
(Mandy oh Mandy, Mandy Mine. REFRAIN)

Dark Brown hair and eyes of blue,
love nobody else but you. REFRAIN

Met her on a Saturday night
Was the happiest night of my life. REFRAIN

Married her on Bahama sands
Put a wedding ring on her hand. REFRAIN

Mandy had a little baby
Had a baby just for me. REFRAIN

Baby made my Mandy cry
Cry so hard she was sure to die. REFRAIN

Buried her on Bahama sands
With her wedding ring on her hand. REFRAIN

Mandy was a wife to me
Now she's just a memory. REFRAIN

There's a teardrop in my eye
There to remain until I die. REFRAIN



 

Submitter comment:

Along with this song goes the belief that it should only be sung in darkness or at night or it will start to rain.

This song was learned at a Girl Scout Camp at age of fourteen.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are same person.

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Girl Scout Camp

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ballad Epic

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