The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

FIRST STREELIGHT GAME

WHEN THE FIRST STREETLIGHT COMES ON, YOU
ARE TO YELL OUT, ZERO, FIRST STREETLIGHT.
ANOTHER PERSON SHOUTS, ZERO, SECOND
STREETLIGHT. THE PERSON WHO SAYS, ZERO,
THIRD STREETLIGHT, GETS HIT BY THE REST
OF THE GROUP.

Submitter comment: WE USED TO PLAY THIS EVERY NIGHT WHEN
THE STREETLIGHT WOULD COME ON. THEN
EVERYBODY CAUGHT ON AND WE WOULD HAVE TO
COMPEL SOMEONE TO TAKE THE THIRD PART
SO THE GAME COULD FINISH AND WE COULD SWAT SOMEONE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): QUICKNESS ; URBAN

Subject headings:

686 Properties attributed to specific numbers or numerals individually.
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Mental Activity
BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero
BELIEF -- Number Inter related specific numbers in a belief: Two's a couple, / Three's a crowd; / Four on a sidewalk / Is never allowed. (Also see C700 and C800 for numbers in verse.) In computer entries our example
SPEECH -- Formula

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR.