The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

COUNTING OUT RHYME

"IN GAMES LIKE HIDE-AND-SEEK, THE PERSON WHO WAS 'IT' WAS DETER-
MINED BY A NUMBER OF WAYS. ONE SUCH WAY IS BY EACH PLAYER OF THE
GAME PLACING HIS FOOT IN A CIRCLE. ONE OF THE PERSONS WOULD THEN
ASK (AT THE SAME TIME TAPPING A FOOT OF EACH PLAYER ONCE FOR EACH
SYLLABLE IN THE SAYING): 'BUB-BLE-GUM, BUB-BLE-GUM, IN A DISH,
HOW MAN-Y PIE-CES DO YOU WISH?' THE PERSON WHOSE FOOT WAS TAPPED
LAST WOULD THEN SAY A NUMBER (1-10) AND THE TAPPING OF FEET
WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL THE NUMBER HAD BEEN COUNTED. AT THE END OF
THE COUNT, THE TAPPER WOULD CONTINUE BY SAYING (E.G. 1-5):
'1-2-3-4-5 AND YOU WILL NOT BE IT.' THEN THE PERSON TO BE TAPPED
ON 'IT' WOULD BE OUT OF THE COUNTING. THE ROUTINE CONTINUED
UNTIL THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERSON LEFT AND HE WOULD BE 'IT.'"

Submitter comment: THE COUNT COULD BE SHORTENED BY DELETING "NOT" FROM THE FIRST
PART OF THE SAYING ("...WILL NOT BE IT.")

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR

Date learned: 04-00-1984