The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Counting Out

My mother and your mother were hanging up clothes.
My mother punched your mother right in the nose.
What color was the blood?

Submitter comment: This is a game for choosing who will be the first
player to be "it." Each player puts one foot forward.
One player recites the rhyme while touching each
players' foot in order. Whoever's foot is touched at
the end of the rhyme must choose a color for the blood.
The person who said the rhyme then spells the color
touching each person's foot for each letter spelled.
Whoever's foot is touched on the last letter of the
color is "it."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK

Date learned: 00001970S