The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

FUDGE

THIS GAME WAS PLAYED WITH ANY TYPE OF BALL AND SOME
TYPE OF ROOF. A LINE WOULD BE DRAWN ON THE GROUND
PERHAPS FIFTEEN (FEET?) FROM THE ROOF. EVERYBODY
HAD TO STAND BEHIND THIS LINE. THEN ONE PERSON WOULD
START THE GAME BY TOSSING THE BALL ON THE ROOF AND
CALLING OUT A NUMBER. EACH PLAYER WAS DESIGNATED
A NUMBER INSTEAD OF HIS NAME TO CONFUSE HIM. WHEN
SOMEONE ELSE CALLED YOUR NUMBER, YOU HAD TO RUN UP
AND CATCH THE BALL ROLLING OFF OR BOUNCING OFF THE
ROOF BEFORE IT STRUCK THE GROUND. AS SOON AS YOU
DID, THEN YOU THREW IT UP ONTO THE ROOF AND CALLED
SOMEONE'S NUMBER. IF YOUR NUMBER WAS CALLED AND
YOU MISSED THE BALL, THEN YOU RECEIVED A LETTER,
STARTING WITH F. WHEN YOU HAD MISSED FIVE TIMES,
OR HAD SPELLED OUT THE WORD FUDGE, THEN YOU WERE
OUT OF THE GAME. THE LAST ONE LEFT WAS THE WINNER.
EXACTLY THE SAME GAME WAS SOMETIMES CALLED RAIN ON
THE ROOF, IN WHICH YOU WERE ALLOWED A CERTAIN NUMBER
OF MISSES, SUCH AS THREE.

Submitter comment: I LEARNED TO PLAY THIS FROM THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD
CHILDREN IN FORT WAYNE.

Where learned: INDIANA ; FORT WAYNE

Date learned: 00-00-1949