The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

BEFORE A GAME, TO CHOOSE WHO IS "IT" OR WHO GOES
FIRST, ALL INTENDING TO PLAY PUT ONE FOOT INTO A
CIRCLE. A DESIGNATED PERSON (FOOT ALSO IN) SAYS
THE FOLLOWING WHILE TAPPING CLOCKWISE OR COUNTER-
CLOCKWISE AROUND THE CIRCLE, TAPPING A FOOT AT
EACH WORD:
BUBBLE GUM, BUBBLE GUM IN A DISH,
HOW MANY PIECES DO YOU WISH?
THE PERSON WHOSE FOOT IS TAPPED SAYS AN ARBITRARY
NUMBER. THE PERSON TAPPING THEN BEGINS COUNTING
WITH THE NEXT PERSON'S FOOT AND CONTINUES UP TO THE
NUMBER GIVEN. SHE CONTINUES TAPPING SAYING, "AND
YOU ARE NOT IT." THE PERSON WHOSE FOOT IS TAPPED,
PUTS HIS FOOT OUT. THIS CONTINUES UNTIL THERE IS
ONE LEFT. SHE IS "IT" OR GOES FIRST, DEPENDING ON
WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT