The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

COUNTING OUT RHYME

EACH CHILD INVOLVED PUTS HIS TWO FISTS FORWARD AND ONE
PERSON DOES THE COUNTING OUT, SAYING ONE WORD AS HE
TAPS EACH FIST. THE RHYME IS:
ENGINE, ENGINE NUMBER NINE,
GOING DOWN CHICAGO LINE.
IF THE TRAIN SHOULD JUMP THE TRACK,
DO YOU WANT YOUR MONEY BACK?
CHILD MAY REPLY, YES, AND THE COUNTER CONTINUES, Y-E-S
SPELLS YES, AND YOU ARE NOT IT. WHOEVER HAS THE WORD "IT"
SPOKEN TO HIM, PUTS THAT FIST BEHIND HIS BACK. THE PROCESS
CONTINUES UNTIL ONE PERSON HAS ONE FIST LEFT AND THAT
PERSON IS IT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES