Folk-Lore from Maryland (1925)

Wed Mar 16 21:05:18 UTC 2005

As if "Little Red Riding Hood" wasn't scary enough.

At 03:25 PM 3/16/2005, you wrote:
>The "ladybug/ladybird" story, together with the story of the
>one-legged rooster that wound up making a living as a weathercock,
>was one of the horrors of my childhood, too. I can still remember the
>accompanying illustrations (can you believe it?!) well enough that,
>even now, the memory makes my flesh crawl.
>
>My mother told me that her childhood horror story was that of
>Snow-White and Rose-Red, who were sent to gather strawberries in
>February. I remember this one, too, But, I knew that there would be
>some magic that would save the girls, whereas the ladybug/ladybird
>and the one-legged rooster were just plain bleeped.
>
>-Wilson
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIOU.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: Folk-Lore from Maryland (1925)
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>For me:  "Your house is on fire, your children all gone" (or maybe "are
>>gone").  Gruesome by inference.
>>
>>At 09:40 PM 3/15/2005, you wrote:
>>>"Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home,
>>>Your house is on fire, your children alone."
>>>
>>>Again from my grandmother.  Somewhat less gruesome than the Md. version.
>>>
>>>My understanding is that it's good luck for a ladybug to land on you.
>>>
>>>JL
>>>
>>>Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>-----------------------
>>>Sender: American Dialect Society
>>>Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
>>>Subject: Folk-Lore from Maryland (1925)
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>FOLK-LORE FROM MARYLAND
>>>collected by Annie Weston Whitney and Caroline Canfield Bullock
>>>New York:
>>>Published by the American Folk-Lore Society
>>>G. E. Stechert and Co., New York, Agents
>>>1925
>>>....
>>>A lot of familiar, interesting stuff is here, at a somewhat early date. I
>>>might do follow-up research in later posts on some of the terms...Sorry in
>>>advance for my typing.
>>>....
>>>....
>>>Pg. 70:
>>>When you see the first star in the evening, make a wish and say:
>>>Star bright, star bright,
>>>First star I've seen tonight,
>>>I wish you may, I wish you might,
>>>Give me the wish, I wish tonight.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 73:
>>>A shorter way to tell fortunes by daisies is,
>>>He loves me, he loves me not.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 107:
>>>Monday's child is fair in face,...
>>>....
>>>Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger,
>>>Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger,
>>>Sneeze on Wednesday, receive a letter,
>>>Sneeze on Thursday, something better,
>>>Sneeze on Friday, expect sorrow,
>>>Sneeze on Saturday, joy t-morrow (or a beau to-morrow)
>>>Sneeze on Sunday, your safety seek
>>>Or the devil will have you the whole of the week.
>>>....
>>>Cut your nails on Monday, cut for news,
>>>Cut on Tuesday, a pair of new shoes,
>>>Cut on Wednesday, cut for health;
>>>Cut on Thursday, cut for wealth;
>>>Cut on Friday, cut for woe;
>>>Cut on Saturday, a journey you'll go;
>>>Cut them on Sunday, you'll cut for evil.
>>>....
>>>"Friday's hair and Sunday's horn
>>>You'll meet the Black Man on Monday Morn."
>>>....
>>>Monday, health,
>>>Tuesday, wealth,
>>>Wednesday, the best day of all;
>>>Thursday, crosses,
>>>Friday, losses,
>>>Saturday, no day at all.
>>  >....
>>  >Pg. 130: STREET CRIES. The Devil Crab Man.
>>  >Ah, I hav 'em hot,
>>  >Ah, I have 'em brown,
>>  >Ah, I have 'em long,
>>  >Ah, I have 'em roun',
>>  >Dey's nice en fat, dey weighs a poun',
>>  >Daibble!
>>>....
>>>Pg. 133:
>>>1-2-3-4-5-6-7.
>>>All goof children go to heaven,
>>>One flew east and one flew west
>>>And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
>>>....
>>>1-2-3-4-5-6-7.
>>>All goof children go to heaven,
>>>Some go up and some go down,
>>>And some go all around the town.
>>>....
>>>1-2-3-4-5-6-7,
>>>All good children go to heaven,
>>>1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8,
>>>All bad children are too late.
>>>....
>>>1-2-3-4-5-6-7
>>>All good children go to heaven,
>>>All the rest fo below,
>>>To keep company with Jumbo,
>>>or
>>>To keep company with Guiteau.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 138:
>>>What's your name? Pudding-in-tane.
>>>Where do you loive? Up Red Lane.
>>  >What's your number? 22 Cumber.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 139:
>>>Nigger in the woodshed,
>>>Don't you hear him holler?
>>>Take him up to my house
>>>And give him half a dollar.
>>>....
>>>As I went up the apple tree,
>>>All the apples fell on me.
>>>Bake a pudding,
>>>Bake a pie,
>>>You're the one who told the lie.
>>>....
>>>Knife and fork,
>>>Bottle and cork,
>>>That's the way
>>  >To spell New York.
>>>....
>>>A rough shirt
>>>And a standing collar
>>>Will choke a nigger
>>>Till he holler.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 140:
>>>Hayfoot, strawfoot,
>>>Specklefoot, crawfoot,
>>>Some flew east, some flew west,
>>>Some flew over the cuckoo's nest.
>>>....
>>>Aka baka, soda cracker,
>>>Aka baka boo,
>>>My grandfather has an old horshoe
>>>How many nails did he put in it?
>>>(Select a number & count that many.)
>>>....
>>>Draw a bucket of water,
>>>For my lady's daughter,
>>>A gay gold ring and a silver pin,
>>>And pray my lady go under.
>>>(Miss Jennie go under.)
>>>....
>>>Pg. 142:
>>>_Bingo._ (...) _The Farmer stands alone._
>>>....
>>>Pg. 147: _Ugly mug._
>>>Come put your right hand in,
>>>Come put your right hand out,
>>>Come give your right hand a shake, shake, shake,
>>>And turn your body about.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 151:
>>>Once upon a time,
>>>When the fogs ate lime,
>>>The turkeys chawed tobacco,
>>>And the geese drank wine.
>>>....
>>>Once upon a time,
>>>A fog made a rhyme,
>>>Goose chewed Tobacco,
>>>And the cat drank wine.
>>>....
>>>Once I was a wish bone,
>>>Grew within a hen,
>>>Now I am a little slave,
>>>That is made to wipe your pen.
>>>....
>>>Hot corn! Baked pears!
>>>Knock a nigger down stairs.
>>>....
>>>Christmas is coming,
>>>Turkeys are fat,
>>>Please drop a penny,
>>>In the little boy's hat.
>>>(Or the Newsboy's hat.)
>>>....
>>>Pg. 155:
>>>All the cats consulted,
>>>What was it about?
>>>How to catch a little mouse
>>>Running in and out.
>>>....
>>>Rain, rain, go away
>>>And come again another day,
>>>For little Johnny
>>>Wants to play.
>>>....
>>>Rain come wet me,
>>>Sun come dry me,
>>>Go 'way Patsy,
>>>Don't come nigh me.
>>>....
>>>Jake, Jake, the rattlesnake
>>>Stole-a half a-dollar cake.
>>>....
>>>Take all you gimme.
>>>....
>>>A fool for luck,
>>>A poor man for children,
>>>Eastern shore for hard crabs,
>>>And niggers for dogs.
>>>....
>>>Ting-a-ling-a-ling the scissors grinder,
>>>Lost his wife and couldn't find her.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 156:
>>>I had a piece of pork,
>>>I put it on a fork,
>>>And gave it to the curly headed Jew, Jew, Jew.
>>>....
>>>Tattle tale tit,
>>>Your tongue shall be split,
>>>And all the girls in our town
>>>Shall have a little bit.
>>>....
>>>Cry baby cry,
>>>Put your finger in your eye
>>>And tell your Mother 'twasn't I.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 157:
>>>Catch a grasshopper, and say,
>>>"Spit, spit, tobacco juice,
>>>If you don't do it, I'll kill you".
>>>If he does not spit, he is killed.
>>>....
>>>If you see a ladybug, catch it and put it on your finger and say:
>>>"Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home,
>>>Your house is on fire, your children will burn."
>>>Then it will fly away home.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 158:
>>>My love for you will never fail,
>>>So long as pussy has her tail.
>>>....
>>>So long as grass grows round this stump,
>>>You are my darling sugar lump.
>>>....
>>>(Said to a child who affects a very fainty appetite at table.)
>>>"Leave something for Miss Manners."
>>>....
>>>I beg your pardon, I grant you grace,
>>>I hope the cat will scratch your face.
>>>....
>>>Whistling girls and crowing hens
>>>Always come to some bad ends.
>>>....
>>>A whistling man and a crowing hen
>>>Are not fit for gods or men.
>>>....
>>>Girls that whistle and hens that crow,
>>>Gather life's pleasure as they go.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 159:
>>>Needles and pins, needles and pins,
>>>When a man marries his trouble begins.
>>>....
>>>Tit for tat;
>>>If you kill my dog,
>>>I;ll kill your cat.
>>>....
>>>Multiplication is vexation.
>>>Division is bad,
>>>The rule of Three doth puzzle me,
>>>And Practice drives me mad.
>>>....
>>>Whilst we live, we live in clover,
>>>When we die, we die all over.
>>>....
>>>I had a little fod, his name was Rover,
>>>And when he died, he died all over.
>>>....
>>>After breakfast, work awhile;
>>>After dinner, sit awhile;
>>>After supper, walk a mile.
>>>....
>>>Pg. 173:
>>>Sisters and brothers have I none,
>>>But that man's father is my father's son,
>>>What relation is that man to me?
>>>(My Son.)
>>>....
>>>Pg. 174:
>>>A house full, a hole full,
>>>You can't get a bowl full.
>>  >(Smoke.)
>>>....
>>>Up and down,
>>>Never touches sky nor ground.
>>>(Pump Handle.)
>>>....
>>>Pg.175:
>>>Long legs, crooked thighs,
>>>Little head and no eyes.
>>>(Pair of tongs.)
>>>....
>>>Round as a biscuit,
>>>As busy as a bee,
>>>The prettiest little thing,
>>>You ever did see.
>>>(A watch.)
>>>....
>>>
>>>
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