Margret Christensen’s interview with students from B.C. Haynie Elementary School, Ash Street Elementary School, and Tara Elementary School (part two)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Note: This recording is available upon request. Audio begins at 00:40 with unintelligible singing. At 1:33, a student sings Yankee Doodle, then tells a story about his grandfather immigrating to the United States from Denmark. Next at 08:08 he recalls a legend about the Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortezs wife and child. The audio concludes with the students singing a folk song about burning down a school and telling humorous riddles about war. B.C. Hanyie Elementary school opened in 1959 in Morrow, Georgia. Ash Street Elementary school is located in Forest Park, Georgia. Tara Elementary school opened in 1954 in Morrow, Georgia. AHC Oral History Cataloging Worksheet File Information Catalogue number ~At/') I((JeCP>, Kl, to Source Field' (ContentDM) . Release form Yeso~ Transcript Yes or No scanned:, From Yes or~6) Default text: Contributed by an OR: Donated by individual: individual through <your org, name> " Georgia Folklore Collection through <your org. name> Object Information Enter informati,on about thepllhYSIC' aI ob)J' ect here: Title -:Pi Y''lV\ b~' (},(:0t,\.3 1 (\ 'to'l ,,> 'j\, \\: 1''\ (A 'I'd fl.(\) \ I OU " ') (interviewee name and date ~jVICCJ VI ,1:) \J ) I) I<t (C'( \. ( r <..-.1 of interview) , Description (bio on interviewee) :5((- 5't1"( 1, {'J\,(\-/I/\ . 1 Creator H, (\\(V", \ C( C-h\ \'::,tc / ,.; ') (Enter either , an individual's Burrison Folklore Class name or an organization) Collection Name (within the Georgia Folklore Archives organization) Creation Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) Year (if only the year is known) Circa (4 digit year) Jt( /) l Year Span From To Object Type Image_ Text - Text and image_ Video and sound - Sound onlyL Media Format Reel-reel (VHS, reel to reel, etc) Recording Hours: I extent Minutes: 'e),. \ & ,II 7- I Derivatives Access copy: Yes or No Access copy format: Recording clip fY~rNo Clip extent: '-.-. q:::;~. Time code for Beginning: \ "" \\ {. "(, '(d; 3 End: \ '. I (;, ',"'::;LJ. .;tJ' clip (h:m:s) I Oillj Notes 1\ , ,) ' (interview .' l'~)\\c(". \U\ \ ~\()(':CO" I (\,0: \~\0 C:\{ r)\ 'r:') (\ (,J, \' Cj(\ I)~ I ( .." -.~ ..-' \, I \/ summary) I 0,\(: ~ u\\'(' ('~(' ('J ( :- f'I"11 '\ (, (),~} , S~ ,\ )(\{JI " 0.\ " \ \ \ )"';~\ . 1'"I \', I , ........ .. .//('(\ n rC 1'1) 1l t\('\ ;\ I j I , , Ii) I'Y':> (yl {\"\! ;\ cJ ( \ .Ji ~ j\. : t \. 1'-"'" \) .. "',...~-~ T C t\CCq \i\'\-e :1 (f r '1 '(J ('it t~! ..~.~ )61 ,~ l, ). 2 Recording issues (background noise, echo, static, etc.) Subject Information Enter information about the content of the obiect here: Subject Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) (use only one) Year (if only the year is known) Circa (4 digit year) Year Span From To Subject Who Subject Location Subject What (LOC subject headinas onlv) Country State I County.. ToWn I Locai Name \\>1'\ ~t A t\c'\\~'\p VI j l):,\ft,~ "fc"~K V V ,~ , (1\ \ (:, (" ) AHC Cataloger will complete this for you. Keywords Personal names Burrison, John See subject who for additional names 3 Corporate names Geographic locations Topics ~(k,,\ \ (,c k" \ . ~CI(tJ,"\."'\ ~~"J"H\ t't)'1 ('~;', ':\'C\\ k t bl\ tA.()'\ \ Ol/) I Q,I'\ 4 OHILDJ.U5N" S FO]JKLOlm Mar~aret Ohristensen Fo1~1ore 300, 10:40 Nr. llurrison I (l\ J). I ' / . . ,\ I/~ /) (- .",0/<""1' I, . This is a collection of jokes, songs, and stories that r collected from fifth grade children in Forest Park and Morrow, Georgia. These are not seperate areas, and there are ohildren from v'orest Park in the fIlorro" schools and vice versa. (NOTE: r colleoted from one sixth grade child l'1ho was scnt to me by mistake. H01vever, she appeared to have many stories and jokes as well as friends in common with the fifth graders I talked to in the same school.) The children at all three of these sohools come from middle class homes, and while r did make a dlstinction in strata of middle olass for the purpose of this report, Glayton Oounty reports a negligible number of "free-lunch" children, or children definately in need of financial asslstanoe. r based my distinctions of the sohools on observation of the surrounding neighborhoods and information I received from the pr:lJncipal of each sohool. I recelved good cooperation at eaoh of the schools :I visited, however I did receive a "hand picked" group of ch:lJldrcn at all three sohools. I had the least suocess at Tara Elemontary Sohool, and the best at Ash Street Elementary ~30hoo1. I should mention ths;t Tara was my first attempt at colleoting, Ash Street my second, and B. G. Haynie my last attempt. At 'rara, the principal was near, though not actually ~art of our group. The enthusiasm of the children at Ash Street School viaS so great that on / most portions of my tape, I viaS unable to oontain the ohildren long enoup;h to get their names before eaoh item. Onoe they got the idea of \'Ihat I \'laS looking for and got started swaping jokes and stories, they talked for my entire visit lvi ttl them. '1, I found that onlYhohildren neither did children where both had little to offer, and parent s work. 'rhe pre senoe say that o..reo., thisA had children. o~ any sohool official or teacher inhibited the ohildren, and the older children were embarrassed and did not tell me anything. On the bal3is of the children I talked \vlth, I would lower middle and upper middle olass ehildren in 1.~~\ more traditions the medium middle class B.C. HAYNIE ELEMFJN'rARY SCHOOL n. c. Haynie .Elementary Sohool is on [Vlorrovi Hoad in Morrow, Georgia. Haynie is a new school, this being its first year in operation. Most of these children are "upper-middle class," but the principal classes a small percentage of his students as "middle" and "lower-middle class" children. ievi of the children come from homes vlhere both parents \'/Ork. The principal is modern in his ideas and most of the teachers are young. INH'OHMANTS Antony I,ee McKinnon l'lichacl Carl \'lebb Kirk Von Gies :Dayna Davls Elizabeth Manders Orystal Reynolds (6th Grade) rIlE: First of all let me explain what I'm doing. I go to sehool too, and one of my homework assignments is to go and talk to ehildren and get them to tell me some stories, jokes, songs, riddles--that kind of thing. But I only want the ones you heard from another kid, not ones you heard on TVaI' read in a book. Does anyone know one? CRYSTAL: Vlell, there I s thin man he I'lan (;oing to the hotel to get a room, and he went up to the desk and he anked the clerk if he eould have a room, and the elerk said, "You ean have room ten, but don't go in room eleven beeause there's this crazy man In therc locked in a eage." So he said, "OK." So he I'lent up to the room. Uh, Uh, now I've forgotten it. So that night he got real curious abou t that craz,Y man in the cage and he I'lent in there and opened the door and the orazy man was jumping around trying to get out and everything so the man let him out and he started chasing the man and he chased hlm for two days and finally he oornered him on a oliff behlnd the rooks and the craz,Y man reaohe:d over and sald "tag--you I re it." DAYNA: A boy came home and sald, "Guess I'lhat .Dad, I made a hundred today I" The father says that :l.t is good, and asks what it was In. The boY' says, "I made 20 in spelling, 50 In math, and 30 In reading." QJilfJ'l'A.L: Where does a dog go when he loses his tail? To a retailers. What's black and white with red polka dots? A skuak with diaper rash. MIKE: ~jhat's, "Ihat's, what's I forgot it ,~hat's the man running around the bed trying to catch up V/ith? His sleep. ORYSTAL: ------ "hat goes black, "Ihite, black, "Ihite,black, "hite, thud Y A skunk rolling down a hill that ran into a rock. AN'j10NY: "'C_,"_."__~ ,. Vlhat has four eyes and goes under bridGes'? The Mississippi. You have another one? You lmo"l any jol,es about teachers'? DMNA: h'bat ~ s the difference bet"leen a train and a teacherY A train says choo choo and a teacher says take the gum out of your mouth. lUKE: Illy name is j\'like~jebb and I'm ten, and my story is Bloody Bones. Once there Vias this lady, and this daddy and this little boy and this little girl and a Vlitch. They all Vlere upstairs. The Vlitch told the lady to go downstairs and get some apples and something said, "Bloody Bones," and she ran back up, and the witch chopped her hcad ofL And then she told the father to go down there to get some apples and he went down there, he went down there, and was getting ready to get some and something said, "Blood,\, Bones," and he ran back up there and the witch chopped his head off. Then the witch told the boy to go down there to get some apples and he heard something that said, " "Blood.)' Bones, II and he ran out of there and the witch chopped his head off and then she told the girl to go dotlll there to get some apples and she ''lent dotlll there and something said, "Bloody Bones, II and she ran back up and the Ivi tch chopped her head off and then she told the baby to go dotlll there and get some apples and something said, "Bloody Bones," and the Baby' said, "Oh, Bloody Bones yourself." And he "lent back up and chopped 0 ff the wit ch.' shead. DAYNA: This story is about the house of the seven sirens. There once were two girls named IJinda and Sue and Sue's mother and father were going to go off to a meeting so Linda decided to come over to Sue's house. They were listening to the radio and they' heard a special bulletin that there was this crazy man loose, so they got real scared and, urn, turned off the radio and were going to bed and Sue decided she was thirsty and would go dotmstairs and get a soda pop. 1"inal1y Linda called for Sue to come on and there I'las no answer. Linda heard a lot of clanging and banging and then she heard a scream and so she got scared and looked the door. Then she heard something calling the name Sue, and then she heard seven sirens and then something at the door said, f'Let me in--" And she opened the door and there allover the floor was blood and on one side there lms Sue's arm and another part Sue's head, and legs. ELILjABETH: The name of this story 1.s the lady viith the blaok ribbon around her neok. There was this lady who wore th1.s blaok ribbon around her neok. And, uh, Vlhen she got married her husband asked her 'Ihy she \'Iorxe the blaok ribbon around her neok, and she said, " \Vai t 'till vre havo our first ohild and then I'll tell you. " So they had their first ohild and she said, "Wait 'till 1'/8 have our seoond. " So they had their se oond, and she said, "\'Iai t 'till we have our third," and it goes up to tho tenth. After the tenth, he asked her again, so she took off her ribbon and her head fell off. AN'rONY: Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the sohool, I have tortured all the teaohers and broken all the rules, We have tortured the prinoipal 'till his faoe 1.s turning blue, Our truth is marohing on. THIS IS SUNG TO THE TUNE O}' GLOH.Y, GLOHY HALI,ELUJAll I M.ID : How do you piok an it in a game where there has to be an IT? ORYSTAL: En{~ine, engine number nine, Going around the Ohioae;o line, If the train should jump the traok, Do you want your money baok'? And if they say yes, you go y-e-s and you are not it. it is the last one left. And 1"lE: Ib that the one ya'11 use too? DAYNA: i'ou can go one potato, t\,/o potato, three potato, four, fi ve potato, six potato, seven potato, more. And if the,Y land on more the fist they land on you put behind you. M.E: Is it the first one that doesn't have any fists left that's it 'f DAYNA: i'es. ELIZAllETH: I know one. Bubble gum, bubble gum in a ditch, Ho~/ many pieces do you wish:? OK, how do ,you boys pick it when you play? l'lIKE: Sometimes we say watermelon instead of potato to play. ME: Does anyone know the story about the (,Golden Arm?) DAYNA: Once there was this manand woman and they were in an accident and their arms vlere cut off and the man got an artificial arm and his wife got a golden arm. So later the wH'e died and \'/8.S buried and one night the man was laying there thinking, "1 should get that golden arm, it's just laying there going to waste." So he went and dug up his wife and got her golden arm. So that night he heard something saying, "I'm one mile away, I'm two miles away,!' 11ait a minute .... It starts out, "I'm nine miles al'1ay, eight miles avlaY, seven miles," It went on--"I'm at YOUI' front door, I'm coming up your steps, I'm at YOUI' bedroom door, BOOIIII' lViIKE: !'Iell, once there was thi s man who was hunting allover for a room, .and he couldn't find no room and finall,Y he went to this one place and said, "You got a room for me?" And he said, "Yea, but a lady's been murdered in it." And the man said, "I'll take it." And that night When he l'1aS about to g;o to sleep he heard this ~>;host and he said, "I'm the ghost l'1ith the bloody finger." He jumped up and ran downstairs. And then this hippie came along and he went in and said, "You got a room for me, cool daddy?" And he said, "'{ea, but a woman's been murdered in it." And he said, "I'll take it, cool daddy." That night when he l'1ent to bed, the ghost came and said, "I'm the Ghost with the bloody finger." "Daddy, I'll beat your brains out if you don't be quiet." I DOUBTED THAT THIS STUDENT HAD HEAHD THIS WHOM ANOTHER OHILD, BUT I FOUND I'r ~'HOl'1 S:ffiVERAL OHILDREN, USUALLY ONLY m~PLAOING "HIPPIl~"WI'rH "BEATNIK." on'LSTAL: This is sorta like the one I told before. 'rhere was this man he was going to get a room and the olerk gaNe him one, but he told him not to 2;0 in the room next to room ten beoause there was this lady there, she died in there. So, he says, "That's alright, I'll take the room." And so he \'lent up to his room that night and he got kinda' curious as to I'lhat llappened so he broke the lock on the door and went in and there vladn' t any furniture in the room exept one chair and there was this real beautiful lady sitting in it. And, uh, he went over and she looked like she was alive, she I'Tas blinlcin/s her eyes and winking, but, uh, everytime he said something to her she wouldn't talk. So he went over and kissed her and she held out her hand With rice in it and he ate. And he kissed her again and she held out her hand with rice in it. And it happened again. He ate the rice all three times. So he went downstairs to the desk and said, "I'Jhat are you talking about, mister? There's nothing vTrong I'Tith that lad,Y up there in the. t room. r kissed her three times and she gave me a little bit of rice every time I kissed her and I ate it." And the man says, "lV!ister, ,you shouldn't have done that 'cause that rice is Iittle I'lorms." KIHK: 'rhis is the stor,y of the three morons. Once there was three morons, and one had a gun. And he "Tent up and asked for a room, so he I'lent up and after he went to bed that ni~ht he heard, "It's coming, it's coming." So he shot lJimself. Then the second moron came, and he had a knife, and he asked for a room, and the clerk said, "Yes sir, but there's been one murder in it." After he vTent to bed that night, he heard, "It's coming, it's coming." So he stabbed himself. The third moron came up and asked for a room, and the clerk said, "I have one, but there I s been tVIO murderB in it." /6 And the moron said, "I'll take it." And that night he heard, "It's coming, it's comin:;." And he looked in all the bedrooms and finally he checked in the bathroom and there \'las this gu,Y sittinG on the toilet saying, "It's Ifcoming, it's coming. Ji;LIZABEJTH: I,jell, there \'laS this house) and um, there was this man who lived in, and urn, he married this real prett"' lady, and they had one kid. And after a vlhile, he got tired of her, so he ll:illed her and urn, that night the boy in his bed eould hear screaming and hollering and a head rolling down the stairs, and the man vlent to bed, and um, so he heard all that. About an hour later he \'las still awake and he heard a voice say, "I'm coming to get ,you and .... I'm a mile aI"ay, I'm on the PD~ch, I'm on your steps, I'm at your front door, I'm on the first step, I'm on the second step, I'm on the third step, I'm on the fourth step, I'm on the fifth step, I'm at your bedroom door, I'm at your bed, I GOT YOUJII This is the stor,y of the hook man. Once there was this man who had an arm cut off and so he had this hook put on the bottom of it and so he 1"Ien't around killing people with it. And so one night -this boy and girl at a theatre and they heard a bulletin that the hook man vias in their area and so they locked the door and took off real fast. And so 1"Ihen they got home, they found a hook on the door handle \'Ihere the g1rl \'las sitting. And the next day, the police said that they had found the hook man on that /1 road where they had come from. ME: 'dhere do ya'll hear most of these stories? Do you tell them at school or around in your neighborhood. S/llUDENTS: At home, from our friends. OHYS'fAL: Little birdie in the sky, lihy'd you do that in my eye, I'm a girl who does not ory, Boy, I'm glad that oows oan't fly. JOLIZABETH: Ooey Gooey was a worm, A mighty worm was he, He sat upon a railroad track, The train he didn't see, OO:l')Y GOO:l')Y I ANTONi: Glory, glory hallelujah, Teaoher hit me j/ith a ruler, I hid behind the door, with a loaded 44, She ain't gonna' hit me 11.0 more. SUNG 1'0 THE TUNE Oli' GLOHY, GLOHY HALLELUJAH I liJIKE; I'm Popeye the ~3ailor lIlan, I live in the garbage oan, I eat all the j'/orms, /;1. And spit out the germs, I'm Popeye the Sailor man. Boop, boop. SUNG 'ro 'rEE POPEYE THEME SONG. CRYSTAL: SUNG. My oountry 'tis of thee, I went to Germany, To see the kine;, His name is Donald Duck, He drives a garbage truck, I'll go to see him, In liberty. ELIZABETH: 'rhis jolee is oalled U,;am-too much. ilell, there \Vas this Indian and he had a wart on his finger and be went to a doctor and asked how much he would char'l!;e him to cut the wart off his finger. !~r.he dootor said' '200 :/1\]gam-too much.II And so he goes to the seeon~ doctor and asks how much he wants to eut this vlBrt off his finger. "300.~' "Ui;am-too much." So, he :;oes to a 'third doctor and asks abain. "50." ",1!i;8,m-too much." So he goes to the last doctor in the country and says, "How much will you eharge me to cut this '1lart off my finger?" "10." "Ugam-'too much." So he says, "I'll do it myself." So he went home and he took a knife and goes '1lhe.cle--"Ugam-too much." DAYNA: rlhitey ran, 'iVllltey out, \'ihitey out, tillite. A white man told a vrhi te doC; to run a lvhite cow out of' a cottonpatch in a white house. GHYSTAL: [,hat has a ~sr(~en house on the outside, and then a lvhite house on the inside of the green house, then on the inside of the vrhite house is a ~'cd house and inside the red house is a little brown baby? It's a watermelon. MIKE: Here comes the bride, Oright, yellow, and wide, Stepped on a turtle And dovm came her girdl(). SUlK, Ira TIm TUNm ali' 'on:HJ~ oo~ms 'rHE mum:. AN'.rONY: In l6i fiJ., m,Y Hothe l' \Vent to ,ra:r., She stepped on a turtle, And lost her girdle, And that'll thc cnd of the war. ]i;1JIZAJ3ETII : If thc rcd house is on the left, and ths green house is on the right, where is the white house? In iiashlni,;ton. ANTON)': Yanlcee Doodle went to town, Hldlng on a turtle, Turned a cornel' jUllt In time, To see a lady's girdle. DAYNA: Why is a river so rieh? Because it has two banks. OHYS'fAL: In 19!} it, my Fathe l' ,'tent to Vlar, lie stole a chicken, And he shot a nigger, And that's the end of' the ,'tal'. ELIZAl3luTH: iJell, there Vias thi s family, there ,'/BS four of them. 'fhe lViamma, the Daddy, a e;irl and a baby. And, uh, the Father was gonna' IsO p;et some water at the creek and he heard a voice say, "This is Bloody Bones and black eyed peas, take my \iatcr and I'll kill you." So he got scared and hc sent the j/JOther do,m there. So the j;!otherlient down there and then she heard, "This is Bloody Bones and black eyed peas, take m,y vlater and I'll lelll you." And so, she (sot scared and vlOnt back and sent the Iittle girl tbere. And she heard the voice, "This is Blood,y Bones and black e,yed peas, take m,y ,mtel' and I'll lcill ,you. Ii So she got scared and the little baby ,ient down there. And he heard, "'rhis is Bloody Bones and black eyed peas, talce my water and It 11 kill ,you." So the l:lttle bab,y says, "'fhis is Blood;y Bones and black 1/ e,yed peas, you don't scare me. CRYSTAl, : 'fhere ,ms this, I think, man, 'I,tho vlanted a room. So he went in a hotel and got him a room and ne went to sleep that night and all of a sudden he hears this voice and sees j Ii] this ima[~e and it says; "Iamithe ghost 1-lith the one blaole eye." And it soared the man so bad that he leaves the noxt morninG' And so another man comes along and l'lants a room, and that same night he hears a voi.ce that say s, "I I m the Ghost with the one black eye." So he leaves and this beatnik comes along and he gets the same room, so uh, he, um" he I s tr~ling to GO to sleep that night and he hears this voice, "I'm the Ghost l"l1th the one black eye." And the beatnik says, "Man, if .you don't shut up, I'm gonna give you. another<ione." MIKE: Urn, there 1'laS this little girl, she vias at the orphanage and her aunt comes back to picle her up. And the.y took her home that night but the grandma toolt; her d01'ffi to the basement and says to do something. And she says, "Vlhat's in that box'," And Grandma says for her not to peek. Later on after they go to bed that girl come back to tho basement and look in that blaok box, and there \Vas this hand in it. And uh, it jumped out after her and she slammed the box. It vlaS on that hand. And um, she saw her grandmother \-faitine; for her at the top of the stairs and told her to get back in bed. And the next night she went baole dOlm there. Before she went baok down there she asked her Grandmother ,'Iho's hand that l'IaS, and she said, "I oan,t tell you." And, uh, she went baok down there that next night and she opened that box just. a little bit and uh, the hand l'/adn't in there. Then she turned around and looked on the stairs, she \'/as i~ettin I read,y to go back u.p there, and the hand jumped on her neck and killed her. IlEHE I OIH'r'rED A JOK1~ THAT I AM ALlJIOST POSITIVE THE CHILD MADJll UP. ELIL;ABETH: .__....:;""'~~-~"'. 'l'here was this bo,Y and he \"las pla,ying in the front yard and itl1as a big house and there \"las this house beside it-,..it \-Ias haunted at least the,y said it Vias. And he went to investigate. lle went there and he 'lent upstairs and he goes in the rooms and he looks around and he hears his mother calling him And somehow he dropped his shoe, but he didn't know about it. And so, he, um, wBnt home and his mother says, "rlhere's your other shoe1" And he sa,Ys, "I don't kno,I, I lost it." And she says, "rlhere have you been?" And he says, "I been out in the back yard playing." She sa,,'s, "Go out there and look and find it." So, he e;oe s out in the back yard, and it Vlasn' -t there. And he goes in the front yard, and it wasn't there and he says, "I musta' lost it in the haunted house." So he goes back over there and urn, he looks around the house and can't find it. So he Vlent in this om1 bedroom and there was this chest, so he looks in the first drawer and it ViaS empty, the second, third, and he found his shoe in the fourth drawer. So he put it on and went back home. And so that nie;ht, he heard a voice sa,y, "Cave me my shoe." So it went away, and then, uh, two days later, "Give me m;y shoe." And finally, the voice said, "I'm coming out of m,,' house, I'm dOrm my stairs, 1 'm on the grass, I'm coming to ,,'our house, 1'7 I'm on your steps, I'm on the porch, I'm at your door, I'm on your stairs, I'm coming up, I'm on the first step, second step, third step, fourth step, fifth step, I'm in your halhra,Y, I'm isoinr; to the bathroom, I'm comint': to ,your door, I'm at your bed, I GOT YOUllll1 ANTONY: IJhen the Beatlcs l,ere going down in the slramp, guess what the,Y said'( I want to hold your hand. iJIK1~ : Three little niggers, La,ying in bed, One rolled over, And the others were dead. llJIKl~ : E'at and Skinn,y \'T(ore in bed, Fat rolled over, Skinny was dead. OH:CS'rAL AND DAYNA: ~ou were going to the fair Over me. And you found two niggers Over me. You went upstairs Over me. '(au vrere looking out the windON Over me. They \'rere fi(shting Over me. 'fAHA ELEM.EJN'J~AHY SOHOOL Tara Elementary School, on Morrow Industrial Boulevard in Morrow, Georgia, is five years old. It is located in a "medium-middle class" neighborhood and there are very few children attending this school out of this olass. l'1any of the children come from homes <lhere both parents 1'10 rk. The sehool is run by a prlnclpal who has rclatlvely modern ldeas about education and most of the teachers are young. INJ"ORMANTS Hare-ld McOanick Kathy Darner Mark l,wygert Teresa IV/cAfee Brad Christensen /q ME: B'irst of all let me explain what I'm doing. I go to school too, and one of my homework assignments is to go and talk to children and get them to tell me some stories, j6kes, songs, riddles--that kind of thing. But I only "/Bnt the ones ,you heard from another kid, not ones you heard onfN or read in a book. Does anyone know one? HAHOLD: This is the legent of Turtle Island. There is this island..;-in flawaii--that is shaped like a turtle. And it moved. It l'las bad for the people. But then somebody doved under and drove in spears and it never moved again. AI!'TJm OAHEYOL GONSIDEHAT ION, I DON"'r 'rHINK I GOT ANYTHING ELSE AT THE SOHOOL THAT OOULD BE US:I'JD. (SJm EXPlJANATION AT BEGINNING.). HO InVE11 , I DID GET smm ~'HOH Ilj'( 13HOTHEH, NHO GOES TO THIS SOHOOL. BRAD: fankee Doodlel'lcnt to tOl'Ill, Ariding on his pony, Turned the corner just in time, To see a lady's girdle. BHAD: ilhat I s black and l'lhite and red allover? An embarrassed zebra. BHA.D: My grandmother told me this story about my grandfather Who since has passed, al'lay at the age of 9i f. jVjy grandfather died at the age of 86, 19 years ago. This is the story. ;At> My grandfather belonged to a large family in the city of Arhus, Denmark.. When lar,;e families in the poor countries of Denmark., at a ver,Y ,young age, the children are sent out to earn a 1,age. My grandfather, he earned his livinG as a sheepherder, He ~Ias five. lIe slept in these people I s barn and he had a little bell that he took out when he went sheepherding. He brought that bell 20 years later to the United States. His dream from when since he was very young was to come to the United States, 1Vhere according to ~Ihat he had heard he could earn a very nice wage very quickl,Y. And he could sorta earn a living easier. In Denmark, as a sheepherder, he had to work from sun up to sun down watching the sheep, and bringing baok strays. On Sundays, he had a few hours off. He ~Iould . he ~Ias three miles from hls parents, in order to get back ln tlme he ran three,~111es home, stayed about an hour, and then he had to run the three miles back. Be had to run in order to get back ln tlmc. tlhen he was a little older, he saved his pennies to bU,Y a boat ticket. After a long while, he discovered he had enough to bu,Y a boat ticket. And at'tel' lIe bOl).~;ht his" ticket, he was proud, because he had seven dollars left. He though he was ri")'I. Ilell, 1,hen the immi~;rants come from the old country, the,Y are tagged to certain places:so they 1Vould not settle in certain places. Well, my grandfather was tag:;ed Omaha, Nebraska. 'rhat was very fortunate, because there was a Danish community there. He stayed at a cheap DaniSh hotel. Uh, here on hls first winter he earned his living b,Y shoveling snow. A man had told him becallse he didn't speak any Englliish, he could just walk up and down the street carrying his shovel and old 1'/Omen 1'lould call him to shovel their snm'T. He didn't know what to do. And 1'lel1, they'd pay him a little money and then he I d be on his wa,y to shovel someone else I s snol... The next \'linter, he Horlced down at the slaughter houses Hhere he became a fine butcher. He bought a grocery story some time after and kept it for fifty years. This is a story about Oamp Dixie. It is in Hf.}bun Oounty. Well, a group of campers went up on this mountain and they found this old man, he "/as prett,Y beat up. It looked he had faIled from a ledge. And, he said, "If I die, I 1'lant you to put a stone on m,Y grave every year, and I'll look after you if you do." And every year, the campers went and piled stones on his grave. Well, one year, they couldn't find his grave. Everyone thought it should be very conspicious----a big pile of rocks. And the,Y tell the kids up there, if you see an old mountain man peering in the windoHs, don't be frightened, it's just that old man Hatching after Oamp Dixie. This is a story about the Aztecs Indians. Oortez conquered the Aztecs and his wife, she 1'TaS an Aztec Indian. After their marriage they had a young boy, and Oortez 1-Tanted to send him back to Spain to be educated. And, I'lell, his wife didn't like it. So she killed her son and herself. She went to heaven, but somehow, her son was misplaced. And she Nas sentenced to roam the [<;arth looking for her son and children are told she Nill come upon you if you cry, and if .you keep crying, she Nill take you aNay. 'rhis is the story of the AX-tees boogeyman. My eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school, We have tortured every teacher and Ne've broken every rule, We have wrecked the principal's office and killed him too, As kinds go marching on. SUNG 'ro GLOHY, GLOHY HALlili:LUJAH I i'mat did the big chimney say to the big chimney? '{ou're too young to smolce. (mat did the dressing say to the salad? '{au better c;et dnlssed, we've got a dinner date \'1ith the doctor. Billy: What shall I wear with my purple and red socks? Dad: Hip boots. What's green and flies? Super pickle. iihat would you do if you saw something oranr5e, Green, and ,yellow'? HUN I 1111 ASH S'rHEE'r ELJ~lVJENTAHY SOHOOL Ash Street Sehool is located on Ash Street in J"orest Park, G(~orgia. This is one of the older areas ol'u'orest Park and the majority of the children in this school m1ght be classed as "lovrer-m1ddle olass." The school 1s about ten years old. The princ1pal and teachers seem to hold relatively tradit10nal educational ideas, and few of the teachers are new in the teaching profess1on. Allen Klng .J<;ric Garrett Dale Smith Paula H1shop Debra Eppinger Pam Ooker M,E: First of all let me explain what I'm doing. I go to school too and one of my homework assignments is to go and talk to children and get them to tell me some stories, jokes, songs, riddles--that kind of thing. But I onlY want the ones you heard from another kid, not ones you heard on TV or read in a book. Does anY'one know one? OK. .D. EBRA: ~._- lily name is Debra Eppinger. I like coffee, I like tea, I like Pam to jump in with me. That's good. Does anyone else know one? We'll come back to those--they're hard to think of at first. Do ya'll ever play games that have an it? Like play tag or something? How do you pick Who's gonna be it? Like when you play hide and go seek, how do you pick Who's it? STUDEN'f: The teachers usually pick them off the list. ALLEN: At home, When we're playing, we usually just yell "not it." ivlE: That's a good way. Do you ever play' any counting games like one potato, two potato? STUDENTS: Yes. Do you ever play any others? PAIVl : I know one. It's kinda like Freeze Tag. You pick somebody and they chase you and if they get you, you have to say some candy or color. ME: Do you play that at school or at home? STUDFJNT: We play it at home. We like to play that a lot. i'JIE: Where'd you learn that game--do you remember? At your friends house? Good. EHIC : Ny name is Eric Garrett and I'm ten. \1hen my mother was a little girl, my grandmother told her to go up to her aunt's house to get some flour and when she got up there my aunt came to the door .... ulY' great aunt came to the door and she told her to come in and she would get the flour. And she was sitting down on the couch, and my great aunt went back to the kitchen to get the flour and when she came back she didn I t come back she \~ent around from the back door and she had a sheet over her head and she walked in and my mother was so scared she didn't know what to do--she just stood there. And finally, um, my aunt told her who she was and gave her the flour. PAM: My name is Pam Ooker and I'm ten. See, there was this Ie hotel and all the rooms were filled up sept one haunted room and this lady came in and asked the manager she says, "Do you have a room?" And he said, "No .... but I have one haunted room " So she 1"lent up t,here that night and she put on her pajamas and went to bed and the ghost came in (in a haunting voice), "I'm the ghost with the one black eye." And so she ran dOl'm the stairs and 1"lent out the door .... and then the man came in, and he said, "You got a room?" The manager said, "Not but I got one haunted room. So he went upstairs and put on his pajamas and went to bed and the ghost came in and said (as before), "I'm the ghost with the one black eye." And he ran down the steps and then the teenager came in and said, "You got a room?" And the manager said, "No, but I got one haunted room." So he went up there and went to bed and the ghost came in and said (as before), "I'm the gho st I'lith the one black eye." And he ran down and then the baby came in and he said (in a baby voice), "Do you have a room?" And the man says, "No, but I got one haunted room." So the baby went up there and got on his pajamas and the ghost oame and said (as before), "I'm the ghost with the one blaok eye." And the baby said, "H' YOU DON"T SHUT UP, YOU' HE GOING TO BE THE GHOST \VITH THE TlW HLAOK BYES." That's a good story, does anyone know another one'l DALB: This boy went to sohool and his teacher said for him to get three new words and bring them to sohool the next day so he Vlent home and he savi a cartoon of Superman and then he heard his mother say they Vlere having hot dogs for supper and then he asked his sister about something and she said shut up. And the next day he came to school and the teaoher said \'Ihat' s your three new \'Iords and he said shut up, and she said you wanta go to the office? He said hot dogl ~lhen he got to the office the prinoipal asked who do you think you are, Superman'l ERIO: iflhy did the man thro\'l his clock out the \'Iindow? So he could see time fly. DALE: What did the Indian say \'Ihen he saw his dog jump off a cliff? Dog gonell 1?Al"l : School's out, school's out, teaoher let the monkeys out; Some went east, some went west, some went to the teacher's desk. DALE: When my mother was real little, about my age, uh, she \'lent up to my great grandmother's house. And she was gonua spend the night there and there wasn't anyone there. And so she went up there and got in the bed and in the night she heard the door screaching in the hall and she got up and she \'Ient in there, and it was open and nobody was there so she closed it and about an hour later she heard it screaching again and she got up and went in there and it open again and the third time she got up and went in there and nobody l1as there, and uh, uh, my grandmother came in that next morning and she said that something funny had been going on because she had been hearing things and that's all she . told me. !1E: Ny I Doe s any'body kncm anotlwr one? You can tell me. Tell me any,my. PAULA: My name is Paula Bishop and I'm ten years old. Once I1hen my grandfather was kinda little and everything his father told him to go out and get the pig and give it a bath. So my grandda~dy went out there and was gonna try to give it a bath, but it wouldn't let him. And it had just got through raining. And m;r grandfather Vias running around chasing him and it Vias just like a hog race. And so, um, he finally cau(~ht him and he slipped dO\1U in the mud. So, urn, um, then Great Granddaddy came out there to help and the next thing they kneVi the ~og Vias in there, too. NOTE: THl~ NEXT 1>'E\'1 ITEMS ON THE TAPE DO NOT EV.I5N 00!v1E AS OLOSE TO TRADIT ION AS THE ONES THAT I HAV.E TRANSORIBED HERE. SOON Al<"fER 'fHE OHILDHl'jN TOLD ME THl~S:E:, HOWEVEH, THEY STARTED SWAPING GHOST STORI.I5S AGAIN. There was this man and he had a,big family, and there l1as tl1elve in all. So they Vlent out to eat one night, um, urn, it was Sunday night and they were going out to eat. So they l1ent out to eat and When they come baok and so then they all went to'bed and the baby oalled up, "I want a glass of water," so he goes down the stairs and he gets the glass of water and he's almost back upstairs and he hears something dOl'1n there in the basement and so he goes back down there and then goes back and goes to bed because he didn't see anything. Now about two hours later he hears another thing down in the basement, goes down there and he sees something down in the corner and its two big white eyes, so he starts back up there and he hets there and there's nothing there so then he goes back upstairs and he [cS0e s back to bed and um urn the next to the smallest little girl says .1 want a drink of water so, the mother goes back down there and she hears something and she goes down to the basement to see what it is. And there's nothing down there so the mother goes back up and the little girl goes back down there to get her own glass of water and she hears something but there's nothing there . so she comes back and she goes to bed, and so the little baby crawls downstairs and he doesn't hear a thing, so he gets him a glass of water and he's thought he hears something over there talking to himself, and he walks over there and he doesn't see anything and then he goes back upstairs an~ um/he goes back down again for his water because he forgot it, and um, the daddy went down there and the malllma went down there and the kids 1'1ent down there. And finally they all got settled back down and went to sleep. And, uh, after they're aSleep the little baby wanted a glass of water again and he went back down the stairs and he saw something over in the corner and he said '0' "i/hat's that over there in my corner?" And he heard "It's me, it's me, it's me: and the little boy says, "IVie who?" "IVie, the ghost, the ghost, the ghost~ "IVie the ghost Who?" "llje, the black eye." "\vho?" "!!I.e, the black eye, the black eye." And the baby still didn't hear anything, so he walks over there and he sees this big old black eye, about this big (indicating size with hands and arms), and he says, "OK." And he goes back upstairs and the daddy comes down and it's early in the morning and he sees something standing over in the corner and it's one big black eye. And the daddy says, "Who's that over there in little baby's corner?" And he says," It's me, it's me." .And the daddy says, "~1e, Vlho '(" "It's me the ghost." And so he says,"OK" and then the baby comes down, and he says, "I"m black eye, I'm black eye," and he starts haunting him. The baby runs up and down all the stairs hollering this, and there are about twenty stories in the house and so he's running all up and down the stairs and he finally runs face to face with him and he's real ugly and his eye is all bloodshot and everything and so the baby says, "Ahh, me, ain't he cute?" And he say s, "l'lell, sorta." And so the little baby socked him right in the eye and there's two of them right-- it split right dovm the middle. And it just goes on and on. ME: That's good--does anybody know another story? PAM: Once there was this haunted house and these people dared anybody to go in it. And so this man said that he would go in it and one night he went in and he \'Ient to the first floor and this voice says, "l'he green puss will get you." So he ran out and then this other man came to spend the night and he went to the first floor and this voice said, "The green puss will get you." And he went to the second floor and this voice said, "The green puss will get you." So he ran out and then this uh, uh, other man came to spend the night and he went in and went in to the first floor and it said, "The green puss will get you." So he went up to the second floor and it said, "The green puss will get you," so he went up to the third floor and he heard, "The green puss will get you." and he came back down to the second floor and it said, The green puss will get you." And he went back to the first floor and it said, "The green puss will get ,you." So he ran outside and it said, "Tbe green puss is coming," so the man ran out in the street and this bus ran over him and the man turned into green puss. ME: OR mel You want to tell me one now? PAM: This is about Bloody Bones. Well, see there was a basement and the light was still on and the father said to the mother, "Nother, will you go down and turn off the light'(" And so she was down and fixing to turn out the light and she heard, "If you turn me off, Bloody Bones will put blood allover you." And she goes back and she says, "Hay I"ather will you go do~m there and turn off the light '(" And he goes down there and he's about to turn off the light and he hears, "If you turn me off, Bloody Bones will put blood allover you." And so he goes up there and he says, "Sister, ~Iill you r;o turn off the light'l" And she's fixing to turn it off, and he says the same thing. And she goes back and says, "Brother, ~Iill you go down there and turn off the light?" And he 1'1ent davID there and was fixing to turn off the light and he hears the same thing. So he goes back and says, "Baby, will you go down there and turn off the light in the basement?" And he says, tlOK." And he goes davID there and he hearst "If you turn me off, Bloody Bones 1'i111 put blood all over you. " And he says that he doesn't care and turns out the light and goes back. And that night when they are asleep, Bloody Bones comes and says (hauntingly), "I'm on your first step." And the mother and the father and the sister and the brother got down in bed. "I'm on your second step." And they get davID some more. "I'm on your third step, 1 'm at your door, I'm in your house." And see the baby couldn't hear it. And so Bloody Bones got in there and put blood allover him and left a note saying the Baby has turned off the light . and and when they got down there and turned on the light, the baby had blood allover it. That's a story that children tell allover the country. Did any of you hear a different story about Bloody Bones. NOTE: At this time, the children did not think they knew any more versions of the story. .JJ EHIO : There's this family and the mother and daddy were gonna go out and eat, and so the,Y got a baby sitter that came over and 1"hen they left they had the radio on and after the mother and daddy left they heard something that said there was an escaped oonvict and they should lock all their doors and windows and they locked the windows and shut them and ever,ything. And by the time it got dark, they heard a knock on the door, and they did something to figure who ",auld have to answer it and the little girl had to do it. And she went to the door and opened it and sbe gets killed and he throvlS her down and then the baby sitter ran upstairs and looked in the closet and something kept on gettin I louder and louder and in the closet therel"as blood and bones and all that. PAr1: There ",as this man and uh, he 1'1ent in a restaurant and ordered some soup so the man came out there and cut off his foot and he vlent back in there and chopped it to bits and cut it up and made it up into soup and took it to the man and he said, "'rhis is good, \'1oat do you use?" And the man said 1t was a secret, and so he said, "I vrant some more." And so he went in there and cut off his other foot and cuts It up and makes soup. And the man says, "'rhis is still good, won't you tell me?" And, uh, he sa,Ys, "I want fJome more." and so he go(')s back in th(')re and cuts off his hand and chops it up and puts it In soup and then h(') goes back in there and the man says,., "'.rhls is good, pl(')as(') tell me your secret." "No." And the man said that he wants some more and he ~Ient back in there and cut off some more of his leg and now he came back: in and said that the soup VIas good, "please tell me your secret." And the man said, "no." And they he went in there and got some more of his leg and chopped it up and went in there and he said, "this is c;ood, I ~Iant some more." And so he chopped off some more of his other leg and heeps chopping off his legs and then he gets to his arm l~here he chopped off his hand and was cutting off that and he gets to his other hand and everytime the man says, "Um, this is good." And ~Ihen he gets to his head, he says, "vlhere' s my body'i" And the man sa,Ys, "It was your soup." And that's all. Where'd you learn these stories? Did you just learn them from other kids? Good! DEHHA: .._.-_..... 'rhere was this family and the;y wanted to find out Vlho lived in the house next door. So the little girl said, "l1anuna, I'm gonna' find out who lives in the house next door." So that day she goes over to the house next door and nobody comes, so she goes on In. And she sa,Ys, "Oh, I for(';otl I'll play the orc;an." So when she plays the ori~an, one of her hand s come s off, "Oh, no I" SO she pops it back on, so then she goes bacle home and she says "fIlamma, a funny tlJing happened to me--my hand came off." And mother says that she should take better care of herself. And then the little boy says that he wants to go see who lives In the house next door. He goes over and opens the door. "/hen he ~ets in he sees the hand playing the organ. And he says, uhrnm, I'll help it." So he goes over there and his hand oomes off. And he goes horne and tells his mother that his hand oame off, and she says, "I don't believe It.'' So she goes baok over to that house and says, "1'11 flnd out for myself." She sees the organ and there are tViO hands playing, one a 11ttle girl's and one a little bay's. And they're playing Merrl1y \'Ie Roll Along. And she says, "I think I'll help them." And her hand oomes off. She pops it baok on and goes home. And she says, "Dear, a funny thlng happened, m,Y hand oame off," And he says, "Aah, I don't belleve you, I'll flnd out for myself." So he goes to the house next to next door. And he dldn't flnd an organ. Mother says, "'{au mlssed 1t--you \'1ent to the vlrong house." And so flnally he goes over there and loses his hand and everything. Then the people that live on the other side of the house say, "Slnoe you and our family are the only people living in this tovm, vle'll just have to go see." So all of them go over there to the house and went on the flrst floor and nothing Vias there, and so they went to the seoond floor and the organ was gone, and to the third floor and the organ was still gone. So they went baok down and they were looking around and they see something over there ln the oorner and it's all red and it starts tallcing. "Oh, heavens, oh, heavens, you've hurt me." And the little girl sees a oloset on the first floor and they open it and nothing is ln it but a oandle, and then they go to the seoond floor and there ls a oloset there now, and they see a oandle in lt and closes it. Then she finda a closet on the third floor that has a candle, and this goes on. And then she goes back to the first floor ,'/here she hears, "Help, help." And she opens ~he closet and she sees all kinds of blood and bones and all kinds of' scary things like that. GIRLS: SUNG An ostrich went yoddeling, On a mountain so high, When along came an avalanche, SERIES DB' OLAPS, SSSlll II An ostrich went yoddeling, On a mountain so high, \ftlen along came an avalanche, He diedllill cJ1 A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.