One Potato, Two Potato The Folklore of American Children

by Knapp, Mary; Knapp, Herbert

• ISBN13: 9780393090390
• ISBN10: 0393090396
• Edition: 00
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1978-03-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

Children's folklore--those customs, rhymes, games, jeers, songs, superstitions, stories, and pranks that children play among themselves--serves an important purpose: it helps them deal with feelings and taboo subjects which they are unable to express individually.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
The Folk Curriculum
Who Needs It?	1	(1)
Folklore and the Folk	2	(2)
The Formulaic Nature of Children's Lore	4	(1)
The Historical Background of Children's Lore	4	(4)
The School	8	(1)
The Transmission of Children's Lore	9	(3)
The Distribution of Children's Lore	12	(1)
The Organization of This Book	13	(4)
The Games Children Play
Games as Legislatures and Courts of Law
The Nature of Folk Games	17	(1)
Pregame Ceremonies	18	(10)
Rule-making in Chasing and Hiding Games	28	(3)
Cheating versus Testing the Rules	31	(5)
Folk Games as Social Events	36	(1)
Ending a Chasing or Hiding Game	37	(1)
Rule-making in Marble Games: A Question of Property	37	(5)
Folklore, Organized Sports, and Manufactured Games	42	(2)
How Folk Games Blend into the Daily Lives of Children	44	(3)
Folk Games and Democracy	47	(2)
Games as Stages or Laboratories
The Theater	49	(2)
The Laboratory	51	(7)
Prestige and Power
Jeers
Common Insults and Comebacks	58	(17)
Ambushes, Scapegoats, and Punishments	75	(7)
The Battle of the Sexes	82	(9)
Jokes
Tricks and Wit	91	(9)
Telephone Jokes	100	(4)
Riddles	104	(8)
Performances
Jump-rope	112	(15)
Clapping Games	127	(10)
Sex Roles in Performance Games	137	(7)
Singing Games	144	(7)
Autographs	151	(10)
Coping with the Here and Now
Resistance
Parodies	161	(18)
Shockers	179	(11)
Reflections
Prejudice: Blacks	190	(8)
Rhymes about Orientals	198	(2)
Jewish Rhymes	200	(4)
Polish Jokes	204	(2)
Political Rhymes	206	(5)
Accommodation
Fartlore	211	(5)
Kissing Games	216	(4)
Special Days	220	(5)
Underground Games and Traditional Toys	225	(11)
Coping with the Unknown
Superstitions	236	(6)
Scaries	242	(11)
Cartomancy, Chartomancy, Onomancy, Sortilege, and Other Methods of Divination	253	(8)
Conclusion
Linking the Generations	261	(4)
The Future of Childlore	265	(4)
Sources of Data	269	(2)
Index	271