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STATE
NAME OF WORKER_
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
Forms to be Filled out for Eacn Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Intervicw
NEW YORK
DOROTHY REST
131 We 110th Otos Now York
October 20, 1938
INTERVIEW WITH gas. ELIA JOHNSON .5) GAMS
1. Date and time of interview
October 20. 1938 1.4 PE
2. Place of interview
Home of informant's daughter
3. Name and address of informant
Nrs. Ella Johnson 488 St. Nicholas Amp.
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
Known to interviewer
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
None
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Neighborhood in mid.Harlem, opposite park which extends from 129th to 141st along
St. Nicholas ATOM* Interview held in conventionally furnished living roams
easy ()hairs, cabinet radio, divan and bookcase. View of City College from
living ream window.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
STATE
NVT 01" vOqKFT:
ATI!MESS
DATE
SUoJECT
1. Ancestry
EOM'
Personal history of Infoemant
NEW YORK
DOROTIL' WEST
NEw YORK CITY
OCTOKR 20, 1938
LNTERVIEW WITH MRS. ELLA JOHNSON GAMES
American Negro of southern parentage
2. Place and date of birth
Camden, S. C. Informant is about 60 years old.
8. Family
FOLKLORE
NE' YoaK
Married daughter 1 ves in New York, where Mrs. Johnson,
those home is in Boston, has been visiting.
4. Places lived in, with dates
Camden, S. C. and Springfield, Mass., and Boston, where
informant has lived for the past "X years
Education, with dates
very probably grammar school only; has been self-supporting
since girlhood.
h. Occupations and accomplishments, with dates
Practice). nurse.
7. Special skills and interests
Knitti and nature study.
8. Community and religious activities
Attends church regularly and elon,Ls to a Bible Society.
9. Description of informant
Small, bream, pleasant faoedograr.hairedwoman. Dresses well,
and is in ,_eod physical condition.
10. Other Points gained in interview
Informant has recently become interested in photoc;rephy and
intends to develop it as a hobby.
FORM C
NE" YORK
:xtof Toterview Unedi t,e(t
STATE
OF TCLINER.
ADDRESS
DATE
SIT,JECT
NEW YORK
DOROTHY WEST
NEW iCCi, CITY
OCTOBEll 20, 1958
INTE VIEW ‘ITH MRS. ELLA JOHNSON Gams.
1.
We used to play what we called the Prisoners Lasle there were a thousand of us
so we didn't have to play with saybody else. Anyhow, we weren't allowed to play
with anybody else. (Informant was one of twelve 'children).
We'd form a oirole and hold hands. One child was put in the center, and that &lid
was in prison. Maybe the one in the center of the circle asked to be the prisoner,
maybe we'd count oft and whoever was last was in the oenter, or maybe we'd do some-
thing else to get the prisoner. I don't remember all the things we used to do.
ells t4a one In the uenter would try o get out of prison. If he thought we
weren't holdinL; hands tight, he'd run up and try to break through two people.
After he'd tried that for a whiles then he'd go and stand in front of a oouples
sort of in-between them, and say:
Prisoner: "Is this door looked?'
Couple: "hard and fast?"
Prisoner; "Can I et out of here?"
Couple: "No.."
He kept this up, asking and trying to break out., until he did get out. Then
he got chased. The one who caught the prisoner went in the center, and that's
all there was to it, You started playing all over again and played 'till you
got tired.
C
Page 2. Fern C.
We Awed another game that vent like this:
Toed have two groups of children who were baboons. Then you had two obildren
Who stood an base. One base was here, say, (she gestured toward one earner of
the roan) and the °thermos there (she pointed to the other aids of the room).
One child on base would talk to the other, swings
First child: "Bow many miles to London Bridget"
Second child, "Three sears and ten."
First salads "Can I get there by candloolight?"
Seeond child: "If your legs are long 83 Ufa."
First shilds "Look out the baboons don't catch yoiL,"
As soon as they got through saying that, they'd autt out and run. The
two groups who were the baboons !mould chose than. The idea was for the top on
bass to exchange bassets and the baboons ',era "sposed to :Atoll them while they
VOTO running to the other base. If a baboon caught you4 than he'd take your
base and you'd join the baboons.
14 used to ploy a game called *What Your Mother Tell You TO DO'?" Wawa* a
more quiet gone and you oeuld ploy it in the house 'muss thews wasn't all that
running to do that you did in the other two games*
You oat around in a eirolo or in a semi-cirelo with a leader who sat in front
facing you. Than you talked back:and forth, and did what the loader did.
Groups *What did my mama tall no to dot"
Leaders "TO knock ono hammer like you see no for do."
Then you knocked your filpIst in the palm of your band like a hammer.
Groups *What did oy nema tell no to do?"
Leaders "10 knock two homer* like you goes no for do."
Thou you hammered on your knees with both fists.
Groups *What did ey nano tell no to do?"
Leaders To knock throe banners lime you goo we for do."
Page 2. Form C.
'we played another Game that went like this:
Tould have two Groups of children who were baboons. :hen you had two :hildren
.ho stood on base. One base was here, say, (she ,-estured toward one corner of
the rson) and the odfer was there (she pointed to the other side of the room).
brie child on base would talk to the other, sayini:
First child: "How many miles zo London Lridje?"
6eoond child: "Three score and ten."
Arst child: "Can I et there by candle-416ht?"
Sesond child: "I': :our legs are Ica, as
First child: "Look out the baboons don't catch yell."
AS soon as they :ot .hrou31 sayin hd, they'd li4;ht out and run. The
two s,roups who were the baboons mould chase them. Ihe idea vas for the on
base to exchan e bases, and the biC000ns were 'sposed to auch them while they
were runnin6 to tao other base. If a baboon caught you, then he'd eke your
base and you'd jcii the h
to used to play u "hat Your 7.16ther Tell You To 7.2o?" This was a
more quiet ame and you could play it in the house cause there wasn't all that
reaviin, to do that you did in the other tiwo
You sat around in a circle or in a semi -circle with a leader who sat in front
facing you. ihen you talked back and forth and did what the leader did.
Group:
"th' did my mama -4311 me to do?"
Leaduvl "To knock ono hammer like you see me for do."
Then /.-01i knocked your fiplet in the palm oi your hand like a hammer.
Group: "bhaL did my mem tell ma to do?"
Leader: "Eb knock two hami.srs like you see me for do."
Then you _armored on o
with both fists.
Group: "that did my nana tell me to do?"
Leader: I° knock three hammers IiKO you see re for do."
Fag* 1. Porn C.
Then you knocked both fists on your knees and patted ono itrot•
Groups *Mat Ws/yams toll no to do?
Loaders *TO knock four karnore like you see no for deo"
Then you knocked both fists on your lanes sad patted both fleet*
Groups *What di:lawman* ton no to do?
Leaders "To knock five homers like you see me for de**
Then you knocked both flats, both foot and nodded your bead up and doyen*
Groups*What did ny nether tell ne to do?"
Laaders *To knot* all lonosers like you see smo for de**
Then you let go and knee/rot your fists, your f *to and jiggled your bead up
and dorm in rhythm id* the lards until all parts of your body war* wring,
We had a *joggling beard** It was a long, resilient board that was
pegged dean to toe end foundations* Is children used to got on the board
and bow** up and atm. Tau eould bourses by yourself* ar with as namoy as
the board would hold* (Fret the description of the *joggling board', it &ease
sonsuhat oossparable to the *teeter boards* uttich consisted of a long, somookat
resilient plonk of wood but idrich rooted an a wooden horse plated at its
center rather than as a horse at either end.
There was a dance sorre of the shildren used to do. I don't know Whether I reasetber
the words or not, but I resenber one little girl used to say,
*Put Rff head in a crocus smoke
And trash you folks to Karembeake*
The Nero was a dem* and when you said thoso wor4s. or moss like these you
took one step forward and then danced basstward an one foot.
Miorsts a little ditty the girls used to seq. Wren they said it, they twitehed their
eldrte.
Page 44 Porn C
"The rioe.orust suits my mind so wells
Don't tell the boys I eat it.'
A rioemorust is the layer or coating that sticks to the pan. Instead of
throwing it &may, some people like to eat its Especially children.
STATE
NEW YORK
NAME OF V:ORKEP
ADDRESS
rATE
SUBJECT
FORM 0
EYtra Ccmmcnt
DOROTHY WEST
NEW YORK CITY
October 20„ 1938
INTEVVIETTWITE MES. ELLA JOHN,714 GAMES.
FOLKLORE
NEW Yor.K
The informant is quite willinz and interested to recall the sames
which she played when she vex a child. The most interesting of her
comments wits that she and her sisters and brothers were not allowed
to play with other children in the neighborhood. This MIA mad still
is typical of many Negro parents' authority in the South. In keeping
with this, the informant stated that she and her brothers and sistors
were sent to a private school rather than to the publio;school where
they would come in contact with and find opportunity to make friends
general1y with the other children in tho eommunity.
Menem Mts. Johnson came from a localised culture, and no doubt
had many folk traitsWhen she reached the North, the is now so urbanised
that there was very little in the three hour interview except the games
which was worth recoeding as folk material. These exceptions themselves
(#V and VI) were slight.