Tag Archives: rhyme

Star light, star bright….- Verbal Folklore/Ritual

Text: “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish, I wish tonight”

Informant: “So mine was about how to make a wish by wishing on the first star. You’d say, ‘Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight,’ and then you’d say the wish in your head. You couldn’t tell anyone what it was or it wouldn’t come true. I honestly don’t know how I learned it. It might have been from preschool or from my mom, but I remember doing it when I was really young. Whenever I saw a star, I’d say the little chant or rhyme out loud and then make the wish.”

Interviewer: “Would you go out of your way to do this, or was it just whenever you happened to see a star?”

Informant: “It was usually just whenever I saw a star, and it had to be the first star I saw that night. Then I’d make the wish. But if I had a really important wish, I might try to look for a star. Usually though I wouldn’t remember to do that, so it was mostly just if I happened to see one. I’d think, ‘Oh, the first star I see tonight,’ and then say the rhyme.”

Interviewer: “Were you alone when you did this?”

Informant: “No. I vividly remember one time I was at a grocery store with my mom and we were walking in. I saw a star and said the rhyme right there. That’s the one time I clearly remember doing it. Maybe you were supposed to do it alone, but I never really did. My mom mostly looked at me like I was crazy when I did it, like ‘What are you doing?’ But I think I ended up teaching it to my little sister.”

Context:

The informant remembers learning this wishing rhyme when they were very young, possibly from preschool or from their mother. They recalled using the rhyme during childhood whenever they happened to see the first star at night and later teaching it to their younger sister.

Analysis:

The rhyme reflects a common cultural belief that wishes can be influenced by specific actions or conditions. The requirement to see the first star, speak the rhyme, and keep the wish secret creates a small ritual that gives structure to the act of wishing. For children especially, these steps make the wish feel more meaningful and possible, providing a sense of hope and imagination. The informant later teaching the rhyme to their younger sister demonstrates how these traditions are passed through families, showing how folklore helps preserve small moments of childhood belief and wonder across generations.

Chinese Red Date String Game- Children’s Folklore

Age: 54

Text:


Informant: “It’s something you say while doing a string trick. You use a piece of string and form a shape that looks like a date. The string represents the fruit, and through different movements it changes shape and eventually disappears while you say the rhyme out loud, ‘大枣大枣，越吃越小，吃了剩核，一拍没了。(Dà zǎo dà zǎo, yuè chī yuè xiǎo, chī le shèng hé, yī pāi méi le.)’. It’s meant to be a little like a magic trick. The phrase translated in English is something like, ‘Big date, big date, the more you eat it the smaller it gets, then you clap and nothing is left.'”

Interviewer: “When did you first learn it?”
Informant: “My mom taught me when I was very young. There weren’t that many things to do for fun back then, so we did a lot of hands-on activities like this, and all you need is a piece of string, it’s pretty easy to do.”

Interviewer: “Did you teach it to anyone else?”
Informant: “Yes, I taught it to my kids.”

Context:

The informant learned this string game from their mother during childhood while growing up in China in the 1980s. They explained that there were not many forms of entertainment available to children at the time, so simple hands-on activities like string tricks were a common way to play. Because the game only required a piece of string, it was easy for families to share and teach to children. The informant later passed the game on to their own children, continuing on the tradition.

Analysis:

This example can be interpreted as a form of children’s folklore, specifically a children’s game that combines a rhyme with a small physical activity. The game also demonstrates the folkloric concepts of multiplicity and variation. Similar string games appear in many cultures using the same simple materials but different shapes and rhymes. For example, it is similar to the string game cat’s cradle I learned as a kid, which also involves manipulating a loop of string to create patterns. Because the movements are difficult to understand without seeing them performed, games like these are usually learned directly from another person rather than through written instructions, which helps preserve their oral and performative nature.

Blue the Glue Ghost

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: University Student

Informant Information:

Age: 18
Date of Performance: 3/25/2025
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: University Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Hayward, California

Text:

“Once upon a time, there was a ghost named Blue who would steal people’s shoes. Every time he did, he left a trail of glue behind. The police followed these sticky clues from house to house and apartment to apartment until, after three weeks of shoe thefts, they finally found Blue. When they caught him, he was released back into the spirit world. And that was the end of Blue.”

Context:

The informant recalled that her mother used to tell her this tale before bed. It served as a form of childhood entertainment and likely helped ease the transition into sleep with its mysterious yet harmless narrative. She believes her mother created the story herself, indicating a form of generational oral creativity.

Analysis:

“Blue the Glue Ghost” functions as a bedtime folktale with mild suspense and whimsical absurdity. It demonstrates the creativity of parental storytelling and the way minor mischief (stealing shoes) is framed through a playful ghost figure. The use of rhyme and alliteration (Blue/glue/clue) adds charm and memorability, making it ideal for oral transmission. Though it lacks the typical “moral” of traditional tales, it emphasizes curiosity and resolution, which keeps children engaged.

Up the apples and pears

Age: 19

Text: Up the apples and pears

Context: My informant explained that growing up, her grandmother used to refer to the stairs as the “apples and pears.” For example, her grandmother might have said “Alright, I’m going to go up the apples and pears.” My informant explained that her grandmother learned this from her mother who was born in London. She also clarified that her grandmother usually only used this phrasing around their family as most people, especially in the United States, would not understand what she meant. 

Analysis: Cockney is a rhyming slang primarily used by individuals from the East End of London who have historically made up the working class of the city. “Apples and pears” is one of many terms in this slang where Cockney individuals replace a word with a phrase that rhymes with it. This slang has historically been used amongst Cockney individuals to create a sense of community and social solidarity. This slang has also likely been used as resistance towards authority as non-Cockney individuals have a difficult time understanding what they are saying when the slang is being used. 

Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana

Age: 20

AGE: 20
Date of performance: Feb 20
Informant Name: AM
Language: Spanish
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: Santa Ana

Text:

“Sana, sana, colito de rana. Si no sana hoy, sanara mañana”

Context:

According to the teller, it translates to: “Heal, heal, tail of frog. If you don’t heal today, you’ll heal tomorrow.” It is a phrase that parents tell their children whenever they got hurt, essentially wishing them a faster healing. They learned it from their parents, specifically their mother, who would “rub her hand over the cut or scratch” whenever they got minorly injured.

Analysis

Although this quote is one of many variants, they all follow the same strand of silliness and nonsense. When I heard this phrase, I thought it was silly and funny, and wondered why adults would say this to their children. Then I thought that perhaps that was exactly why they said this phrase. It is so nonsensical and lighthearted that the child who got hurt could perhaps laugh and forget their pain for a little. This goes hand in hand with the practice of distracting little kids with a more engaging, eye-catching stimulant to take their attention off of more serious, dire matters. Furthermore, frogs are known for their regenerative abilities, thus signifying the manifestation of quick healing. By saying this phrase, the parents are reassuring their child that no matter what, it will heal.