Mrs. Ivy McCall, Daisy Justice, and Mrs. Geraldine Owens: The players stack their fists, their thumbs up, each player grasping the thumb of the fist below. The leader, whose hands remain free, starts with the top fist in the stack and asks its owner, “You want to take it off, knock it off, or let the crows pick it off?” If the owner doesn’t take it off the stack himself, he tells the leader to either knock it off, or let the crows pick it off, whereupon the leader either knocks it loose or pulls it off, following the command. This continues until only one fist remains. At this point the leader and the owner of the last fist say the following dialogue:
Q: Where’s the water?
A: The ox drunk it.
Q: Where’s the ox?
A: The butcher killed it.
Q: Where’s the butcher?
A: The rope hung him.
Q: Where’s rope?
A: The rats gnawed it.
Q: Where’s the rats?
A: The cat caught them.
Q: Where’s the cat?
A: The gun shot it.
Q: Where’s the gun?
A: The hammer broke it.
Q: Where’s the hammer?
A: Behind the door cracking hickory nuts!
The first one that shows his teeth (grins) while this is going on gets so many hairs pulled out of his head or so many pinches or hits. We always said ten boxes and a pinch.
—Foxfire 6
I can see why kids would enjoy playing this game. I would have liked it as long as the boxes, pinches, pulls, and knocks were done in a gentle manner 🙂
Way back in the filing cabinets of my mind seems like I remember parts of this game, but I know I’ve never played it myself.
Last night’s video: The Secret To Well Seasoned Cast Iron…It’s Easier Than You Think.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Hi Tipper and Acorns. I’ve never played this game or heard of it. I have seen people stack their fists like this.
I have never played anything like this. I mentioned early this week about how serious playing baseball was to us boys in elementary school which went through the 7th grade, a “captain “ from each team would stack their fist around a baseball bat until they reached the end of the bat to determine which team would bat first. I don’t remember exactly how the team was determined, maybe the last one to get his fist on the bat. I do remember starting on the barrel (big) end of bat and going toward the handle of the bat.
Not familiar with this game. Have heard “box” as in “box your your jaws,” also, so maybe that is the box part? Cast iron is just the best! I have family cast iron back to my great-grandmothers. As long as you keep caring for it, it will last. I do use a mild soap and dry mine well and reseason when it is dirty. If it doesn’t need it, I just wash with plain water and no matter how I wash it, always dry it well with a lint free towel. I have a designated skillet that is just for cornbread. Enjoyed your video!
Very creative games ! Too brutal for me lol! Love & prayers for all !
We used to play a version of “one potato, two potato, three potato, four” by stacking our fists. Ours was a game of agility and coordination not violence.
What are they talking about “boxes”? Is that like what boxers do? I’ve never heard mountain people use “box” in that manner.
Yes 🙂 I’ve heard box his jaws from Pap.
That call-and-response game somehow brought to mind a nonsense song we learned as kids, “Hole at the Bottom of the Sea.” You start with “There’s a chigger at the bottom of the sea” and add layers, repeating “at the bottom of the sea” each time, before concluding–singing at an up tempo, with a repeat up a half-step– “There’s a chigger on a flea, a flea on a fly, a fly on a wart, a wart on a frog, a frog on a knot, a knot on a log, a log in a hole at the bottom of the sea.”
Tipper, I can recall a game stacking fists upon fists, but that’s all I remember. Playing and being without big worries was a fantastic part of childhood. I hope and pray for the children coming up today to have a good life. Things look dark, but it’s always darkest right before daylight. May everybody be blessed with health and happiness is my prayer for you all today!
Oh my, I’m glad my siblings never heard of that game because I would have been all bruised up. ;D
This is perfect! My father recounted this game to us so often. What a great memory! Thank you!!!!!!!!! I miss him daily and your post so often bring back the nicest unexpected memories.
I wondered how yall kept your cast iron pans in such good shape.,Thanks for sharing your tips. I have quite a few myself. My favorite cornbread pan and what I call a biscuit pan with 7 divided cupcake like openings. Great for easy drop biscuits. I’m like Granny and wash mine with soapy water. I will try to be mindful of doing this but I’m 83 and pretty set in my ways!