The author wrote down a rhyme that his mother would recite when she was a child; according to Arthur Palmer Hudson, it is a counting-out rhyme that has variations dating back to the Middle Ages.
The Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina is the largest folklore collection in the United States; included within the article is several of its unpublished works, including games, sayings, and legends.
A pediatric doctor by trade, Dr. Hughes uses his facility for language and propensity for humor and rhyming expressiveness in virtually every arena of his life, including in his occupation and family folklore.
The author’s great-uncle is John Foster West, noted folklorist. Daemon recalls the traditions in her own family, especially the ones noted by “Uncle John.”