BanjoRay - usually "color of a turkle." Thought, according to Jean Ritchie, to mean turtle dove. Black is often "color on my back."

Generally, once you run through 5 or 6 "standard" verses, you just improvise whatever color & answer you like. Makes a fine game song. Eg, I'd sing the question and the children, one at a time around the circle, sing the answer. All sing the chorus. Don't see anything wrong with that chorus - makes good sense to me.