Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Mo the caller
Date: 17 Jul 09 - 08:18 AM

I learnt this one from a friend who ran a Girl Guide company, I don't think I used or sang it myself

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 12:42 PM

The rhyme is listed as Clap games on 1, 2, 3 and a Zing Zing Zing, the Tony Schwartz Folkways recording Little Robyn referred to above. I also found this one (click).

Sound samples at both links, enough so you'll get the idea.

I remember this from my childhood, probably from my youngest days in Detroit. I wish my sister would stop by here more often. She remembers all this stuff. I was a boy, and too 'cool' to do all this stuff.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 11:02 AM

Harold Courlander's 1963 book Negro Folk Music, USA (New York, Columbia University Press; pp. 149-150) contains three counting out children's games which are very similar to "Who Stole The Cookie". These games are included in the chapter "Ring Games And PlayParty Songs". For the record (no pun intended, here are the words and comments to those games:

record (no pun intended, here are the words and comments to those games:
"In one American ring game, each player has a number; when his number is called by the leader he must respond with an appropriate answer without becoming rattled, and then pass the play on to another individual. If a player gives the wrong response, he is counted out of the game. Thereafter, his number cannot be called, as he is no longer a participant; should someone call his number in the heat of play, he too goes out. The repartee is half-sung-more properly, called, with stylized inflections-to the accompaniment of rhythmic clapping.
[My note: The first example is given without any title]
All Together: One two three and a zing sing sing.
Leader: Number one.
Number One: Who, me?
Leader: Yes, you.
Number One: Couldn't be.
Leader: Then who?
Number One: Number five:
Number Five: Who, me?
Leader: Yes, you.
Number Five: Couldn't be.
Leader: Then who?
Number Five: Number nine:
Number Nine: Who, me?
Leader: Yes, you.
Number Nine: Couldn't be.
Leader: Then who?
Number Nine : Number Two:
Etc.

**

Another American variant is:

"Who Took The Cookie From The Cookie Jar"

All Together: Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
Leader: Number One took the cookie from the cookie jar.
Number One: Not me took the cookie from the cookie jar.
Leader: Then who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
Number One: Number Seven took the cookie from the cookie jar.
Number Seven: Not me took the cookie from the cookie jar.
Leader: Then who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
Number Seven: Number Ten took the cookie from the cookie jar.
Etc.

-snip-

Courlander adds this comment and example:

"A Haitian version of the game, with similar counting out rules, is known as "Uncle Pierre". Each player is given a name specifying a certain number of sheep-Four Sheep, Ten Sheep, Six Sheep. etc. As translated from the Creole, the repartee goes:

Leader: Uncle Pierre went to my farm and took seven sheep
Seven Sheep: Tomanitor
Leader: How many sheep did he take?
Seven Sheep: Nineteen Sheep
Nineteen Sheep: Tomanitor
Leader: How many sheep did he take?
Nineteen Sheep: One sheep
One Sheep: Tomanitor
Etc.

[Ibid]

-snip-

I don't know what "Tomanitor" means and I didn't reproduce the pages that included Courlander's footnotes for these examples. Presumably, a definition for "Tomanitor" is included in those footnotes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 10:27 AM

Mo, I wasn't promoting banning that song. As the facilitator of two after-school/summer game song groups for African American children ages 5-12 years, my purposes in introducing children to traditional or adapted versions of African American game songs was

1.to teach something about the history and culture of African Americans
2. to reinforce cognitive skills such as listening, word building, and following instructions and social skills such as teamwork, and consideration for others (winning and losing gracefully).

Those groups also featured contemporary children's rhymes/cheers-which provided great opportunities for me to collect examples of rhymes/cheers that I didn't know. But that's another story...


In the context of these groups, I didn't feel at all remiss in changing the title/word to "Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" to "Who Took A Cookie From The Cookie Jar" because

1.in that song the word "stole" means "took without parmission", therefore changing the word to "took" was a minor adaptation

2. in my opinion, the action of the song sets up the dynamics (teaches children) to be dishonest about his or her actions when they are (almost) caught doing something wrong. And I didn't (don't)want to promote dishonestly.

It's also possible that I felt justified in changing "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" to "Who Took A Cokkie From The Cookie Jar" because I recalled reading that wording in some book. However, I don't recall whether I knew about that version of the song at that time.

Furthermore, I think it's important to note that these game song groups were my concept. And integral to that concept was that I would introduce the lyrics and performance activities of traditional African American game songs to the children, staff and any other persons in attendance (such as the children's parents/guardians) to see if those songs "worked". By "worked", I mean to assess whether the words made some sense to the children and whether the performance activities were something children could easily learn and enjoyed doing. Besides adding to the children's repertoire of game songs, the ultimate goal was to perform these game songs at community programs.

Part of this group process was to get children's reactions to those songs, and to ask for their input about how the words and performance activity of a traditional song might be adapted if they didn't "work". For example, I introduced children to the 19th century or earlier African American circle game song "Green Sally Up" which includes the words:

Green Sally up
Green Sally down
Last one here
Gotta squat the ground.

-snip-

The children didn't know what "squat" [on] the ground meant. And there were other lines in that song that made no sense to these children. I explained what "squat" and those other lines meant, and even tried changing the word to "squat" to "touch". But the song just wasn't working until one of the project staff (who happened also to be a parent of two of the children) suggested that we focus on colors. That comment inspired me to compose the song "Green Color Up", which admittedly is a whole different song. The beginning words of that song were changed to:

Green color up
Green color down
Green color all around the town.

For more information about this song, visit this page of my website, http://www.cocojams.com/games_children_play.htm

All of this to say that I don't at all regret changing the word to that "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" song-a song that the children in those groups didn't know previously, showed little enjoyment in playing, and didn't fit the "public performance" nature of those groups anyway.

**

By the way, I searched my files and found a published version of "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" that includes the word "took" and not "stole". I'll share that version in my next post to this thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Mo the caller
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 06:21 AM

Maybe we should ban the rhyme because it promotes tale-telling (and telling lies and 'bearing false witness')

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Mo the caller
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 04:33 AM

Azizi said
"Btw-I should also confess that I changed the words to "who took the cookie from the cookie jar" as I didn't want to promote stealing..."

I thought the rhyme was about someone being accused of doing something wrong and denying it. So I wouldn't say that it 'promotes' stealing.
Maybe the word 'stole' is usually reserved for bigger things though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 11:41 PM

Thanks, Anne. That's interesting information.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Anne Lister
Date: 14 Jul 09 - 02:45 PM

Hi, Azizi - I picked up my version of the Telephone Song from some children in an inner London (that's UK) primary school. It was played as a sitting down game, sometimes in a circle, but there was no hand clapping involved. The children in the group who taught me the song came from a mixture of backgrounds, with the majority probably British/Afro-Caribbean and a sprinkling of all kinds of other ethnicities. Fairly sure I learnt it in the early 1980's.
I suspect the children had learnt it from another teacher at some stage. In that sense, the oral tradition continues, as I use it in classes now myself, and so it goes on.

Anne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: GUEST,stellabloo
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 09:30 PM

Hilarious - like I say "there are no questions anymore - because you can look up everything on the internet".

For example, this. I just want to add that I was looking for old clapping games from my childhood ... I grew up in rural BC but my variation of "who stole the cookies" is the same as the detroit one! Maybe because most of the kids in my small town came from rural ontario? Anyway, a fascinating phenomenon of folk and pop culture.

But I remember it was taught child-to-child: in Grade 4 and 5 (back before cable and satellite tv) girls in the know (i.e. "cool") had their clapping sequence (different for each song) down pat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 08:06 AM

Although I didn't try it, it occurs to me that one way that "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" could have been made more interesting to the children I worked with was to increase its mild competitiveness by increasing the tempo each time a new number was called.

**

Anne Lister, I'm curious about how your version of the "Telephone Game" is played (for instance, is it a hand clapping game like I believe is the case with the version I posted .
Also, Anne, is your version from the USA or from another country? I'm sorry. I've forgotten where your live.

There's a version of the "Telephone Game" in Apples on a Stick: The Folklore of Black American Children (Barbara Michels ,Bettye White: Coward McCann & Geoghegan; 1983) [These rhymes were collected from Houston, Texas]

Here's that version:

Miss Sue Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Here she come with a hickory stick
Uh-huh
Uh-hun
Here she come with a hickory stick
Uh-huh
Uh-hun
Hey Dishelle
Somebody's calling your name
Hey Dishelle
Somebody's playing your game
Hey Dishelle
Somebody wants you on the telephone
If it aint' my man
Tell him I aint home
Sitting at the table
Chopping up potatoes
Waiting for the clock to go
Chock a boo
Chock a boo
She say wishy washy
She say wishy washy
boom

-snip-

[I added italics to highlight that portion of the rhyme]

This rhyme actually is a combination of three rhymes which may be recited independently. The first rhyme is "Miss Sue" (also known as "Miss Sue From Alabama". The second rhyme is the call & response rhyme which for wont of a fixed title, I'll call "Somebody's calling your name"*. And the third rhyme is often called "Tic Toc". In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that Tic Toc rhyme is usually preceded by the line "Miss Sue/ Miss Sue from Alabama".

I recall reading another rhyme that has the telephone call lines. I know it was in a book of African American children's playground rhymes, but I can't find it now or remember which book it was in. I recall that a specific boy's name was mentioned in the line "If it ain't ____ tell him I'm not home". I don't think that version was mixed with other rhymes like the Apple On A Stick version is. Perhaps it also should be mentioned that these "telephone/boyfriend on the line" rhymes pre-date the caller ID and call waiting telephone features that most telephones have nowadays. This is one way of establishing a date for these rhymes.

* The Apple On A Stick book gives no performance information but judging from my observations and experiences with two of those rhymes-all but the telephone portion -I'd say that they are partner or possibly circle hand clap rhymes). Also, it seems clear that this is a modified call/response sequence. The group speaks first and the girl whose name is called responds. The name or nickname of each girl is used when it's her turn to be the "soloist".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 07:49 AM

In the drinking version, if someone gets a number wrong they are eliminated, the rest have to remember that the number is now void, if they pick it they are also eliminated.


Full version of telephone song

(all)Hey ( name)
(replies) I can hear my name
all) hey ( name)
replies) I can hear iot again

(all) there's someone on the telephone
(name) Well if it isn't ( another name) I'm not home

ALL    La la la la lala la la la la,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 07:11 AM

Here's a repost about this Afro-Caribbean or African American originated children's rhyme. The post is from this thread:

thread.cfm?threadid=91948#1754470


I deleted the portion of this long post in which I theorized about the meaning of another type of children's game genre-"choosing a person in the middle" circle games. I also added a comment to this post. That comment is placed in brackets.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kid's rhymes: Big Mac, Coca Cola & more
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:41 PM

Thanks for posting that Robyn!It's interesting how rhymes travel!!

I learned "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" when I was growing up {I don't remember how]. But I'm almost positive we didn't use the introductory phrase "One two three and a zing zing zing". However, that phrase changed around to "Zing Zing Zing And Ah One Two Three" is very widely used for a number of handclap rhymes.

I've only experienced "Who Stole The Cookie..." played as a sit down hand game, though I've read that some people have played it standing up. In my childhood I remember being seated in a circle, and clapping our own hands to one beat, then hitting our knees, and then clapping our hands again. This clap-slap-clap-slap beat is maintained throughout the entire chant. The tune to this song isn't very uptempo.

In my childhood the children said numbers in sequential order {so maybe this was a school thing}. But when I taught it to the Pittsburgh kids a few years ago, I used the version a Black Pittsburgh woman had shared with me. In that version, before the chant begins, every child is given a specific number. The game always starts with a leader voicing the line for "number 1". After number 1 recites that game's standard line, he or she picks another number at random. That person must say that standard line etc. and then must pick another number at random. Because they never know when their number is going to be called, each girl and boy must be alert to the possibility of her or his number being called, and must respond accordingly. * Technically, the game is supposed to end after every number is called.

* It's my opinion that some recreational games have [or had] a purpose beyond mere fun. I think that "Who Stole the Cookie Jar etc" may have been a means of reinforcing among children the need to remain alert & and aware, to think quickly, and respond appropriately. In similar fashion, I think that "let me see your motion" ring [circle] games where one child is selected at random to be in the center of the circle] also taught {teaches} children to be alert & aware, and think fast and act appropriately...[or in this case, giving the appropriate response when your name is called. I also think another purpose of this rhyme is to teach and reinforce the ability to clap hands, and pat knees (knees or thighs) rhythmically on beat while reciting a line. This ability is used throughout Afro-Caribbean, African American, other African Diaspora and African cultures]

In my neck of the woods, it seems to me that "Who Stole The Cookie.." is not a child initiated game anymore {if it ever was}. It appears to me that this game is most often taught to children by adults, and that adults lead children in playing this game. And even then, that's doesn't happen very often. Around 2003 or so I introduced "Who Stole The Cookie..." to a group of African American girls and boys-ages 5-12 years old. It was clear that they had never heard of the game before. Maybe it was because the group was too large {20 children or so}, but truth be told, the group quickly got bored with that repetitious chant, so long before all the numbers were called I switched up and moved to another game.

Here's the Pittsburgh, PA version of "Who Stole The Cookie..."

WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR

Group-    Who stole the cookie from the cook-ie jar
[leader] Number 1 stole the cookie from the cook-ie jar
#1       Who me? Couldn't be
Others    Then who stole the cookie from the
          cook ie jar
#1       [Picks a number at random]
          Number 8 stole the cookie from the cook-ie jar
#8       Who me? Couldn't be
Others    Then who stole the cookie from the
          cook ie jar
#8       Picks a number at random]
          Number 3 stole the cookie from the cook-ie jar
{etc etc etc}   

Btw-I should also confess that I changed the words to "who took the cookie from the cookie jar" as I didn't want to promote stealing...

Maybe the word 'stealing' was an American substitution. I have a vague memory of reading a Caribbean version of this rhyme that said something like "Someone took my cookie, was it you?" and a similar pattern continued from there...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Anne Lister
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 03:09 AM

I've used this for years with kids and they love it ... another good one is the Telephone Game. There's a rudimentary melody but it goes:
Hey *child's name*
Hey *child's name*
You're wanted on the telephone
Child: If it isn't *another name* I'm not at home
Everyone: ring a ring a ring a ring a ring ring ring x2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: EBarnacle
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 10:13 PM

During my freshman year at Drexel Institute we used this as a drinking game, with anyone who blew the ritual hav ing to take a drink and restart the game.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Susan of DT
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 09:13 PM

A more formal/military variant:

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
Number two stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Number two to the rear
Who, sir, me sir?
Yes, sir, you, sir!
No not I, sir.
Well then who sir?
Number three, sir.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: jeddy
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 08:49 PM

sorry i got the munchies!! will you smake my bum now or later?

sorry i couldn't resist

jade x x x x

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: open mike
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 08:37 PM

number 42 stole the cookie from the cookie jar...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 07:33 PM

Who stole the cooky from the cooky jar
stole the cooky from the cooky jar.
Who me?
Yes you.
Couldn't be.
Then who?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 08:58 PM

Each named person blames someone new. For younger children, pre-count off and use numbers, IF they can remember their number!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 08:39 PM

Group: (pat thighs,(patsch), clap pat clap pat clap pat clap):
Who stole the cooky from the cooky jar?
Johnny stole the cooky from the cooky jar.
Johnny: Who me?
Group: Yes you.
Johnny: Couldn't be.
Group: Then who?
Johnny: (on downbeat = patsch) Mary stole the cooky from the cooky jar.
Mary: Who me?
Group: Yes you.
Mary: Couldn't be.
Group: Then who?

Mary names someone. Game continues with the name being said on the downbeat (patsch). Anyone missing the beat is out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: Little Robyn
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 05:59 PM

It was on the Folkways record 1,2,3 and a zing, zing, zing, recorded in NY back about 1959 and picked up here in New Zealand.
It was played in playgrounds (and Teacher's training colleges) all around and starts slightly differently.
Leader:
Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
Everyone else:
Not I stole the cookies from the cookie jar!
Leader:
Then who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
(Name a child)stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Child:
Not I stole the cookies from the cookie jar!
Leader:
Then who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
Child:
(Child names another child) stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

The first child then becomes the leader.

There was another similar game on the record, called Jaqueline, that started:
Leader:
1,2,3 and a zing, zing, zing,
number 1
Child 1:
Who me?
Leader:
Yes you!
Child 1:
Couldn't be.
(or Not me!)
Leader:
Then who?
Child names another child Number 5 etc......
At some stage the leader names Jaqueline, who seems to be "he" and on the record there is an argument over who is actually Jaqueline. Not sure if it's the winner or loser - the one caught out because they didn't give the right answer in time. This game moves very fast and you have to be quick to keep up.


The Cookie jar was turned into a school reading book by a local author (I think it was Joy Cowley but I can't find my copy to check) and she made it a farm yard setting with the cow and horse and dog etc denying they had eaten the cookies. It ended with some ants being discovered with the crumbs. It's suitable for 5-6 year olds learning to read but it's great for entertaining younger kids too.

Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: Monique
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 11:25 AM

Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 11:23 AM

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
was it you?
(yes YOU!)
couldn't be!
(then who?!)

... round and round.

But why, or how we used this (I'm a little older than your daughter), my sleepy brain can't figure out.

Will check back in later!

Dani

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 06:18 AM

In fact, using that formulation gets 29,200 'hits' at Google
Google search

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 06:16 AM

Vague recollections only, but was it:
"Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?"

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: Lyr Req: Who stole the cookies/
From: GUEST,Dave Hunt - (Dr.Sunshine!)
Date: 28 Aug 08 - 07:44 PM

Hi all- we are just researching some childrens rhymes - my daughter (now 39) just came up with one I had never heard

Who stole the cookies from the cookie shop
Was it number 5...... something?
was it number 3 ......something?
Number two stole the cookies from the cookie shop.../
then some other bits?

Sorry- It's late at night. She was staying with us and has now gone home - I can find more in the next few days - but I'm sure someone out there will have lots more info!!
Dave