Selected Examples Of The Hand Clap Rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama" (with various titles) (after 1999 or no dates established)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Revised on January 18, 2019

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the hand clap rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama".

This post provides my brief editorial comments about why I believe "Miss Sue From Alabama" with originated as an African American rhyme.

Part II of this pancocojams series also presents selected examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" hand clap rhymes regardless of their titles that are dated from 2000 on as well as examples from the "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhyme family (regardless of their titles) that have no demographic information about their dates, but which I believe are later versions.

A 2011 video of two girls performing a hand clap routine while chanting a version of "Miss Sue From Alabama" is one of the examples of this rhyme that is included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/selected-examples-of-hand-clap-rhyme.html for Part I of this series. Part I of this pancocojams series presents selected examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" regardless of their titles* from 1965-1999.

The tune of the sound file embedded in Part I and the video that is embedded in Part II are the same. However, compare how different many of the words of these later examples are from the earlier examples of these rhymes that are featured in Part I.

The examples that are featured in Part II include (probably accidentally) folk processed versions or purposely changed versions of that rhyme. Furthermore, it appears to me that more post 1990s examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" include that rhyme's verses in combination with verses from other stand alone hand clap rhymes.

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DISCLAIMER: This series isn't meant to be a comprehensive compilation of all of the numerous versions of rhymes in the "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhyme family.

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/folk-processing-childrens-rhyme-miss.html for a 2013 pancocojams post on "Folk Processing The Children's Rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama" for my theories about the meanings of the referent "Scooby Doo" and the phrase take a smooth shot" in some examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama"

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The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who contributed examples to this post and all those who are otherwise quoted in this post. Thanks also to those who are featured in the embedded video in this post, and thanks to the publisher of that video.

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PART II
PANCOCOJAMS' EDITOR'S NOTE
I collected all of the examples in this post from the internet. These examples are divided into two sections:
Part A features those rhymes whose performance date is included with those examples; Examples in Part A are given in chronological order with the oldest date given first.

Part B features those examples whose performance date isn't included with those examples; Examples in Part B are given according to their online publishing date with the oldest year given first. Note that some comments that are given with Part B examples indicate that the commenters remember these examples from their childhood or youth.

Although examples in Part B were published without any performance date (and usually without any demographic information at all), my guess is that many of them are post 2000 examples. I base this on their text (words) and their propensity for combining what I believe to be post 1990s versions of other stand alone hand clap rhymes.

Compared to the 1965-1990s examples that I have found of "Miss Sue From Alabama" (which are given in Part I of this pancocojams series), these later examples seem to include more combinations of other stand alone rhymes (rhymes that might be recited alone) than earlier examples from this "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhyme family. In part because of space, I've decided not to identify the stand alone hand clap (or jump rope) rhymes that are combined with each version of "Miss Sue From Alabama" (and other titles). See how well you do in identifying the names of those rhymes.

Also, there appears to be more folk processing* in the later examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes than the pre-2000s examples, particularly when it comes to the titles of these rhymes.

*By "folk processing", I mean folk (people) accidentally changing words or phrases in a rhyme to a similar sounding word or phrase because their misheard or mis-remembered that word or phrase. Using the examples of rhyme titles from the "Miss Sue From Alabama" family of rhymes, examples of folk processed titles or first lines are "My soup", "Mazoo", and "Missing from Alabama". In contrast, given the definition that I use for "folk processing" (which may not be correct according to other folklorists), I consider the title (first line) E.T. From Outer Space" to be purposely changed because those words don't sound anything like "Miss Sue From Alabama".

Examples in each section are consecutively numbered.

PART A
These versions are numbered for referencing purposes only and don't refer to any earlier or later dates that these versions may have been performed.

MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #1)
[This example was posted in an online folk music discussion thread in response to the question "Do kids still do clapping rhymes?"]

Hot off the presses from 9-yr-old daughter, provenance unknown: "Um, just from my friends and all". Haphazard guardianship indeed!

Miss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her name was Suzianna
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick all around go
Tick Tock
Tick all around
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Gotta wash that stain right out of me
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta crick in my side
Gotta crick in my side
Salt and pepper said "DO NOT MOVE"
(alternate ending)
Salt and pepper said" DO NOT MOVE,
FIRST ONE TO MOVE IS A BLACK-EYED-PEA
SECOND ONE TO MOVE IS A BEAUTY QUEEN
-Dani (White American, Southern USA), http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 "Folklore: Do kid still do clapping rhymes?", September 22, 2003

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ET FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #2)
ET
ET
ET from outer space.
He had an ugly face.
Sitting in a rocket.
Eating chocolate.
Watching soap operas
All day long.
A B C D E F G
Get your black hands off of me.
Now freeze!
-Naijah S.; (African American female, 9 years old; Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; January 14, 2011; Collected by Azizi Powell
-snip-
The line "Get your black hands off of me" is found in several African American rhymes.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/get-your-black-hands-off-of-me.html for a pancocojams post about that line.

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #3)

SHOWCASE VIDEO: Miss Sue Playground Song



Irene Kistler, Published on Apr 7, 2011

Miss Sue...
Miss Sue...
Miss Sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
She was sitting in her rocking chair,
Chewing on her underwear
Watching the clock go tick tock, tick tock banana rock
Tick tock tick tock banana rock
A B C D E F G, wash those cooties off of me
Whiska Whiska Whiska
FREEZE!
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: Description of the play performance:
The "Miss Sue From Alabama" portion of this rhyme begins with a hand clap routine, but is mostly imitative motions. The girls actually don't "freeze" in place when they say that word, but quickly move to the "Inky Dinky Donkey" portion of that rhyme. One girl chants those lines while alternating pointing to the fingers on the other girl’s outstretched hands as well as her hand.
"Inky dinky donkey
Daddy a donkey
Donkey died
Daddy cried
Inky dinky donkey"

[The person whose hand is pointed to the last time “the syllable “key” is said has to place one of her arms behind her back. The hand clap rhyme immediately begins again from the beginning with that girl only using one hand and patting her chest instead of both hands.]

"Miss Sue...
Miss Sue...
Miss Sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
She was sitting in her rocking chair, [on this line begin imitative motions]
Chewing on her underwear
Watching the clock go tick tock, tick tock banana rock
Tick tock tick tock banana rock
A B C D E F G, wash those cooties off of me
Whiska Whiska Whiska
FREEZE!"

[The girl who was clapping with two hands begins reciting the "Inky Dinky Donkey" rhyme while pointing at her fingers and at the fingers of the girl who has one hand behind her back. That portion ends with her having to put fold one arm behind her back and the hand clap begins from the beginning the last time with the first girl whose arm was behind her back. The girls say the entire rhyme again and end with the inkly dinky donkey portion and a girl having no hands to do the rhyme.]

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PART B
MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA/E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #1 and Version #2)
"Originally posted by Aimee Evilclowny:
We also had this, like, Betty Crocker thing... I don't remember all of it...

?????
Sittin' in a rocker,
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Watchin' the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick-Tock Banana Rock
Tick Tock
Tick-Tock Banana Rock

There was more, I know it! I just can't remember it. *ponders*"

I posted this one on one of these threads...

Miss Sue/E.T
" " "
" " " from Alabama/outer space
Sittin' in a rocker
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Watchin' the clock go
tick, tock, tick tock banana rock/space
" " " " " "
A B C D E F G, wash those boy/space germs off of me,
with a wiggle waggle wiggle waggle moon shine freeze.

[Big Grin]
-Crackrzz (Mandy) ; Nova Scotia, Canada, http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=95;t=000442;p=1, 13 February, 2003

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #3)
I loved these games when I was a kid! I was really good at them, it's probably my only talent in life, LOL. Too bad it's not worth much!

...How about this one:

Miss Sue, Miss Sue,
Miss Sue's from Alabama,
She's having a party,
Chick a boom, chick a boom, chick a boom boom boom (shaking butt)
tinams8, Location: New England, http://www.mothering.com/forum/35-parenting/83013-hand-clapping-recess-games.html, 08-31-2003

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #4)
Hi:-) I just wanted to submit a very popular version of the 'handclap rhyme' song "Miss Sue From Alabama".
I lived in Indiana my whole life although I changed schools alot, and this song seemed to be known by every other African American child I met. Here's how we all sang it:

Miss Sue! *clap clap*
Miss Sue! *clap clap*
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real names Suzyanna
Sittin in a rockin chair
Eatin Betty Crocker bread
Watchin the clock go
Tick tock tick tock Banana rock!
Tick tock tick tock Banana rock!
A-b-c-d-e-f-g Wash them spots right offa me!
Moocha Moocha Moocha Freeze!

*literally freeze on the last clap,
try to stay still longer than your friend
-darlenevil; cocojams.com, 2/1/2005
-snip-
"cocojams.com" was my multi-page cultural website. A large portion of the content for the children's rhymes and cheers pages came from visitors posting their examples on an easy to use webpage. A lot of the content from those pages can be found on my cocojams2 blog. Here's a link to one page of that blog: http://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/10/hand-clap-rhymes-examples.html.

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #5)
one goes back and forth between the people playing the game; I'll just use my name (Monica):

(both)Miss Sue, Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real name is Susannah
(Boom chicka boom chicka boomboomboom)
Mommy's got the measles, Daddy's got the flu
I ain't lyin', nor are you.
(other person) Hey Monica!>
(me) Who's callin' my name?
(other person) Hey Monica!
(me) Stop playin' my game!
(other person) Someone's on the telephone!
(me) If it ain't my baby tell 'em I ain't home!
(both) Sittin' in her rocker, eatin' peanut butter
Watchin' the clock go
Boom ticky wah wah boom tick tock
Boom ticky wah wah clock says stop!
-getoffmyskittle; http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=38901&page=4 "Does anyone remember this?? (goofy kid-rhymes)" February 6th, 2006

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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #6)
E-T.
E-T.
E-T from outer space.
He has an ugly face.
Sitting in a rocker,
Eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go tick-tock
Tick-tock ski-wa-dee-da-dee
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wipe those crumbs off of me!
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth shirt.
Now freeze!
-KeepOnSingin, http://www.dance.net/topic/7106059/1/General/Do-you-remember-those-old-rhymes-you-d-sing-as-a-kid.html re: Do you remember those old rhymes you'd sing as a kid?, Apr 20, 2008
-snip-
"Take a smooth shirt" is just one folk processed example of "take a smooth shot" that is found in multiple versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama" (or other titles).

In those rhymes, the word "smooth" is an adjective whose 1970s slang meaning is "doing something difficult without effort, with finesse." The word "smooth" was often used this way when someone performed a difficult action in a way that made that action seemed easy.

UPDATE: January 19, 2019: Note my revised idea that "smooth shot" (and all of its variations) may be folk processed forms of the words "flu shot" [an immunization to prevent against getting the influenza [disease].

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #7)
Miss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real name Susiana
Sitting in a rocking chair
Eating baby crackers
Watching the clock go
Tick-tock, tick-tock, banana rock
Tick-tock, tick-tock, banana rock
A B C D E F G
Wash those spots all off of me
Mushka mushka, I see my mommy
Mushka mushka, I know karate
Mushka mushka, (fake push someone) Oops I'm sorry
Mushka mushka, Indian Chief. How.
(That might be a little racist, woops.)
-By Claritin, http://www.dance.net/topic/7106059/1/General/Do-you-remember-those-old-rhymes-you-d-sing-as-a-kid.html re: Do you remember those old rhymes you'd sing as a kid?, Apr 23, 2008

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Versions #8 and #9)
Dormouse559 wrote:
“Miss Sue, Miss Sue, Miss Sue from Alabama,
Sitting in a rocker, eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, wash those spiders off of me.
Mooshka, mooshka, I know karate.
Mooshka, mooshka, I love my mommy.
Mooshka, mooshka, Oops, I'm sorry.
You better be sorry.
I'm not sorry.
FREEZE!”

We song this as:
Miss Sue, Miss Sue, Miss Sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
Sitting in a rocker, eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock(sometimes we said "around the clock" instead of "banana rock")
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, wash those spiders off of me [or] wash those boy germs off of me.
Mooshka, mooshka, mooshka I know karate.
Mooshka, mooshka, I love my mommy.
Mooshka, mooshka, Oops, I'm sorry.
You better be sorry.
I'm not sorry.
FREEZE!
-Bijlee,, [female, United States] http://dev.unilang.org/viewtopic.php?t=39100, UniLang Language Community • Forum: Childhood Rhymes, 012-11-20

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #10)
mines is miss sue miss sue from alabama she's sittin in a rocker eatin betty crocker's watchin the clock go tick tock tick tock chihuahua tick tock chihuahua abcdefg wipe those cooties off of me mushaka mushaka i love my mommy mushaka mushaka i love my daddy mushaka mushaka i love karate mushaka mushaka ''slap each other '' oops i'm sorry
- booya duh, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song, 2013

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #11)
Ours was: " miss sue miss sue miss sue from Alabama Alaska Nebraska sitting in a rocker eating Betty Crocker tick tock tick banana rock x2 abcdefg Barney's my worst enemy"
ChloeeandErica Summers, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song [embedded video given above]; 2013

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #12)
How I remember miss sue miss sue miss sue from alabama jer real name suseanna sittin In the rocking eatin popcorn watchin that clock go tick tock boom boom bananas +2 hey little white girl what u gone do your momma got the chicken pox ur daddy got the flu take a
A b c d e f g. H I J K L M N O P take a boooo shot take a boo shot now FREEZE
Makyia Ballentine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song; 2014

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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #13)
Et from outer space. He had an ugly face. Sittin in the rocket. Eating hot chocolate something something tick tock tick tock, cho wala wala .tick tock tick tock, cho wala wala. ABCDEFG you better get your black hands off of me. I gotta smooth shirt... None of that correlates
-peanut butter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g, 2015

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #14)
back in my day it went a little something like this:
Miss Sue (clap clap clap)
Miss Sue (clap clap clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama, her real name's Suzianna
she's sittin in a rocker, eatin Betty Crocker
watch the clock go tick tock tock tock, banana rock
tick tock tick tock banana rock
ABCD123
wash those spiders off of me
mooshka, mooshka, i see mommy
mooshka, mooshka, i know karate
mooshka, mooshka, oops i'm sorry
mooshka, mooshka, FREEZE.
-RespectMyThickness, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song [embedded video given above]; 2015
-snip-
Another commenter asked "RespectMyThickness "How do you remeber this". She responded "me and my friends used to do that during recess all the time. it kinda just sticks with you lol"
-snip-
Given this screen name, my guess is that RespectMyThicknes is an African American woman. In African American communities, the word "thick" is a description of people (but especially females) who aren't slender, but may be voluptuous. Although some people put down those who are "thick", the word "thick" is usually considered to be much more positive than the words "fat" or "overweight".

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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #15)
No it's
Miss sue
Miss sue
Miss sue from Alabama
her real name's Suzianna
Mama's having a baby
Daddy's going crazy
If it's a boy I'll give it a toy
If it's a girl I'll give it a curl
Wrap it up in toilet paper
Shoot it down the elevator

First floor stop
Second floor stop
Third floor you better watch out
For the S-T-O-P spells stop.
I said an A B C D E F G
Wipe those crumbs right off of me
You better freeze like a peice of cheese
Don't show no teeth😶
Isaiah Guiden, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song [embedded video given above]; 2015

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MY SOUP FROM CALIFORNIA (Version #16)
We sung those Barney songs too and I live in Australia. We also used to do this weird one called My Soup which was weird. It went like this:
My soup clap clap clap
My soup clap clap clap
My soupd from california waiting on a rock to go
tick tock tick tock shawalawala tick tock tick tock shawalawala abcdefg wash those boy germs out of me
Moonshine moonshine moonshine
Freeze!
And then we all had to freeze.”…
Rochelle Foley, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g2015, 2015

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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #17)
the one i remember best was "E.T from outer space, he has an ugly face, sitting in the rocker, eating betty crocker, watching the clock go tick tock, tick tock shawawa, tick tock, tick tock shawawa, a-b-c-d-e-f-g was that chocolate off of me, mushka mushka i know karate, mushka mushka i can call my mommy, mushka mushka FREEZE" and then whoever moved first lost. don't know what we had against ET though
Libby Jourdan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g2015, 2015

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MISS SUE FROM PARRAMATA (Version #18)
mine is
miss sue
miss sue
miss sue from parramata
hey you Scooby-Doo
your mother's got the measles
your fathers got the flu
magic measles magic flu
take a abcdefg
take a hijklmnop
take a smooth shot
take a smooth shot
and freeze. (×4)
-Gymnast Queen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song 2016

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MY SOUP FROM CALIFORNIA (Version #19)
At my school it is completely different it goes
My soup, my soup
My soup from California
Sitting in a rocket
Eating chocolate waiting for the Time to go
Tic tic cicawawa tic tic cicawawa
A b c d e f g
Gummy bears are chasing me
One is red
One is blue
One is peeing on my shoe
I'm running running for my life
Cause the red one has a knife
CACHING
The Colour English, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song; 2016

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MY SOUP FROM CALIFORNIA (Version #20)
[reply to The Colour English] Same, except:

My soup, my soup
My soup from California
Sitting in a rocket
Eating tons of chocolate waiting for the Time to go
Tic tock, tick tock around the clock (2)
A b c d e f g
Gummy bears are chasing me
One is red
One is dead
One is chewing of my head
Now I'm running running for my life
Cause the green one has a knife
(Then, whoever pokes the person first wins)
Victory Lemonade :D, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song, 2016

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E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE (Version #21)
The most complicated clap game I remember was ET - if I tried the clap pattern now I'd probably accidentally hit my partner, because it involved switching from clapping across to the up and down claps a lot. But the rhyme itself went:

ET, (clap clap clap), ET (clap clap clap)
ET from outer space, he had an ugly face
Sitting in a rocker, eating Betty crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick tock, tick tock sha walla walla
A B C D E F G
You better get your grandma off of me
You better get your grandma off of me
Now freeze!

And whoever moved first lost.
-sirsparklepants, https://kintsugi.seebs.net/threads/childrens-rhymes.5542/ Children's rhymes, Mar 9, 2017

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MISSING FROM ALABAMA (Version #22)
Mine is so different and I've been trying to see if people sing it the same. "Missing from Alabama her name is Susie Anna she's having a baby or papas going crazy if it's a boy I'll give a toy if it's a girl I'll give it a whirl wrap it up and toilet paper send it down the escalator first step step in your dada second step step in your mama third step you better watch out because this is how you spell stop STO Penut stop
-abigaelle nelson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song; July 2017

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series on "Miss Sue From Alabama".

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