Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the singing games "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar".
This post presents some online information and comments about the history of the singing game and examples of that singing game, including how those games were/are performed.
This pancocojams post also includes my speculation about a social skills purpose for the "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" singing game" and a possible element of the "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" games that has long been forgotten .
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-singing-game-who-stole-cookies-from.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases five videos of "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" singing games
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE SINGING GAME "WHO STOLE THE COOKIES FROM THE COOKIE JAR" (AND SIMILAR SINGING GAMES)
Online Source #1
" "Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?" (Also called "Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?" or the Cookie Jar Song) is a sing-along game of children's music. The song is an infinite-loop motif, where each verse directly feeds into the next. The game begins with the children sitting or standing, arranged in an inward-facing circle.
The song usually begins with the group leader asking who stole a cookie from an imaginary (or sometimes real) cookie jar, followed by the name of one of the children in the circle. The child questions the "accusation," answered by an affirmation from the "accuser," followed by continued denial from the "accused." The accuser asks who stole the cookie, followed by the accused's saying the name of another child in the circle. The call-and-answer is potentially infinitely recursive, limited only by the number of participants or the amount of time the participants wish to spend on it.
Sometimes, a clapping or snapping beat is used by the children in the circle. Sometimes, the other children in the group sing along with the "accuser" after the "accused" has been identified. Some variations on the theme include the use by teachers of the song as a lesson in keeping with a beat and improvisation. As with many children's songs, there can be many variations on the execution of the performance.
The song's lyrics usually start with:
Accuser/Group: Who stole/took the cookie/cookies from the cookie jar? (name of a child in the circle) stole/took the cookie/cookies from the cookie jar.
Accused: Who, me?
Accuser/Group: Yes, you!
Accused: Not me!
Accuser/Group: Then who?
This is followed by the "accused" saying the name of someone else, as "(name of a child in the circle) stole the cookie from the cookie jar," and the subsequent back-and-forth lines are repeated. The song may be repeated ad infinitum or it may end - if it is being performed as part of a game, where members of the group are eliminated by failing to keep up with the prescribed beat or eliminated as a result of being chosen as one of the accused, sometimes finishing with "We all stole/took the cookie/cookies from the cookie jar".
The fourth line is often changed to "Couldn't be!" Sesame Street's version also changed the third line to "Yeah, you!"...
-snip-
According to Guest opinion: Spense Havlick: Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? (dailycamera.com/2020/12/11/guest-opinion-spense-havlick-who-stole-the-cookie-from)
…"Wikipedia suggests that this ditty originated in England in the late 18th century with the words: “Who took the biscuit from the biscuit tin?” It became popular in America some time during the Great Depression when ceramic jars with lids contained candy or other sweets and sometimes cash or spare change."
-snip-
The sentence about the 18th century origin of "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" isn't included in Wikipedia's March 13, 2025 page about that singing game. However, that sentence is included in the March 13, 2025 Google Search's AI results for my question "When was "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" first collected?
Regarding "the Great Depression", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression indicates that
"The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty; drastic reductions in liquidity, industrial production, and trade; and widespread bank and business failures around the world. The economic contagion began in 1929 in the United States, the largest economy in the world, with the devastating Wall Street stock market crash of October 1929 often considered the beginning of the Depression. Among the countries with the most unemployed were the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Germany.”
-snip-
Notice that by 2006 if not earlier- the wording for some versions of this singing game changed from "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" to "Who took the cookie from the cookie jar" reflecting the position that singing about someone stealing a cookie may be promoting steaking. Read the comments about this change from "stole" to "took" in Online Source #2 in this post.
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Online Quotes #2
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=113879
[Numbers for these comments are given for referencing purposes only.]
1.
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."
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2. Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: Azizi
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 07:11 AM
[Pancocojams Editor's Note written on March 14, 2025:
In 2008 I quoted a 2006 comment on the "Who Stole The Cookies.." Mudcat discussion thread that I had written and added to another Mudcat thread. My 2006 comment was in response to a comment that Little Robyn had written (also in 2006). Both of these comments were on the Mudcat discussion thread
"Lyr Req: Kid's rhymes: Big Mac, Coca Cola & more" https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=91948.
Here's Little Robyn 2006 comment, followed by the 2006 comment post that I quoted in that 2009 Mudcat post about "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar":]
| Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kid's rhymes: Big Mac, Coca Cola & more From: Little Robyn Date: 06 Jun 06 - 04:12 PM Hi Azizi, I'm from New Zealand tho' my ancesters came from Britain about 150 years ago. Most NZers were into 'rugby, racing and beer' but I could never relate to that. I discovered American folk songs in the 60s and later got into British folk - and discovered that's where I really belonged. School journals and song books used to include folk songs and rhymes and we often used the same rhymes as you in the playgound (50 years ago). I was a student at teacher's training college when someone introduced Cookie Jar to NZ kids (hey, there's another food one!). This came from the Folkways record "One, two, three and a zing, zing, zing" which was recorded on the streets of New York, if I remember rightly and one of the music lecturers had the record. I don't know if modern kids still play it but it started in the early 60s in NZ. I used to have a copy of the record but I sent it to the Opies, in England, many years ago, when they couldn't find a copy anywhere else. Later, when my daughter was little, we picked up Down, down baby (similar to version 2 but without the reference to the coloured boy) from kids TV - we watched and sometimes recorded Sesame Street and The Elephant Show, and learned lots of songs from there. Now she has a baby of her own, she's digging out the old tapes and is doing the same thing with my granddaughter (who is only 12 weeks old). Way to go! Robyn" [Pancocojams Editor's Note written on March 13, 2025: Here's my 2006 comment that I quoted in 2009 on that "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" discussion thread] |
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."
-snip-
Added March 14, 2025
By "child self-initiated game", I meant that children started playing this game i.e. The game wasn't begun by or led by a teacher or some other adult.
**
3.
"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."...
**
4.
"Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
From: GUEST,stellabloo
Date: 13 Jul 09 - 09:30 PM
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."
-snip-
Added March14, 2025- As that discussion thread is given on March 13, 2025, the United States city of Detroit (Illinois) is first mentioned in this post after Guest stellabloo's comment on July 13, 2009. That comment is given as #8 immediately below in this pancocojams post.
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5.
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."
**
6.
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie
Jar
From: Mo the caller
Date: 16 Jul 09 - 06:21 AM
**
7.
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.”…
-snip-
Added March 14, 2025
Notice how my comments in 2009 (and probably also in 2006) pre-suppose that "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" is of African American origin.
In 2025 I believe that if the "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" wasn't originally composed by African Americans or other Black people, the movement activities that are usually documented for that singing game were- i.e. I believe that the percussive tune that is used for "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" and its hand clapping/knee taping movements when the players are seated or the hand clapping, knee slapping, and dipping down movements when players are standing document the African American (and/or Black British, or Black Caribbean) influences upon /contributions to "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" singing game.
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8.
"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"
-snip-
Here is a continuation of my March 13, 2025 note: It's possible that another comment or comments that mention Detroit could have been accidentally deleted from that discussion thread (due to the Mudcat Forum crashing because of server issues which used to be a somewhat common occurrence.. It's also possible that Guest, stellabloo "misspoke" when she referred to Detroit, and meant the Pittsburgh version of "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" that I had shared prior to her comment.
**
9
.
"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:
"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".
-end of this long 2009 quote-
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ADDENDUM - MY SPECULATION #1: ONE PURPOSE THAT ADULTS HAD/HAVE FOR TEACHING CHILDREN "WHO STOLE THE COOKIES FROM THE COOKIE JAR" SINGING GAME & SIMILAR SINGING GAMES
Written by Azizi Powell, March 14, 2025
Notice how a central element of some of the examples of "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar?" ("Who Took The Cookies From The Cookie Jar?") is that the players don't know when they will be called upon to respond to the accusation that they "stole" (or "took") the cookies from the cookie jar.
I believe that adults may have sometimes taught (and may still sometimes teach) children the "Who StoleThe Cookies From The Cookie Jar" singing game to help children develop and reinforce the "readiness" skill (i.e. being ready for whatever happens to them or around them).
Because childen playing "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" don't know when their name or the number that they were assigned will be called, all the children need to be in a state of "expectant readiness" because if they fail to respond right away to their name or their number, or if they respond/ed the wrong way, they were/are automatically out of the game. (Perhaps being the last person in this singing game was/is how a person became/becomes the winner of that game, but I have more to say about that in Speculation #2.)
Being in a state of expectant readiness is an important social/survival skill, particularly for Black people or any other people who have lived/are living in oppressive conditions when people and circumstances can be or are always life threatening. I believe that "expectant readiness" (being psychologically and/or physically prepared to automatically get into self-protective modes and/or group protective modes) is one of the survival skills that Black children were consciously and unconsciously taught through certain recreational singing games and rhyming activities such as "The Dozens".
I believe that contemporary singing games, rhymes, and cheers still teach children in general and Black children in particular social skills such as expectant readiness and self-esteem, and confidence (through braggadocio & dissing others). However, I don't think that most adults and hardly any children are aware that these recreational activities are teaching and reinforcing social skills/survival skills.
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ADDENDUM - MY SPECULATION #2 - WAS THERE A NOW FORGOTTEN "TAG" CHASING ELEMENT TO "WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR" SINGING GAMES?
-written by Azizi Powell on March 14, 2025
I don't know how "Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar" and similar singing games end unless-at some undetermined time- one of the people playing that game "confesses" to being the person who stole the cookies or who ate the cookies the previous day or at some other earlier time.
Also, children's singing games don't necessarily have a winner, but if in the past there was a winner for a "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar?" game, how did a person win that game?
I wonder if waaay back when, the "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" singing game and similar singing games "ended" with a variant of the game of "tag".
If so, at some undetermined time during an iteration of "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar", one of the players decided to "confess" that he or she was the person who stole the cookies. That "confession" resulted in that person running away from the group and the rest of the group chased him or her, attempting to be the first person to catch that person (who is "it"). In this form of tag that I'm speculating used to be part of "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar", the players wanted to catch the player who was "It", before he or she touched a previously designated spot (i.e. the home base). If "It" was tagged before touching that home base, the person who tagged him or her was the winner of that game. Alternately, if "It" touched home base before being tagged, he or she was the winner.
At the conclusion of that "Tag" portion of that singing game, players could start another iteration of "Who Stole The Cookies From The Cookie Jar" if they chose to do so, but my guess is that by that time, they would be ready for a whole 'nuther game..
I have never come across any online or offline account of "Who Stole The Cookie Jar" that includes this "Tag" portion. Has anyone heard of or experienced this ending for that singing game? If so, please share that information in the comments section below. Please remember to include where (city/state or nation if outside of the United States) and when (year or decade). Thanks!
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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
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