Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of two part pancocojams series on the children's recreational rhyme "Elevator" (also known as "Alligator").
This post presents a timeline of and information/comments about compositions originating in the United States that began with the "What Shall We Do With The Baby" folk songs and eventually became the "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (also known as "Mama's Has A Baby" jump rope rhymes and later hand games which are in the 2020s chanted as "Elevator" (Alligator) hand games..
This post also includes a few word only examples of these folk songs and recreational rhymes.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/elevator-also-known-as-alligator.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases some YouTube video examples of the hand games "Elevator" or "Alligator". That post also presents an AI overview write-up about the rhyme "Elevator".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcases examples and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube..
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Although the mission of pancocojams is to showcases the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world, this post doesn't mean to imply that only Black people play the hand game "Elevators" or its variant form "Alligators".
As documented online, children of any race or ethnicity* have performed these rhymes.
*In the United States, colloquially speaking "ethnicity" usually means "Latina"/"Latino" ("Hispanic").
I believe that "Elevators" (also known as "Alligators") hand clap rhyme and game originated in the United States among African American girls. However, that is just a guess since most hand clap/hand slap rhymes originated from that population and then extended to other populations of girls in the United States and then throughout much of the world.
As is the case with other pancocojams post on children's recreational rhymes, singing games, and chants, these examples are showcased for folkloric and socio-cultural purpose and because I like these genres of children's recreational activities.
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"WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE BABY" FOLK SONGS AND FOR "FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (ALSO KNOWN AS "MAMA HAS A BABY" & OTHER TITLES) JUMP ROPE RHYMES AND HAND CLAP RHYMES (timeline, information, comments, and word only examples)
1917 or earlier - folk songs "What'll We Do With The Baby-O"
[information from AI Overview [retrieved April 21, 2026
"The earliest documented example of the folk song
"What'll We Do with the Baby-O" (also known as "What are You
Going To Do With the Baby?") is a version collected by Cecil Sharp in 1917
in the Southern Appalachians.
Key Historical Details
Earliest Documentation: Cecil Sharp collected the song in
1917, which was later published in English Folk Songs from the Southern
Appalachians.
First Recordings: While it existed in oral tradition
earlier, the first known recordings were made by the Hodge Brothers in 1928,
followed by Grayson & Whittier in 1929.
Origins: The song is considered a play-party song—a
traditional song-and-dance hybrid popular in the U.S. South, particularly in
Virginia, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
Variations: The song is closely related to or shares verses
with "Sugar in the Coffee" (recorded by the Skillet Lickers in 1924)
and "Prettiest Little Girl in the County-O".
[...]
The first recordings of “What are You Going To Do With the
Baby?” were made in 1928 by the Hodge Brothers and then by Grayson & Whitter".
-snip-
Click https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98173 for a Mudcat folk music discussion thread entitled "Origins: What Shall We Do With The Baby-O".
Here's an excerpt of the first comment in that discussion thread:
Subject: Lyr Add: What Shall We Do With The Baby O
From: Jacob B
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 02:19 PM
...here are the verses I know.
(Chorus)
What shall we do with the baby-o
What shall we do with the baby-o
What shall we do with the baby-o
He won't go to sleepy-o
Dance him North and dance him South
Put a little moonshine in his mouth
Dress him up in calico
Send him off to his daddy-o
Every time the baby cries
Poke a finger in the baby's eye
That's what we'll do with the baby-o
That's what we'll do with the baby-o!
What other verses do you know?"
Here's a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread that was written by the renowned folk singer Jean Ritchie in response to questions about that folk song/folk tune:
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Shall We Do With The Baby O Another of my own verses is the one, Pull her toes, tickle her chin (3 times) Roll her up in the county-pin! "County-pin" is the Kentucky pronounciation of, "Counterpane," which means a bedspread. End of lesson, Jean Ritchie" **
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LKUaVfoYw0 for "What Will I Do with the Baby-O", published by Jean Ritchie - Topic, May 19, 2015 |
Also, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odxY0l3gUJY for a YouTube sound file of Grayson & Whitter-What You Gonna Do With The Baby" published by BBYMRLCCOTN, Feb 26, 2010
1930s - Fudge Fudge Call The Judge
the Ballad Index (https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/MHAp239C.html)
indicates that the earliest example of this rhyme is from 1934 and gives the following information for the rhyme family that I call "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge":
"Oh Fudge, Tell the Judge
DESCRIPTION: "Oh, fudge, Tell the judge, Mother's got a baby. Oh, joy, It's a boy, Father's nearly crazy." "Wrap it up in tissue paper, Send it down the elevator." "First floor, second floor... send it out the back door."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1934 (Henry, from Mrs. Henry C. Gray, or her maid)*...
-end of quote-
Also, I found this online example from a person who remembers chanting "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" will jumping rope in the United States in the late 1930s/early 1940s:
"Phyllis Mel • 2016; https://www.buyjumpropes.net/resources/jump-rope-rhymes-songs-buyjumpropesnet/
"Yes, I've been trying to remember that one from the late thirties, early forties. "Fudge, fudge, tell the judge, Mama's got a new born baby, Wrap it up in tissue paper, put it on the elevator, first floor-stop, second floor-stop," etc. I can't remember if the rope stopped at each floor or what. Maybe the jumper stopped the rope with her foot, them kept going until she missed. "
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/11/fudge-fudge-call-judge-rhymes-with.html for the 2022 pancocojams post " "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" Rhymes (with demographic information: city/state & decades chanted).
Here are three jump rope examples from that large "family" of children's recreational rhymes:
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. "In Michigan City, Indiana, in the late 50's at our Catholic grade school we jumped rope to:
Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge
Momma's got a newborn baby
It isn't a girl
It isn't a boy
It's just an ordinary baby
Wrap it up in tissue paper
Send it down the elevator
First floor-push
Second floor-Push
Third floor- Kick 'em out out the door
Momma doesn't want that baby anymore"
-GUEST, Mary, 18 Feb 11 - 9:55 AM https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131&messages=21 , Lyr Req: Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge
**
2. "FUDGE, FUDGE, CALL THE JUDGE/
MAMA'S GOT A NEW BORN BABY./
NOT A BOY, NOT A GIRL,/
JUST A PLAIN BABY./
WRAP IT UP IN TISSUE PAPER/
SEND IT UP THE ELEVATOR./
FIRST FLOOR: HOP,
SECOND FLOOR: STOP.
THIRD FLOOR: SKIP.
FOURTH FLOOR TRIP./
FIFTH FLOOR RED HOT PEPPER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; SPEED-JUMP
Date learned: 10-20-1969"
-the James T. Callow Folkloric Archive, citation #1
-snip-
Notice the words that signal actions the jumper is supposed to perform. The words "red hot pepper" signals that the jumper is supposed to jump fast.
**
3. I remember it as
fudge, fudge, call the judge
Momma's got a newborn baby
wrap him up iin tissue paper
send him down the elevator
first floor STOP (turners stop turning)
second floor DOWN (jumper goes down)
third floor turn around
fourth floor touch the ground
fifth floor get out of town
(next person gets a turn)
Oh gosh, it's been almost thirty years! Let's just say I did
a LOT of jump roping as a kid.
-Suzanne (Poohnatic, Dec. 20, 2005, https://www.disboards.com/threads/holy-cow-jump-rope-songs-have-come-along-way-since-i-was-a-kid.982726/ "Holy cow! jump rope songs have come along way since I was a kid!" published by Disney fan 2002 on December 20, 2005
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early/mid 1970s -The words to these examples are very similar to the words to jump rope rhyme versions of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (also called "Mama Has A Baby" or similar titles.
However, in the early 1970s, the accompanying action for "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes and for most other jump rope rhymes began to change to partner or group hand games. nevertheless, some early 1970s examples of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (and other titles) still appear to have been chanted while jumping rope, as evidenced by their words, particularly the word "Miss" that signaled the action of not jumping over the rope.
Here are four examples of these rhymes from that time period that [I believe] extended to around 2015. Numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. "FUDGE, FUDGE, CALL THE JUDGE/
MAMA'S GOT A NEW-BORN BABY./
IT AIN'T VANILLA/
IT AIN'T COCONUT/
IT'S JUST A CHOCOLATE BABY./
WRAP IT UP IN TISSUE PAPER/
THROW IT DOWN THE CHUTE/
FIRST FLOOR: MISS,
SECOND FLOOR : MISS,
THIRD FLOOR : OUT THE DOOR. EVERYBODY OUT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CALL-RHYME ; CHARACTER
Date learned: 10-02-1971"
-the James T. Callow Folkloric Archive, citation #2
-snip-
The word "Miss" and the words "Out The Door. Everybody Out" signals actions that the jumper/s in the middle of a long jump rope were supposed to perform ("Everybody out" meant that all the jumpers were supposed to jump out of the rope.)
**
2. "one that we use to sing with a hand game is
Mama's having a baby
Daddy's going crazy!
If it's a boy I'll give it a toy (holds out hand)
If it's a girl I'll give it a curl (does curling motion)
If it's twins I'll wrap it up in toilet paper throw it down
the elevator
first- don't stop
second- don't stop
third don't stop till' your hands get hot (Speed up until
someone messes up)"
-GUEST,Dani, 08 March 12, Lyr Req: Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131
**
3. Two African American girls behind me on the 86B bus [Pittsburgh, PA} were happily chanting:
Oh My! Don't Cry! Mommy's having a baby!
Daddy's going crazy!
If it's a boy I'll give it a toy!
And if it's a girl! I'll give it a curl!
wrap it up in toilet paper! send it down the escalator.
It was accompanied with clapping and gestures. There was also some discussion of wrapping babies in toilet paper, the conclusion being that this would not be a good idea.
-LadyJean; 22 Sep 03; "Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes", https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097
4. "I was in elementary school in the Bronx in the early 2000s. We sang it like this:
Mama's having a baby
Papa'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
Then wrap it up in toilet paper
Send it down the escalator
SECOND FLOOR!
Stop! Take it easy
FIRST FLOOR!
Stop! Take it easy
S-S (slap hands twice)
T-T(slap hands twice)
O-O(slap hands twice)
P-P(slap hands twice)
Spells STOP!"
-E. Correa, February 13, 2017, http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/fudge-fudge-call-judge-twins-triplets.html [comments]
-snip-
The Bronx is a borough in New York City, New York.
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2011 or earlier in the 2000s
Children particularly girls) perform/ed hand games (hand clap routines) while they chant/ed a shortened form of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (also known as "Mama's Having A Baby" that they refer to as "Elevator" or "Alligator". (I believe that the word "alligator" is a folk processed form of the word "elevator".)
These examples are much shorter and therefore much more fixed in their words than the examples in previous decades.
Here are four examples/comments of these rhymes. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only
1."The first elevator says stop
The second elevator says stop
The third elevator says keep on going until your hands get hot"
-Irene Kistler, Apr 7, 2011, Elevator Playground Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzOM3jbqQAw
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2. "Elevator one said stop. Elevator two said stop.
Elevator three said keep on going till your hands get red and hot." then
you speed up"
-
https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published
by @essiajay._/ 2025-5-4
**
3. "that one is the first alligator says stop the second
alligator says stop the third alligator said keep on going till you hands get
red and hot"
-
Reply
4, "
-
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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
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