rhythmic time with the words of the Rhyme being repeated.
It was the task of the dancers in the middle of the circle to execute
some graceful dance in such a manner that their feet would beat a tattoo
upon the ground answering to every word, and sometimes to every syllable
of the Rhyme being repeated by those in the circle. There were many such
Rhymes. "'Possum Up the Gum Stump," and "Jawbone" are good examples. The
stanzas to these Rhymes were not usually limited to two or three, as is
generally the case with those recorded in our collection. Each selection
usually had many stanzas. Thus as there came variation in the words from
stanza to stanza, the skill of the dancers was taxed to its utmost, in
order to keep up the graceful dance and to beat a changed tattoo upon
the ground corresponding to the changed words. If any find fault with
the limited number of stanzas recorded in our treatise, I can in apology
only sing the words of a certain little encore song each of whose two
little stanzas ends with the words, "Please don't call us back, because
we don't know any more."

There is a variety of Dance Rhyme to which it is fitting to call
attention. This variety is illustrated in our collection by "Jump Jim
Crow," and "Juba." In such dances as these, the dancers were required to
give such movements of body as would act the sentiment expressed by the
words while keeping up the common requirements of beating these same
words in a tattoo upon the ground with the feet and executing
simultaneously a graceful dance.

It is of interest also to note that the antebellum Negro while repeating
his Rhymes which had no connection with the dance usually accompanied
the repeating with the patting of his foot upon the ground. Among other
things he was counting off the invisible measures and bars of his
Rhymes, things largely unseen by the world but very real to him. Every
one who has listened to a well sung Negro Jubilee Song knows that it is
almost impossible to hear one sung and not pat the foot. I have seen the
feet of the coldest blooded Caucasians pat right along while Jubilee
melodies were being sung.

All Negro Folk productions, including the Negro Folk Rhymes, seem to
call for this patting of the foot. The explanation which follows is
offered for consideration. The orchestras of the Native African were
made up largely of crudely constructed drums of one sort or another.
Their war songs and so forth were sung to the accompanimen