r general ideal in Form found in Negro
Folk Rhymes. It probably is not generally known that the Negroes, who
emerged from the House of Bondage in the 60's of the last century, had
themselves given a name to their own peculiar form of verse. If it be
known I am rather confident that it has never been written. They named
the parts of their verse "Call," and (Re) "Sponse." After explaining
what is meant by "call" and "sponse," I shall submit an evidence on the
matter. In its simplest form "call" and "sponse" were what we would call
in Caucasian music, solo and chorus. As an example, in the little Play
Song used in our illustration of Play Songs, "Did You Feed My Cow?" was
sung as a solo and was known as the "Call," while the chorus that
answered "Yes, Ma'am" was known as the "Sponse."

I now beg to offer testimony in corroboration of my assertion that
Negroes had named their Rhyme parts "Call" and "Sponse." So well were
these established parts of a Negro Rhyme recognized among Negroes that
the whole turning point of one of their best stories was based upon it.
I have reference to the Negro story recorded by Mr. Joel Chandler Harris
in his "Nights with Uncle Remus," under the caption, "Brother Fox,
Brother Rabbit, and King Deer's Daughter." Those who would enjoy the
story, as the writer did in his childhood days, as it fell from the lips
of his dear little friends and dusky playmates, will read the story in
Mr. Harris' book. The gist of the story is as follows: The fox and the
rabbit fall in love with King Deer's daughter. The fox has just about
become the successful suitor, when the rabbit goes through King Deer's
lot and kills some of King Deer's goats. He then goes to King Deer, and
tells him that the fox killed the goats, and offers to make the fox
admit the deed in King Deer's hearing. This being agreed to, the rabbit
goes to find the fox, and proposes that they serenade the King Deer
family. The fox agreed. Then the rabbit proposes that he sing the "Call"
and that the fox sing the "Sponse" (or, as Mr. Harris records the story,
the "answer"), and this too was agreed upon. We now quote from Mr.
Harris:

"Ole Br'er Rabbit, he make up de song he own se'f en' he fix it so that
he sing de _Call_ lak de Captain er de co'n-pile, en ole Br'er Fox, he
hatter sing de answer...." "Ole Br'er Rabbit, he got de call en he open
up lak dis:

"'Some folks pile up mo'n dey kin tote,
En dat w'at de matter wid King Deer's goat.