Children’s Folklore Recent Titles in Greenwood Folklore Handbooks Myth: a handbook

PRANKS
Seeing Stars in the Daytime
“Seeing stars in the daytime” was popular years ago among Oconto County children. A visi-
tor or new resident in the neighborhood would be asked if he or she would like to see stars 

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80 Children’s 
Folklore
in the daytime. The answer was, usually, “yes.” He would be taken to the woodshed or down 
in the cellar or other dark place, and the armhole of a coat sleeve would be fitted over his 
face. He would then be asked, “Do you see the stars yet?” The answer would be “no.” “Then 
close your eyes and open them real quick.” At that, a dip of cold water would descend into 
the blinking eyes to the utter discomfort of the victim who wouldn’t rest until he found 
someone who “wanted to see the stars”; (I know because I was initiated when I was ten!)
Mrs. Morton H. Starr described this clever prank in her essay “Wisconsin 
Pastimes” (1954). With a few simple props, these children taught each other not 
to be gullible. Once they had rubbed the water out of their eyes, the children 
hastened to put others through similar discomfort.
“Please Don’t Answer Your Phone”
Here’s one that’s really funny. We call and say, “Hello, we’re the electric company. We are 
fixing the lines now, so please don’t answer your phone if it rings in the next hour. If you 
answer the phone, the calling party will immediately be electrocuted.” So about twenty 
minutes later, we dial and when the person picks up, we scream on our end.
Fourteen-year-old Earl described his favorite prank in Bethpage, New York, in 
March 1983. This classic telephone prank gives the prankster a feeling of power 
(Knapp and Knapp 100–101). Although the prevalence of caller ID has made 
such pranks more risky, the tradition of prank calling continues.
Wedgies and Pink Bellies
We would give rookie treatment to all the new Scouts, like wedgies and pink bellies. We 
gave wedgies until their underwear was all the way up their crotch or until their underpants 
ripped. If they didn’t rip, we hanged them on hooks and watched them dangle. The pink 
bellies are a classic. We slapped their stomachs until they were rosy red and if they were really 
bad, we would use toothpaste—Crest mint flavor was the worst. It stung like hell.
John, a 20-year-old resident of Long Island, New York, enjoyed reminisc-
ing about Boy Scout camp pranks in May 1981. These two fit Sheldon Posen’s 
category of sexual pranks; they also resemble initiatory hazing for new soldiers. 
Wedgies, common both at camp and at school, rudely show who can torment 
whom; Pink Bellies fulfill the same function.