ID: 965
Date: 1950s - 2002
Title: Engine, engine
Gender: Female 
Classification: Counting-out 
Rhyme: 

Engine, engine number nine,
(Train, train, number 9)
Going down the Chicago Line,
If the train should jump the track,
Do you want your money back?
Y-E-S spells yes, N-O spells no,
You are not it.

(NZ ex USA, 1980s; Whakatane, 2002)

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Engine, engine on the line,
Wasting water all the time,
How many gallons does it waste?

(NZ (Sutton-Smith, 1959:69))

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Background Info: A counting-out rhyme with players standing in a circle, with one foot forward. The counter taps on the feet and the player on whom the word 'back' falls answers Y- E -S or N - O.  The person on whom the last letter falls is eliminated. This is repeated until only one player remains. (Personal informant)

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Turner, 1978:3, describes how players stand in a circle with one foot forward with counter tapping on feet. When the word 'back' falls on a player s/he must answer yes or no and the counter continues spelling out the selected word. The player on whom the final letter lands is then eliminated. This continues until one player is left, who becomes 'he.'

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Location: NZ, USA 
Group size: 5 
Incidence: 3