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May 29, 2012

Johnny Ride the Pony -- also known as Johnny on the Pony

One person would stand as what we called the pillow. The rest of the team would line up crouched over head to butt with the pillow holding the head of the lead croucher. The other team would then run and jump leap-frog like to land straddled on the line of crouched kids.

The object of the game was to support the weight of the entire team long enough to say; "Johnny on a Pony 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-3". Of course, the prevailing strategy would be to target one weak link (or unlikeable kid) in the chain and to have the entire team try to pile drive on the back of that kid. More often than not, the pile would tip over sideways and fall off. It's a miracle that no one broke their back playing this game.

I lived in Forest Hills, Queens, NY until I was 12 years of age. This game was often played. Then we moved about 30 miles east to Levittown NY and I don't think I ever played it again.
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Thank you to Warren Zaretsky