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diff --git a/old/44440.txt b/old/44440.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..402cba6 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44440.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4611 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mother Nature's Toy-Shop, by +Lina Beard and Adelia B. Beard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Mother Nature's Toy-Shop + +Author: Lina Beard + Adelia B. Beard + +Release Date: December 16, 2013 [EBook #44440] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOTHER NATURE'S TOY-SHOP *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + +[=Transcriber's Note:= This book was written in a time in which we +didn't know what we know now. For example, we now know foxglove to be +very poisonous and would not suggest children use the blossoms for +fairy caps. Please use caution if attempting any of these crafts. And +don't play with foxglove. + +As to this text version, italic text is surrounded by _underscores_ and +bold text by =equal signs=.] + + + +Mother Nature's Toy-Shop + +By + +LINA BEARD AND ADELIA B. BEARD + + With Many Illustrations + by the Authors + + Charles Scribner's Sons + New York Chicago Boston + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + + SPECIAL NOTICE + + All the material in this book, both text and cuts, is + original with the authors and invented by them; and + warning is hereby given that the unauthorized printing + of any portion of the text and the reproduction of + any of the illustrations or diagrams are expressly + forbidden. + + + + +PRESENTATION + + +MOTHER NATURE is every bit as fond of the little folks in her human +family as of the grown-ups, and while she prepares untold joys for +lovers of the outdoors among men and women and larger boys and girls, +she never forgets the little ones. + +For their benefit she keeps an open toy-shop full of marvellous +playthings, all free to any child who wants them, and instead of the +children paying her for what they take she pays them for coming to her +by giving them rosier cheeks, brighter eyes, and stronger bodies. She +puts more glee into their laughter and greater happiness into their +trustful little hearts. + +As in the large department stores in big cities, the goods in Mother +Nature's shop are changed for each season of the year; so the little +shoppers have constant variety and hail every new season with fresh +delight. This book is written to call attention to the beautiful and +wonderful things to be found in Mother Nature's toy-shop and to tell +what to do with them, for one must know how to use the amusing material +that is furnished. + +After really getting into this most enchanting of all toy-shops with +eyes open to see its wonders, we found that the difficulty to be met +was not how to write about them, but how to stop writing. The display +was so varied and so inviting, it seemed that we must tell the children +about everything we saw, but if we had gone on seeing more and telling +more there is no saying what size this book would have been. + + LINA BEARD, + ADELIA BELLE BEARD. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PART I--WILD FLOWERS + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. DAISIES 1 + II. JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT 5 + III. RED AND WHITE CLOVERS 8 + IV. CLOVER DESIGNS 12 + V. OTHER WILD-FLOWER DESIGNS 19 + VI. PUSSY-WILLOWS 24 + VII. ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS 33 + + + PART II--GRASSES + + VIII. FAIRY-TREES MADE OF GRASSES 40 + IX. A HOUSE MADE OF GRASS 45 + X. GRASS DRESS AND GRASS HEAD-DRESS 56 + + + PART III--GREEN LEAVES + + XI. OAK-LEAVES 61 + XII. GRAPE-LEAF DRINKING-CUP 68 + XIII. GREEN-LEAF DESIGNS 71 + + + PART IV--CULTIVATED FLOWERS + + XIV. PHLOX 76 + XV. CULTIVATED FOXGLOVE 81 + XVI. MISS HOLLYHOCK'S GARDEN-PARTY 88 + XVII. DAFFODILS 92 + + + PART V--SEED-VESSELS + + XVIII. SEED-VESSEL PLAYTHINGS 96 + XIX. BUCKEYE HORSE AND BUCKEYE RIDER 103 + XX. BURDOCK-BURRS 108 + XXI. THINGS TO MAKE OF ENGLISH-WALNUT SHELLS 117 + + + PART VI--VEGETABLES + + XXII. THINGS YOU CAN MAKE OF LIMA BEANS 123 + XXIII. SWEET-POTATO ALLIGATOR AND WHAT TO MAKE OF A RADISH 130 + XXIV. GREEN-PEA TOYS AND A GREEN-PEA DESIGN 136 + XXV. CORN-HUSKS AND CORN-COBS 148 + + + PART VII--FRUIT + + XXVI. THE FUNNY ORANGE-HEAD 163 + XXVII. APPLES AND APPLE FUN 171 + + + + +Mother Nature's Toy-Shop + + + + +_PART I_ + +WILD FLOWERS + + + + +CHAPTER I + +DAISIES + + +What You Can Do with Them + +WILD flowers, like children, are up early. _They_ don't want to lie +abed after their long winter's sleep; they want to be awake and see +what is going on in the world. While you think it is still winter there +is a stirring going on under the blankets of brown earth, and sometimes +before the snow is off the ground you may find the little things +working up through the stiff soil and opening their eyes to the gentle +spring sunshine. + +It is remarkable the way the soft, tender sprouts force their way +through hard ground that we would have to take a knife or trowel to dig +into. But they do it. Not all at once with a great, blustering rush, +but gently, steadily, and quietly they push and keep on pushing until +their heads are above ground; then they begin to grow in good earnest, +and pretty soon they laugh right out into blossom. + +The pleasure these earliest wild flowers give us is in going out to +look for them and in gathering handfuls to carry home and put into +little glass bowls to be "Oh'd" over and wondered at, to be admired and +loved because they are lovely, and because they bring some of the sweet +outdoors of spring into the furnace-heated house. + +They are too delicate and fragile, these anemones, hepaticas, and +bloodroots, to be handled and played with, but later come the stronger, +sturdier flowers and with many of these you can do all sorts of +entertaining things. You don't have to look very far for them either. +They are in the fields, by the roadsides, and even along the edges of +the streets of a village or small town. You won't find them in the city. + +To begin with, there are the daisies. How white the fields are with +them! If they are fine, large daisies on tall, strong stems they will +reach up to your waist--that is, if you are a little girl. If you are +bigger they will come well above your knees. There are a number of +things that you can do with them. First, you can make a really beautiful + + +Daisy Crown + +for a May queen, or to wear yourself just for the fun of it. + +[Illustration: Fig.1 - Begin the wreath in this way.] + +[Illustration: Fig.2 - Turn the stem of B under the stem of A.] + +Gather a whole lot of daisies with rather long stems. They will stay +fresh longer if you put them into a pail of cool water and let them +drink a little before using them; and if they have wilted while you +carried them, the water will bring them up again as fresh as--why, as +fresh as a daisy to be sure. This is the way to make the crown. It is a +new way and a good way. + +[Illustration: Fig.3 - Bring B around and in front of it's own upright.] + +Take one daisy in your left hand and hold it, not upright but in what +is called a horizontal position like the one marked A in Fig. 1, then +with your right hand hold another daisy upright and place its stem in +front of and across the stem of the first, as you see it in Fig. 1. + +[Illustration: Fig.4 - Let the stem of B rest on the stem of A.] + +This second daisy we will call B. Now turn the stem of B under the +stem of A and up at the back as it is in Fig. 2. Bring this same stem, +B, around and in front of its own upright part like Fig. 3. Turn it +all the way around the upright part and let the stem of B rest on top +of the stem of A. Fig. 4 shows this, but in the drawing the stems +are separated a little so that you may see each one plainly. It is +something like weaving, you see. And it is weaving of a sort. + +[Illustration: Fig.5 - Weave another daisy, C, on the first two stems.] + +Across the stems of the daisies A and B, two stems this time, place the +stem of another daisy that we will call C, and weave it on the first +two stems exactly as you wove B onto A (Fig. 5). The stem of the fourth +daisy will have to cross three stems, A, B, and C. The fifth daisy-stem +will cross four stems, but after that the end of the daisy-stem A will +probably have been passed and you will be weaving on the others. It +depends upon the length of the stems how many are woven over; sometimes +there may be five. It is not well to have more than that number. You +can cut a stem off when it seems to be going too far around the crown. + +[Illustration: Fig.6 - A new way to make a Daisy Wreath.] + +Place the daisies close enough together to have their petals touch, +or even crowd a trifle, because when the crown is curved and the ends +brought together the flowers will separate and leave wider spaces. When +you have woven enough daisies to make your crown the proper size to fit +your head, cut the last stems off about two inches from the last flower +and, with a strong blade of grass or piece of string, tie them to the +stem of the daisy A, just back of the flower. Fig. 6 shows what the +daisy crown looks like when finished. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT + + +ONE of the earliest wild flowers to show its head above ground is +Jack-in-the-pulpit. It is an odd plant and what we call the flower is +not the blossom at all, but a protecting leaf called a spathe which +surrounds the tiny flowers growing on the club-shaped spike (or spadix) +standing upright inside. + +That is a good thing to know and remember, but what concerns us now is +that there is a pulpit with its curved sounding-board--or perhaps it is +a striped awning--overhead, and that in the pulpit is Jack. + +He is a cheerful little preacher and his pulpit is somewhat gayer than +we usually see, but no one ever told Jack that to be good he must be +solemn and that to preach he must have a pulpit rich and sombre. The +good God who made him gave him his pretty, striped pulpit with its +striped awning to shelter it, and Jack goes on preaching his cheerful +sermons from this as long as he lives. Hear what some one has said of +him: + + "Jack-in-the-Pulpit preaches to-day, + Under the green trees, just over the way; + Squirrel and Song-Sparrow high on their perch, + Hear the sweet lily-bells ringing to church. + + "Come, hear what his reverence rises to say, + In his low, painted pulpit, this calm Sabbath day. + Fair is the canopy over him seen + Pencilled by Nature's hand, black, brown, and green." + +Some people who love the woods and the wild flowers can understand +Jack's wild-wood language. They will tell you that over and over again +he is saying: "Come into the clean, shady woods and learn to love +all the wonderful living, growing things to be found here. Come into +the green woods and hear what we can tell you of beauty and love and +kindness; of courage and perseverance and strength, for plants must +have courage and perseverance as well as strength in order to live." + +All the time these plants are working in the ground and above it to +make their flowers perfect and their seeds fruitful. Sometimes it is +difficult work, too, if the soil does not give them enough food, or a +dry summer chokes them with thirst. Sometimes they must struggle hard +to gain a footing between the rocks where they were told to grow, or to +keep from being crowded out by stronger, coarser plants that are called +weeds. + +But they keep on trying to do their part and to do it well; they work +and love, and their children, the blossoms, laugh, laugh, laugh with +the happiness of it all. + +[Illustration: Fig.7 - Cut a hole at the back of the Pulpit.] + +Now if Jack seems to you to stand too still in his pulpit while he +preaches all this, why you can make him move around. He can turn first +to one side then to the other, and he can lean forward over the front +with extended arms as some preachers do when they are very much in +earnest. + +For this you will first have to cut a hole at the back of the pulpit +near the bottom, as is shown in Fig. 7, then, slipping your knife +inside, cut Jack loose from the flower and drop him out from the top by +turning the pulpit upside down. + +[Illustration: Fig.8 - The Spike.] + +Cut off the lower, thin part of the spike to which the arrow points in +Fig. 8 and, after puncturing a deep hole in the end, push in a very +slender twig or grass-stem. Fig. 9 shows how this is done. For arms +that will make Jack seem more like a little man, push a short piece of +grass-stem through the spike near the top where you see it in Fig. 9. +Make a hole all the way through the spike with a pin so that the arms +will slip in easily. + +[Illustration: Fig.9 - This is Jack.] + +When you are ready for Jack to preach put him in his pulpit, sliding +the grass-stem through the hole at the back. While you hold the stem of +the pulpit in one hand take the grass-stem in the other and, by moving +it up and down, twisting it one way, then the other, and tipping it up, +you can make him rise up tall and straight, then sink down; you can +make him turn to the right and to the left and lean forward. That is +being active enough in such a small pulpit, isn't it? + + + + +CHAPTER III + +RED AND WHITE CLOVERS + + +BY the roadside, through the meadows, on the farm, at the cottage +door, and in your own yard those dear, familiar little friends, the +clover-blossoms, come to greet you. Even in city parks you may find +them, and always they are ready and glad to help you have a good time. +Gather a lot of these flowers and sit in the shade under a tree with +your lap filled with them while I tell you how to make a + + +Clover Wreath + +Select some long-stemmed blossoms and leaves, bunch them and bind their +stems together their full length with strong grass or string. Wind the +grass around and around the stems, tucking the ends securely in under +the last wind. You may need several long blades of grass for binding +one bunch. + +In the same way make a second bunch and fit the flowers up close +against the first bunch of blossoms, with their stems lying along the +side of the first stems. Do not lap the flowers of one bunch over the +flowers of another. Fasten the second bunch in place by binding the +stems to those of the first bunch; then make a third bunch and bind +it on next to the second bunch. Continue making these clover bunches +and binding their stems to the stems of those already a part of the +wreath until the strip is long enough to fit around your head. Try it +on and, if it is the proper length, join the two ends by binding the +last stems to the stems of the first bunches. Fig. 10 shows the clover +wreath complete. + +[Illustration: Fig.10 - Wreath of freshly picked Clover.] + +You should also have a + + +Clover Bracelet + +to wear with the wreath. Make this as you did the wreath but with much +smaller bunches. Keep binding the bunches together until the strip for +the bracelet fits your arm (Fig. 11), then join the two ends, and slip +the pretty thing on your wrist. Of course, you will want + + +Clover Earrings + +to match, and those two plump, full, fresh blossoms lying at the top of +the others on your lap are exactly what you need. + +[Illustration: Fig.11 - Clover bracelet.] + +[Illustration: Fig.12 - Clover earring.] + +[Illustration: Fig.13 - Clover Blossom ring.] + +[Illustration: Fig.14 - Clover Blossom pendant on Clover necklace.] + +Take one of these clovers and fit it in tight between your cheek and +the lobe of your ear (Fig. 12). Be careful not to break the long stem, +for you must bring it up snugly just back of your ear along the line +where the ear joins your head, and when this is done, bend the end +of the stem down gently over the top of your ear. The stem will hold +your earring in place. Make the other earring in the same way. The +two clover-blossoms used for the earrings should be as much alike as +possible both in size and shape. They should be matched carefully, as +pearls and diamonds are matched in a pair of real earrings. + +Now for a "solitaire" + + +Clover Ring + +Choose the finest clover for the jewel, and hold it against the back of +your left forefinger while you wrap the stem once around the finger, +loop it over the blossom and draw the loop tight. Fasten the end by +tucking it under and over, and again under the stem ring on your +finger. This clover ring is really very effective, and can be made of +any colored clover. Fig. 13 gives an idea of how it looks. + + +A Necklace of Clover + +will complete your beautiful set of flower jewelry. Make the necklace +as you made the bracelet and fasten three pendant blossoms at the +centre, allowing the middle clover to hang down a little below those on +either side (Fig. 14). + +Now you are ready, with the addition of a long, straight twig, at the +top of which you have fastened a bouquet of clover, to play that you +are queen of all the clover fairies, and that your clover-tipped twig +is your magic wand. + + +Other Things of Clover + +The running, vinelike clovers are fine to use for climbing-roses +on outdoor doll-houses. They can also be trained over the doll +garden-frames and arches. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +CLOVER DESIGNS + + +HAVE you ever admired the pretty patterns on wallpaper of flowers and +green leaves? Have you ever embroidered dainty designs in colors on +white linen, and do you love it all? If you do, you will like to make +some designs yourself in a new way, and with real flowers and real +leaves. + +You don't have to know how to draw or to paint in this designing, for +the flowers are there ready for you to use, more exquisitely drawn and +colored than the greatest artist could do them. Your part is to group +and arrange them on a sheet of paper so that they will form beautiful +designs; designs that will not only delight you, but that may be copied +in embroidery or in other ways. + +Merely to place the flowers on the paper in some sort of a pattern is +interesting, but the design won't last because the flowers won't stay +in place. Your sleeve may wipe them all off, or a puff of air blow them +away, so a method has been invented especially for you that will keep +them where you want them to stay, and that method is simply to _paste_ +them there. + +You can make designs of almost any kind of flowers, the common +pink-and-white clover that grows underfoot nearly everywhere makes +a particularly pretty one. This is the long-stemmed, viny kind, and +its name is alsike clover. Fig. 15 shows what the alsike clover looks +like, and you will see that its leaves are rather pointed at the tip, +and shaped more like the leaves of the large red clover than like the +almost round ones of the little white clover. + +[Illustration: Fig.15 - The Alsike Clover. Deep rose color. The way it +grows.] + +[Illustration: Fig.16 - Upright design of Alsike Clover.] + +The graceful, upright design (Fig. 16) was made of the alsike clover, +the blossom of which was a deep-rose color, and the original design +when finished looked like a piece of embroidery done in silks. It was +so lovely I wish that it could be given in its natural colors here. + +[Illustration: Fig.17 - Parts of upright Clover design.] + +Look at Fig. 16 carefully and see that while the sprays of clover +at the right and left appear to be exactly alike, though turned in +opposite directions, they are not really so, and the little differences +help to make the design interesting. They keep it from being what we +call monotonous. Now look at D, E, and F, Fig. 17. These are tracings +of the sprays of clover before they were grouped together to form the +design Fig. 16. The spray on the left, marked D, is just as it grew +and as it was used in the finished design; but F, on the right, had to +have the little budded spray added at the place on the stem shown by +the arrows to make it resemble and balance the other. This bud with its +leaves was clipped from another clover-vine. + +[Illustration: Fig.18 - Running design of Clover.] + +The spray in the centre of the design was like E, Fig. 17, and it was +necessary to give it the extra leaves shown at its right because, +without them, it was not symmetrical, which means evenly balanced, and +it would not have looked well in the design. + +[Illustration: Fig.19 - Parts of running design.] + +When all of the material was collected and ready to be put together, +the central spray, E, was laid in the middle of a sheet of unruled, +white paper with the lower end of the stem near the bottom edge, then +the sprays D and F were placed on the right and left of the centre +one and tried first in one position, then in another, until it was +decided that they looked best arranged as in Fig. 16. After that the +extra leaves for the middle spray, and the bud and its leaves for the +right-hand spray, were put in place. + +[Illustration: Fig.20 - Large Red Clover design.] + +It all seemed charmingly satisfactory, so the design was taken apart +that it might be fastened permanently in place. The middle spray had +to be adjusted first, and a drop of good library paste was put on the +under-side of the clover-blossom, a drop on the under part of each +leaf, and on the under part of the stem at the lower end. Then the +spray was laid in the middle of the paper just where it was at first, +and pressed down to make it stick. Paste was put on the under part +of each of the three leaves to be added and on the under part of their +stem at the end, and they were pasted down to look as if growing on the +main stem, opposite the other leaves. + +[Illustration: Fig.21 - Design of leaves and buds of Red Clover.] + +[Illustration: Fig.22 - Parts of leaf and bud design.] + +Next the left-hand spray was pasted in place in the same way, then the +right-hand spray, to which was given its bud that curves in to almost +touch the bud on the other spray. Paste was also put half-way down on +the under part of the long stems of each of the side sprays. + +This completed the clover design and it was exceedingly pretty, but +after it had been sufficiently admired it was placed between papers +under several heavy books to press, that it might be more durable. +It was after it had been pressed that it looked like a piece of silk +embroidery. + +Pasted designs can be made without pressing; but while they are more +beautiful they will not last as long as the others. You can enjoy your +fresh designs for a while and then press them. Do not make the mistake +of covering the entire under part of a flower or leaf with paste as if +it were made of paper; a drop is all that is needed, more will spoil it. + +Flowers do not always grow exactly as you want them for your designs, +but a too straight stem can be coaxed to curve by drawing it between +your fingers, and leaves and sprays can be cut away or added as has +been shown. All this changing about only makes it more fun to work out +the design. + +Fig. 18 is a running design of clovers which can be used for a border. +The little arrows on Fig. 19 show where the different parts are joined. + +The large red clover was used for the design Fig. 20 and the leaves +and buds of the red clover for Fig. 21. Fig. 22 shows how the parts of +Fig. 21 are put together. These drawings are all original from designs +actually made of fresh clover-blossoms and their foliage. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +OTHER WILD-FLOWER DESIGNS + + +Daisy Fleabane Design + +ISN'T the design Fig. 23 what grown-ups call Japanesque? Doesn't it +look as if it had been copied from a printed pattern on a piece of +Japanese cotton cloth? + +[Illustration: Fig.23 - Daisy Fleabane design.] + +Well, it was not. It is from a design made especially for you of real +wild flowers, freshly gathered. The name of the flower is the daisy +fleabane which grows in almost all open grassy fields where daisies and +buttercups and clovers are found. + +The illustration Fig. 24 shows how the daisy fleabane looks when first +gathered. Sometimes the blossom is entirely white, sometimes it is +tinged with purple, and it has a bright-yellow centre. Its petals are +as fine as a fringe, like those of the asters that blossom in the fall. + +In making the design the full-blown flowers were pressed down flat, +which makes them round like a sunflower, while the buds and partly +open flowers were left as they naturally grew. The composition, or +arrangement, of this design is like that used for the upright clover +design (Fig. 16), that is, it has two tall side sprays and a shorter +middle spray; but see how very different the two designs are in +appearance. The clover is all graceful curves, the daisy fleabane is +stiff and formal with straight lines and angles. + +If you use the white flower, make the design on a sheet of tinted +paper, else the flower will not show. All white flowers should have +tinted paper for a background. + + +Wild Mustard Design + +The small, yellow blossoms of the wild mustard and its compound leaves +make very dainty designs. Fig. 25 is one of them. + +[Illustration: Fig.25 - Wild Mustard design.] + +[Illustration: Fig.26 - Wild Mustard.] + +[Illustration: Fig.24 - The Daisy Fleabane grows like this.] + +From the drawing of the wild mustard (Fig. 26) you will see that the +flowers do not grow close to the leaves as they are placed in this +design, but on tall stems which lift them far above the scattered +leaf-sprays. The design Fig. 25 was made by cutting off a number of +flower-clusters and leaves, and grouping first one flower-cluster and +one leaf-spray together, with the ends of their stems touching, then +another flower-cluster and another leaf-spray. The arrows in Fig. 27 +show where the stems are brought together, and the design Fig. 25 shows +how the joining of the first two is covered with one of the small +leaves of the second leaf-spray, and how the joining of the second two +is hidden under a leaf of the third leaf-spray, and so on. + +[Illustration: Fig.27 - Parts of Wild Mustard design.] + +There are four flower-clusters and five leaf-sprays in the design. You +can have as many as you wish but must end them with a leaf-spray. + +[Illustration: Fig.28 - Buttercup design.] + + +Buttercups--a Design + +Buttercups are so beautifully golden, so glossy and bright, you would +think they could be made into many nice things, a gold necklace for +instance. And so they could if they only would not wilt almost as soon +as they are gathered. To be sure, they will revive and freshen up when +put in water if they are not too much wilted, but we cannot make them +into jewelry while their stems are in water. + +Still there is something buttercups can be used for, and that is +designs. Fig. 28 is a drawing from the simplest kind of a buttercup +design but a pretty one. It shows five wide-open blossoms placed in a +row at equal distances apart with a little spray of leaves and bud at +the lower end of each stem. These sprays do not grow as they are in the +design but are added after the flowers are placed in a row. + +As in all other designs, each flower, bud, and stem is touched with +paste on the under-side to hold it in place on the paper. A design like +Fig. 28 should be pressed after it is arranged, and it will last a long +while and keep its bright color. A number of other and very beautiful +designs can be made of the common wild buttercup. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +PUSSY-WILLOWS + + +WE all welcome and love the dear little pussy-willows (Fig. 29) whose +fur is so soft and silvery. How pretty they look sitting along the +slender, bare branches of the small American willow-tree which is their +home. The pussies like to come early to assure us that spring is here. +They are very tame little kitties, and will allow you to carry them +away to your school or to your home. + +[Illustration: Fig.29 - Pussy-Willows.] + +Sometimes pussy-willows turn into little rabbits, squirrels, +bumblebees, and mice, but they need your help, they cannot make the +magic change alone. It will be lots of fun helping them if you do it +this way. + +[Illustration: Fig.30 - The Rabbit and the Rabbit's ears, enlarged.] + +[Illustration: Fig.31 - The Pussy-Willow Bunnies.] + +[Illustration: Fig.32 - Pussy-Willow Squirrel, enlarged.] + +[Illustration: Fig.33 - Paper tail, enlarged, for squirrel.] + + +Pussy-Willow Rabbits + +Take a small branch of the very largest pussies you can find, have +ready some scraps of smooth, fresh writing-paper, a piece of cardboard, +pair of scissors, and some good paste. It only requires long ears +to change the pussy-willows into bunnies. Cut the ears from your +writing-paper like the pattern Fig. 30. Put paste on the strip +between the letters G and H, then take a pussy from the branch and +stick the paste-covered strip just above the small end of the pussy, +which will be the bunny's head. The arrow I, Fig. 30, points to the +place for the ears. When the paste has dried bend the ears up like the +ears of the rabbits in Fig. 31. Make three or four rabbits to keep each +other company and paste them in a row on your piece of cardboard. + +[Illustration: Fig.34 - The Pussy-Willow Bumble-Bee.] + + +A Pussy-Willow Squirrel + +This little gray squirrel (Fig. 32), sitting up in such a lifelike +pose, must be made of a slightly bent, rather long, slender pussy. +Pull forward some of the fur near the small end so that it will +look like the front legs of the squirrel when he holds a nut in his +hand-like front paws, and push up two tufts on the head for ears. The +pussy from which Fig. 32 was made already had these tufts for legs and +ears, and it looked so much like a squirrel one simply had to add the +tail and let it be a squirrel. + +[Illustration: Fig.35 - Parts of bumble-bee.] + +[Illustration: Fig.36 - Draw the legs of the bee like this.] + +Cut the paper tail like the pattern Fig. 33, fringe it along the edge +and bend forward the little lap at the bottom which is separated from +the tail by the dotted line. Curve the tail backward, put paste on top +of the lap, and stick the lap to the under part of the large end of the +pussy; then paste the finished squirrel to a piece of pasteboard cut +round or square as you like best. + + +Pussy-Willow Bumblebee + +Mr. Bumblebee (Fig. 34) needs one whole pussy for his body, one-half +of a pussy for his big, round throat, and a small piece of the pussy +for his head (Fig. 35). On the piece of cardboard which is to hold the +bee, draw his legs like Fig. 36, then paste the three parts--body, +throat, and head--on top of the legs. Fig. 37 shows how it would look +underneath if you could see through the paper, so you will know exactly +where to paste first the throat, then the head, and lastly the body. +The edges of these parts where they join must be pushed close together. + +[Illustration: Fig.37 - Paste the three parts of the bee on top of the +legs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.38 - Mr. Bumble-Bee, enlarged, ready for his wings.] + +A bumblebee has slightly curved spikes extending from his head which +are called antennae. Fig. 38 shows you where to draw them. You will also +see on the same diagram how to widen the six legs, making them thicker +and more lifelike. Cut paper wings the shape of Fig. 39, making them +the proper size to fit your bee. Remember that a bumblebee has small, +short wings compared to the size of its body. Bend the lap at the +bottom of the wing along the dotted line, and paste the lap of each +wing onto the sides of Mr. Bumblebee's chest. The wings turn back over +the laps and hide them. (See Fig. 40). The finished bee is shown in +Fig. 34. + +[Illustration: Fig.39 - Pattern of bumble-bee wing.] + +[Illustration: Fig.40 - Showing lap of wing bent back.] + +If you cut a leaf out of green paper and put your bumble-bee on that +instead of on the cardboard, he will look, with his extended wings, as +if just ready to fly, and will make a fine addition to your collection +of things made of outdoor material. + +[Illustration: Fig.41 - Pussy-Willow Mouse, enlarged.] + + +Pussy-Willow Mouse + +Then there is the pussy-willow mouse (Fig. 41). He is a nice little +gray mouse with a long tail. + +Choose a large pussy-willow for this mouse, ruffle the fur up on top of +the head and it will look like ears. The head is at the small end of +the pussy. Paste one end of a piece of cotton string under the large +end of the mouse, and that will be his tail. The string should be white. + +[Illustration: Fig.42 - Jumping Pussy-Willow Game-Board.] + +Finish by pasting the mouse to a round or square piece of pasteboard. + + +Jumping Pussy-Willows--a Game + +This is a good game and it will make you laugh to see the pussies leap +up in the air, sail along a short distance, and land on a numbered +square of the game-board. + +The board (Fig. 42) should be ten or twelve inches square. Cut it from +a flat, even box lid or any other pasteboard you happen to have. Draw +straight lines from top to bottom about one inch apart, then more +straight lines from side to side one inch apart. This will divide the +board into squares like a checker-board. Each of these squares must +be numbered and you can draw or paste them in. Fig. 42 shows how the +game-board should look. + +To play the game, lay the board down on a flat surface, a stone will +do if you are out-of-doors, or even the ground; and a table, if in the +house. In front of the board draw a short line for the starting-post. +The line should be ten or more inches from the board according to the +distance you can make the pussies jump. Any number of players may join +in the game and each player should have his own jumping pussy. + +[Illustration: Fig.43 - Place your finger on the Pussy-Willow and make +it jump.] + +Fig. 43 shows how to place the pussy under the tip of your right +forefinger, with the large, blunt end standing a little out beyond the +finger-tip. When ready to shoot, press down suddenly on the pussy and, +as your finger slides off the small end, away jumps pussy and lands +on a square of the game-board. Each player plays in turn, always, of +course, placing the pussy on the starting-line when shooting. The +player whose pussy lands on the highest number wins the game. Jumping +pussy-willow can also be played by dividing the players into two even +sides; then the side which has the highest score, after the numbers won +by them have been added up, is the winner. + + +Pussy-Willow Bouquet + +A nice, big bunch of pussy-willows makes an attractive bouquet, and a +very welcome one early in the spring. "The pussies are out!" we hear +some one say, and then the boys and girls vie with one another in their +effort to be the first to find and bring home branches of the little +catkins as proof that spring has come and they were the first to see +her. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS + + +THE arrangement of flowers is interesting and means a great deal. It +means that this chapter will tell you what wild flowers look prettiest +on the dinner-table and in bowls and vases in other parts of the house; +what flowers and vines will keep fresh longest, and the kind that do +not need water but are beautiful when dry. It means that you can learn +not to force a tightly packed handful of all sorts of flowers into a +small vase and expect them to look well. Flowers don't like crowding +and are quite particular about their associates. + +If you come in hot and tired after your walk, put the flowers you have +gathered into a pail of fresh water and let them stay there until you +have rested and are ready to sort them out and make each kind look its +very best. All flowers do not appear well in stiff, straight vases; all +do not look well in bowls. That is the first thing to learn, and the +next is that while some flowers seem to smile upon and nestle lovingly +up to some others, there are kinds that they seem to draw away from +and frown upon. Only a few examples can be given here. If you love the +flowers you will find out more for yourself. + + +The Wild Morning-Glory + +In your walks through the fields and along the country roadsides have +you ever noticed the wild morning-glory? Of course, you have seen it +and, perhaps, gathered some blossoms, only to find them in a short time +wilted in your hand or turned into little, long bags, puckered at the +top as if drawn up with a string. + +[Illustration: Fig.44 - This is the way the Wild Morning Glory looks.] + +When I say noticed, I mean have you thought about the flowers while you +looked at them? Have you noticed their shape and beautiful color, and +have you seen the great difference between the green leaf of the wild +morning-glory and that of the cultivated one? + +The wild morning-glory leaf (Fig. 44) is more beautiful in shape, the +vine is more graceful, and the blossom just as lovely as the cultivated +morning-glory, and all this beauty need not be left behind when you +gather the wild flowers which are to make the rooms of your home +charming. + +While I write this, July 7, there stands on a table in our living-room +a tall glass vase, wide at the top and holding plenty of water. It is +filled with a mass of wild morning-glory-vines, and there are four new, +entirely open, pink and white blossoms while others are just twisting +open. + +[Illustration: Fig.45 - The Wild Morning Glory blossomed after it was +gathered.] + +Four days ago, when out for a walk in the country, I gathered the vine +by the roadside where it grew in the company of daisies, buttercups, +and wild mustard. Lifting themselves up into the light, where the +warmth of the morning sun could open the buds and where the leaves +could breathe in the fresh air, some of these trailing vines had wound +themselves in masses around tall, strong weed-stalks. + +I gathered the vines, weed-stalks and all, breaking them off close to +the ground; and now these stalks hold most of the vines upright in the +vase, while other sprays droop gracefully over the edge and hang down +almost to the table-top. Only one or two flowers were in bloom when I +found the vines, but there were quantities of green buds which I hoped +would open later, and that is just what they are doing. It is like +having wild flowers growing in one's window. And as for decoration, +nothing can be more beautiful (Fig. 45). + +Trailing vines always make pretty decorations, and many wild ones keep +fresh a long while when given plenty of water. Some have flowers, some +have not, but in any case they are worth gathering when you have large +vases to fill. + + +The Wild Balsam-Apple + +or as some people call it, the wild cucumber, is very decorative. +That means it has beautiful curves and twists, and its small, white +flowers, prickly, egg-shaped fruit, and long tendrils twisted spirally, +like a steel watch-spring let loose, make us love to look at it. The +leaves are pretty, too, being shaped almost like a five-pointed star. +Sometimes this vine is cultivated and you will find it trained up on +strings to shade the porch, or over the kitchen-door of a farmhouse. +Wherever you find it, it is beautiful. A large jar filled with sprays +of the wild balsam makes a good centrepiece for the table, or a tall +vase holding some upright and some drooping sprays looks very pretty +when placed near a window where the light will fall on it. Do not mix +other flowers with it, its own blossoms are sufficient. + + +Wild Clematis + +The wild clematis is another beautiful vine, and you will find it +clambering over fences and bushes along the country road. Its masses of +white flowers fill the air with a sweet, spicy perfume that delights +you. + +You can gather the clematis when it is in blossom, and keep it fresh in +water for some time if you put it in root ends down. This vine does not +wilt as you carry it. Later in the season, when the white flowers have +turned into balls of silvery fringe, the vine is lovely in a different +way. Then you can gather great armfuls and take it home to hang over +mirrors or picture-frames, letting it become quite dry. It is best to +strip the leaves off the sprays at first because they are not beautiful +when dry. In a day or two after hanging up your clematis the balls of +fringe will become a mass of soft down which will cling to the vine for +many weeks. Later, when it becomes dusty, take it down. + + +Bittersweet + +Then there is bittersweet, another wild vine that we gather in the +fall. It covers fences and bushes as the clematis does, but instead +of turning into fringe balls its small, creamy white flowers become +bunches of berries. + +The berries are yellow at first; when ripe they split open and curl +back to show the brilliant red seeds inside that look like coral beads. + +Gather the bittersweet while the berries are yellow, strip off the +green leaves, and hang the vine up dry or put it in a large vase +without water. Then the berries will open and last all winter. + + +Snapdragon and Wild Carrot + +Both of these are pretty flowers and worth gathering. The snapdragon +(perhaps you call it butter-and-eggs) does not mind at all where +it grows. Field, roadside, or even the village streets may be its +home, but wherever it lives, it makes the spot shine joyously with +its stalks of yellow blossoms. Snapdragons combine well with the wild +carrot, whose other name is Queen Anne's lace, and together they make a +delicate and beautiful bouquet. + +If you have a large glass fish-globe fill it with fresh water, and put +in the snapdragon and wild carrot in a loose bouquet. Nothing could be +prettier for the August lunch-table than this. + + +Wild Roses + +look best in a low glass bowl, for they have no stems to speak of. +Short-stemmed flowers do not belong in tall vases. The roses wilt +quickly out of water and should have plenty of it. + +Do not put any other kind of flowers in the bowl; the roses won't +like it; neither will you when you see how much better they look by +themselves. + + +Daisies and Buttercups + +so friendly in the fields, look pretty when arranged in a deep jar +together, but I would not mix daisies with any other flowers, unless it +is the lacy wild carrot. Buttercups look well with the carrot, too, and +buttercups look pretty mixed with grasses. You see they all know each +other very well, growing in the fields together. + + +The Wild Flag, or Iris + +whose home is along the banks of ponds and small streams, should be +put into a tall clear glass vase or pitcher, where its stems will show +through, that it may look its best. + +There is the yellow iris, the white and the purple, and they are +very beautiful when combined but not crowded. Always put some of the +long-spiked leaves in with the flowers. + + +Clover Bouquets + +Clover bouquets make delightful centrepieces for the table. Arranged +loosely with its own green foliage, the rose-colored clover is +especially beautiful in a clear, green glass bowl of water. The sprays +should be brought over the edges of the bowl, and allowed to droop +down, resting partly on the table. + +Yellow clover and its foliage mingled with white clover makes a +charming combination as a bouquet for almost any occasion. The name of +the yellow clover is hop-clover. It is not as common as the other kinds. + + +Green Bouquets + +When there are no flowers to be had you can have bouquets and +centrepieces of green leaves, ferns, and vines, and you will be +surprised to find what pretty ones can be arranged and how much they +will be admired. + +Ferns will wither soon unless taken up with the roots and the soil +surrounding them; but if they have the roots and soil they will last +a long while, provided you put them in a bowl or jar and keep them +_always wet_. That does not mean to water them as you would any other +growing plant, but to keep them _standing_ in water _all the time_. +Maidenhair-fern kept in this way makes a delicate and beautiful +centrepiece for the table. + +Sometimes you will find varieties of foliage that are full of color. In +early summer the young leaves of the scrub-oak are very brilliant in +reds and yellows, and I have made bouquets of nothing but leaves from +the rose-bushes. These are often tinged with red and purple. Sprays of +the barberry-bush with its rows of dangling red berries are pretty in +a green bowl. Be careful of the thorns when you gather this. Cut the +stems; do not try to break them. + + + + +_PART II_ + +GRASSES + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +FAIRY-TREES MADE OF GRASSES + + +SOME of our grasses appear like very large trees to the little grass +fairies who, we like to pretend, hide in their midst; while other +grasses, with their jointed, bamboo-like stems, seem to these tiny +people to be tall forests of real bamboo. + +Why not play that you are a little fairy and live among the grasses? +But to see the grasses as the fairies see them you must lie down and +bring your eyes very near the ground; so stretch yourself out flat, +face down, with your head lower than the grass tops; then look steadily +ahead through the tall grass stems. What do you see? + +The five fairy-trees standing by themselves in Fig. 46 are four +short-stemmed tops of the Scribner's panic-grass. Fig. 47 shows +exactly how the grass looks before you pick it, and Fig. 48 gives a +simple design that you can make by placing the tips of the four grass +tops together, allowing the stems of two heads to lie in a straight +horizontal line (that means a line running from left to right), and the +stems of the other two heads to lie in a straight line vertically (that +means up and down). + +While you are playing with the grasses you can begin to learn something +about them. The beard-grass, which some people call the little +blue-stem (Fig. 49), has near relatives named forked beard-grass and +bushy beard-grass. These are stiff and angular, with bamboo-like stems, +just the thing for trees in a little Japanese garden which some time +you will want to make. You may run across them anywhere, for they are +common in all parts of our country. + +[Illustration: Fig.46 - Trees of Scribner's Panic-Grass.] + +[Illustration: Fig.47 - Scribner's Panic-Grass as it grows, Panicum +Scribnerianum.] + +Make friends with these and with other grasses. As you find them learn +their names just as you would learn the names of new playmates. Take +the grasses home, show them to your father and to your mother; if they +do not know their names, carry them to school and ask your teacher +about them. In case she cannot tell you, go to the public library with +your grasses and persuade the librarian at the desk to help you find +their pictures and names in some of her books. All grasses have names, +so [Illustration: Fig.49 - You will run across these anywhere.] keep +asking and hunting until you know what to call them. When you know +their names you will be glad to see your friends, the pretty green +grasses, whenever you find them. + +In Chapter XVIII, which tells how to make a burdock-burr house, you +will find more about grasses. + +[Illustration: Fig.48 - Scribner's Panic-Grass. Design made of four +grass heads.] + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +A HOUSE MADE OF GRASS + + +REAL people live in grass houses way off in the Philippine Islands. +That is, their houses are made of bamboo, which is a kind of giant +grass. It must be a pretty airy, comfortable house in summer, and it is +always summer in the Philippines, but we never see that kind of houses +here. One reason is because in most of our country a grass house would +be very cold in winter, and another reason for not building them is +because the bamboo grows only in the extreme south, and even down there +people want more substantial homes. + +A prettier playhouse, though, could not be devised, and if you could +see a Filipino house you would want it immediately, but since you +cannot have a real one you can have the fun of making a little doll +Filipino house, and of making it exactly as the little brown Filipino +men make theirs. Suppose you gather some grass and twigs now, and build +the little house for your doll. + +Some of the queer little people whose home is in the Philippine Islands +perch their houses like birds' nests up in the trees, but often they +are built on stilts to lift them high from the ground. Our little house +(Fig. 50) shall be on stilts. We will make the floor first. If you do +not understand how to measure by inches, ask an older person to help +you. + + +The Floor + +Find two straight, round sticks, not quite as large round as a +lead-pencil. The sticks must be cut six and a half inches long, then +two sticks of the same kind five inches long; after that there must be +six more sticks five inches long. Split these last six sticks in half +lengthwise. + +The Philippine people do not use nails, or screws, or glue, and not +even wooden pegs, in building their houses; they bind and tie the parts +together with rattan, and as we are going to build just as they do we, +too, will tie the parts of our house together, but will use raffia in +place of the rattan. + +[Illustration: Fig.50 - The little Grass House you can make.] + +Hold one of the six-and-a-half-inch sticks (letter J, Fig. 51) upright +in your hand while you cross it a short distance below the top with a +five-inch-round stick (letter K, Fig. 51). The distance from the top +of the upright stick to the crossing and the distance from the short +end of the other stick to the crossing must be the same. + +[Illustration: Fig.51 - Begin binding them together.] + +[Illustration: Fig.52 - Carry the raffia over and between the two ends +of the sticks.] + +Begin binding them together as shown in Fig. 51. Then carry the raffia +(string will do if you cannot get raffia) over and between the two +ends of the sticks (Fig. 52), and wind it opposite ways several times +around the sticks, bringing the raffia between as well as over them. +This will lash them firmly together. Now turn this beginning of your +floor around so that the short stick will be upright and the long one +extend from side to side. Do not let the binding loosen; hold it tight +and cross the long stick with one of the split five-inch sticks (Fig. +53). Be sure that the flat side of the split stick is next to the +long stick, and that you leave a slight opening between it and the +first crosspiece. Pull the raffia tight and bind it over this second +crosspiece (Fig. 54), then back, crossing it as in Fig. 55. + +[Illustration: Fig.53 - Turn the sticks, bringing J in horizontal +position.] + +[Illustration: Fig.54 - Bind raffia over second stick.] + +[Illustration: Fig.55 - Then bring raffia across front of second stick.] + +Bind on the next split crosspiece in the same way, and go on adding +crosspieces until they reach almost to the end of the long stick, then +let the last crosspiece be the second unsplit five-inch stick. When +all the short crosspieces are properly bound onto the long stick, +bind the other six-and-a-half-inch long stick under the opposite ends +of the crosspieces in the same way, and just as carefully (Fig. 56). +This makes the floor and we must lash it to the stilts, which are four +upright sticks, each seven and one half inches long. Fit the stilts in +the outside corners made by the crossing of the end and side sticks of +the floor, and, holding the floor about four and a half inches above +the lower ends of the stilts, bind floor and stilts together (Fig. 57). +Of course you can put the stilts on only one at a time. + + +The Walls + +Make the framework for the walls by binding and tying onto the stilts +near the top two sticks, each six and a half inches long, one stick on +each side. Across these sticks, from stilt to stilt, at each end, bind +a five-inch-length stick (Fig. 58). + +[Illustration: Fig.56 - Make the floor this way.] + + +The Roof + +To support the roof there must be two upright sticks, each seven inches +long, and these sticks must be bound and tied to the middle of the end +sticks of the floor and the end sticks of the wall. They are lettered L +and L in Fig. 59 + +[Illustration: Fig.57 - Lash the floor to the stilts.] + +[Illustration: Fig.58 - Bind on four more poles making framework for +walls.] + +Fig. 60 shows the framework of the house without the bindings, so +that you may see exactly how the sticks are put together. There is +a ridge-pole which forms the top ridge of the roof. This must be a +stick about seven inches long, and it is to be tied to the uprights +lettered L and L that you have just fastened on the two ends of the +house. (See Fig. 59, L and L.) Four other sticks, M and M and N and N, +long enough to reach from the ridge-pole, crossing above it, to the +side crosspieces of the wall, you must tie to the ridge-pole and the +side-wall sticks, placing them slanting, as you see them in Fig. 60, at +each end. + + +The Porch + +Like many other people, the Filipino wants a porch to his house. +Perhaps he sits there to smoke his curious little pipe, which is not +much larger than the one you make of an acorn. I have never seen him +on his porch, but I have seen him smoke and afterward tuck his pipe +away in his long, fuzzy hair, where it remained in safety even while he +leaped and pranced about in the wild dance he loves so much. + +[Illustration: Fig.59 - End poles are added to hold up the roof.] + +[Illustration: Fig.60 - This is the way the house is put together.] + +But we must not forget the porch. If the Filipino has one to his +house, we must have a porch to ours. We won't make it separately and +add it to the part already built, but, as the Filipino does, we will +use part of the house-floor for the floor of the porch, and let the +roof cover that as well as the house. To do this we must separate the +house part from the porch part by putting up two more uprights, one on +each side, a little way back from the front of the house, and these +uprights will form the boundary-line. Letters O and P in Fig. 60 are +these last uprights, the sticks which form them being long enough to +reach from the wall side-piece to the floor, and extend a little above +and below where they cross the upper and lower sticks. + +[Illustration: Fig.61 - Fresh grass instead of palms over one side +wall.] + +[Illustration: Fig.62 - Strips of wood to bind down the grass on wall.] + + +Thatching + +Now we come to the real grass part of the house, for we have had to +use small sticks for the framework instead of bamboo, and where the +Filipino uses palm-leaves we will use grass. + +Gather some long, coarse, fresh blades of grass for thatching both +the roof and walls, and begin with the walls. Bunch the grass evenly, +the stem ends all together, bend the bunch at the centre, then spread +it out at its centre, and hang it thickly over one side-wall beam, +which is the upper stick (Fig. 61). Have the stem ends inside the house +hang down as long as the tip ends on the outside, and let the outside +ends hang down below the edge of the floor; then take a flat strip of +wood and place it near the top of the grass-covered wall, bend the +ends a little and slide them back of the uprights (Fig. 62). Smooth +the grass down evenly and put in another flat stick, this time at the +bottom (Fig. 62). If you want the inside of the house as perfect as the +outside, slide in two other strips on the inside of each wall to hold +the grass down. Fig. 62 shows the grass partially trimmed off to make +it even at the bottom. + +[Illustration: Fig.63 - Pole rafter being thatched for roof.] + +[Illustration: Fig.64 - Shows exactly how the raffia is tied.] + +[Illustration: Fig.65 - Hang grass over ridge pole of roof.] + +To thatch the roof you will need two more sticks for rafters. Over one +stick, near the end, tie a bunch of grass into a tassel, using a piece +of raffia to bind it; hang more grass over the stick or rafter, and tie +it into another tassel, and with the same piece of raffia tie a third +tassel (Fig. 63). Fig. 64 shows exactly how the raffia is tied. Make +the tassels rather thick and put them close together so that there +will be no space between. + +When this rafter (the stick) is covered with thatch lay it across the +side of the roof half-way between the ridge-pole (top stick on the +roof) and the stick forming the side wall of the house, and tie the +ends securely to the slanting sticks of the roof. Thatch another rafter +and fasten it on the opposite side of the roof, then cover two shorter +sticks with thatch and tie one across the front, the other across the +back peak of the roof on a line with the thatched rafters on the sides. + +Fasten more thatch at the front and back peak of the roof, tying it +to the ridge-pole, also to the two slanting sticks. Allow the grass +to hang down far enough to cover the top of the thatch below it (Fig. +50). This thatch must entirely fill up the ends of the roof made by the +peak. Now hang grass over the ridge-pole at the top of the roof as you +would hang your doll's little sheets on your toy clothes-line (Fig. +65), and bring the ends down over the thatched rafters on each side of +the roof. Hold this top thatch in place by laying sticks across the +grass just below the ridge-pole on each side of the roof. Bind and tie +these sticks at each end to the framework of the house (Fig. 50). + +If grass cannot be had for thatching, soak hay in water to make it +soften and take the stiffness out, then use that. Raffia dyed green +might do, or should all else fail, take fine broom-straws softened in +hot water for the thatch, and use loosely twisted string for binding +and tying. Of course the string should not be white, but you can dip it +in coffee and dry it; the color will then be like the color of rattan. + + +The Ladder + +The spry little Filipinos use ladders instead of stairs to reach their +living-room, so we must make a rustic ladder for our house. + +Cut two slender sticks about six and one-half inches long for the +sides; then cut seven or eight short sticks for the crosspieces or +rungs. The rungs should be one and three-quarter inches long. Bind +and tie the ends of the rungs to the side sticks (Fig. 66), placing +them about three-quarters of an inch apart. The ends of the rungs must +cross the side sticks and extend out about one-quarter of an inch. If +properly tied, your little ladder will be firm and strong. + +[Illustration: Fig.66 - The ladder will be strong and firm.] + +Place the ladder one end resting on the ground, the other end on the +front edge of the porch, then stand off and admire your work. It is +certainly worth admiring, for the house will be a perfect miniature +Filipino home, and you may imagine you can see tall cocoanut-palms and +many other strange and beautiful trees and plants that grow in the hot +Philippine Islands. You might copy some of these with grasses and small +flowering wild plants. + +If you have a Noah's ark it will be a good idea to select some of +the animals that live in the Philippines and put them in the little +rattan and bamboo jungles which you have made of grasses. A piece of +looking-glass or plain window-glass can represent water not far from +the house, and here you should have a crocodile sunning himself on the +bank. Let a wild boar be plunging out of the jungle, and deep in the +bamboo grove you might hide the tremendously large snake called a boa. +I don't think there will be a boa in your Noah's ark, but you can make +one of bread dough, or of clay. With all these dangerous creatures +prowling round, do you think it strange that the Filipino people put +their houses on stilts? + +If this were a real house in the real Philippines you might see a +number of natives, wearing little or no clothes, coming toward you +bringing small snakes which they had caught to sell in the towns for +rat-catchers. And near the house there would be most wonderful flowers, +some of them orchids, the flowers that live on air; while all around +would be strange and rare birds. + +At one side of the house, some distance away, there would, perhaps, be +a wet rice-field where the queer water-buffalo, called a carabao, would +be drawing a strange-looking plough, the driver, a little brown man, +wearing an immense umbrella-like hat woven of palm-leaves. + +Listen! Do you hear that deep, booming sound? It comes from the +peculiar tree which a native is striking with his big club in slow, +heavy blows on one of its immense, wall-like roots. The sound goes +rolling far over the land, telephoning to other natives that white +people are coming. + + +A Doll Filipino Woman + +To make the little house seem more real, dress a doll in genuine +Philippine costume and stand her near the ladder with arms extended as +if in welcome. The dress must be a white waist with flowing sleeves, +a light-colored skirt, a large gay handkerchief, called a _panuelo_, +folded around the doll's neck, and an overskirt made of a square of +dark cloth drawn tightly around her body from waist to knees. No +stockings are needed, but you can give her heelless slippers with only +a narrow strip over the toes to keep them on. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +GRASS DRESS AND GRASS HEAD-DRESS + + +LOOK at the little girl in the photograph who is wearing her new grass +dress made of the wavy hair-grass and playing that she is a wood-nymph. +She feels very proud and is greatly pleased with her pretty costume. + +[Illustration: Fig.67 - Bring the long end of string across front of +second bunch and form loop A.] + +[Illustration: Fig.68 - First loop, A, on front of grass and string +passed around back of grass forming second loop, B.] + +[Illustration: Fig.69 - String brought forward again and slipped +through first loop, A.] + +Almost any kind of long, slender grasses can be used for a dress of +this kind, but you must gather an armful or more. It takes a good deal +of material, for the fringe must be close and thick. [Illustration: +She is greatly pleased with her pretty grass costume.] + +Divide the grass into bunches, each bunch about as thick as your thumb, +and have the heads of all the grasses together at one end of the bunch, +and the stem ends together at the other end. + +[Illustration: Fig.70 - Use a strong string for tying the grass fringe.] + +Tie a strong string around the stem ends of one bunch. Hold this tied +bunch under your left arm, stem ends to the front, and take up another +bunch (Fig. 70). Bring the long end of the string across the front of +the second bunch and form a loop (A, Fig. 67). Hold the loop while you +pass the string around the back of the bunch (Fig. 68), then slide the +end through the loop A, Fig. 69. Draw this loop-fastening very tight +and it will hold. Now place the second bunch under your arm with the +first bunch, and make a loop-fastening around the third bunch. Keep +on adding bunches of grass in this way, always drawing the last bunch +close to the one before it, and holding them all together under your +arm as in the photograph (Fig. 70). In this picture the grass bunches +are purposely left far apart that you may see exactly how to make the +fringe. + +[Illustration: Fig.71 - Bristle-spiked Cyperus grass used for +head-dress. See photograph.] + +The grass dress will be finished when you have made a strip of fringe +long enough to reach around your waist, for the skirt--it needs no +waist--is really only a fringe of grasses to be worn over a light +summer dress. + + +Grass Head-Dress + +The grass head-dress to be worn with the wood-nymph skirt is quite as +wild-looking, but is simply a band of grasses, with bunches of the +bristle-spiked cyperus grass (Fig. 71) hanging downward on each end. +The band goes across over the top of the head, and the grass side +ornaments fall over the ears. + +Wear the grass costume and carry a light branch of green leaves in +each hand when you give your next outdoor fancy dance, or take part in +outdoor tableaux where you could represent either a wood-nymph or the +spirit of the grasses. + + + + +_PART III_ + +GREEN LEAVES + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +OAK-LEAVES + + +TO dress up and pretend is something every little girl, and boy too, +for that matter, likes to do, and there is no better place for having +this kind of fun and no greater storehouse for dress-up material than +the wide, sunny fields and green, shady forest on a summer's day. + +[Illustration: Fig.72 - The Robinson Crusoe Hat.] + +If you want to be a wood-nymph, a fairy, or a pioneer; if you would +be a fashionable lady decked in jewels rare, or a rollicking cowboy, +or Robinson Crusoe, it is all the same to Mother Nature's department +store. Fields, Woods & Co. can furnish all you need. If the goods are +not always ready to wear, they are at least ready to be made up into +what you want. + +Why, you can even be a little savage and wear a skirt made of a fringe +of long grasses, like the wood-nymph's dress, and bracelets of slender, +golden-brown rootlets, if that pleases you; all the materials are ready +to your hand. And you can make a + + +Robinson Crusoe Hat + +of the large leaves of the scrub-oak--a pretty and becoming hat and +one that will keep your head cool though you walk under the hottest of +noonday suns. + +The photograph given here shows one little girl who likes immensely to +wear her Crusoe hat, and Fig. 72 shows just how the hat looks when not +on her head. + +It won't take more than five minutes to make the hat, but first you +must gather the leaves. Ordinary oak-leaves are too small to use; it is +on the scrub-oak that you will find them large enough. The scrub-oak +grows low, like a bush, and the leaves will be quite within your reach. +Like a good shopkeeper, this kind of oak shows his customers leaves of +various sizes, but it is the very largest that you must take, and only +the ones that are dark-green in color. The pretty new light-green or +brownish leaves will soon wilt and curl on the edges, while a hat made +of the older, tougher ones will last in good condition several days if +left out in the dew at night or kept damp in the house. + +[Illustration: The Robinson Crusoe Hat is pretty and becoming.] + +The number of leaves needed depends upon the size of the leaves and the +size of your head. It is well to have at least a dozen and a half; then +you can select the best. The largest leaves are not always perfect, +but unless very much torn or eaten away by insects they will answer. +To gather all you need you will probably have to visit several of the +little scrub-oaks. + +If you are at home when you make your hat, use broom-straws to pin the +leaves together; if you are in the woods find some smooth, slender +twigs, break them in short pieces, and they will take the place of the +straws. + +Begin by pinning two leaves together as they are in Fig. 73. These +leaves are lettered U and V. You see that U is lapped over V and then +pinned to it in two places, first near the stem and then through the +lower side lobe. The next leaf would be letter W, and W would be pinned +to U just as U is pinned to V. Make the stems meet at the top and keep +adding leaves, pinning one to another, until the hat is large enough to +fit your head comfortably, then pin the last leaf to the first. + +[Illustration: Fig.73 - Pin the leaves together in this way.] + +Do not make the hat too flat; if you find it flattening out, lap the +leaves over more at the bottom. When finished it should be shaped like +Fig. 72. + + +Oak-Leaf Mask + +Among other frolics in the woods you can have a masquerade--a real +one, where you wear a mask, and that mask made of one of the largest +leaves of the scrub-oak. Not even a pair of scissors will be needed to +make this mask, and it is a funny one too (Fig. 74). See the turned-up +eyelids and the wide nose tilted at the end. + +When you have found a leaf large enough (the one in the drawing was +nine inches long and seven inches wide) use your thumb-nail to cut out +the eyes and nose. The outlines at the top of Fig. 74 show how to shape +them, and the dotted lines show where they are bent up. + +[Illustration: Fig.74 - The Oak Leaf Mask.] + +There is no mouth, none is needed, for the leaf, below the nose, drops +down loosely over your mouth like the curtain on a mask one buys at a +shop. The oak-leaf mask will stay on your face if you wet the under +parts of each side and stick them to your cheeks. + +Another way to make the mask is to turn the leaf around, stem down, +and then cut the eyes and nose in the wide part, leaving the narrower +stem end for a long chin. This kind you can hold in front of your face +by taking the stem in your hand. It requires so short a time to make a +mask that when one wears out or is lost you can have another to replace +it in a minute or two. + +[Illustration: Fig.75 - The little Oak Leaf Dog.] + +[Illustration: Fig.77 - This shows how the dog was made.] + +[Illustration: Fig.76 - The leaf the dog was made of.] + + +The Little Oak-Leaf Dog + +He has the funny expression of a real dog when he is making up his mind +what to do next, even if he is only an oak-leaf. It was an ordinary +leaf four inches long which was, by tearing a little here and bending a +little there, transformed into his absurd dogship (Fig. 75). + +Fig. 76 is the tracing of the leaf actually used for the dog. Fig. 77 +shows the same leaf with its stem nipped off and the other end torn up, +not very evenly, where the dotted lines are in Fig. 76. This makes the +little dog's tail. The tear on either side reaches to the mid-rib of +the leaf, but does not cross it, and the mid-rib being unbroken holds +the tail out stiff and straight. + +The two hind legs are bent down just where the tear ends in making +the tail. The dotted line in Fig. 77 shows this. The other two legs, +formed by the side lobes of the leaf, are bent down as the dotted lines +indicate. The tip of the lobe on the left side had to be torn off +because that leg was longer than the opposite one. + +In making the neck the narrow part of the leaf was bent up and then +down, the two dotted lines show where. Then the ears were bent up and +the little oak-leaf dog was placed standing as you see him in Fig. 75, +to have his picture drawn. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +GRAPE-LEAF DRINKING-CUP + + +A WILD-GRAPE leaf will do quite as well as a cultivated one for a +drinking-cup if it is large enough. You want a large leaf, because a +small one will hold only a sip of water, and when one is really thirsty +that is certainly not enough. + +Whether wild or cultivated, the grape-leaf should be washed in clean +water to take off dust and any possible insects that may be on it. +Where there is water to drink there is water for washing the leaf, +so there can be no difficulty about that, and the large green leaf, +freshened by the water, looks very cool and inviting. + +It is simply a matter of folding, first one way, then the other, that +turns the grape-leaf into a cup. Fig. 78 is a tracing of the leaf from +which the cup (Fig. 79) was made. It measured eight inches at its +widest part, almost seven inches from tip to stem, and the cup held a +good supply of water. + +Begin to fold by bringing the two lower lobes of the leaf together in +the way shown in Fig. 80. This makes the middle bend that is indicated +by the dotted line in Fig. 78. Then bring the two lobes around to the +left, or to the right if that comes easier, hold them close together +and lap them over the upper lobe on that side. That makes the two side +bends which join at the middle bend (Fig. 78), and rounds the cup into +shape. + +[Illustration: Fig.78 - The drinking cup was made of a leaf like this.] + +[Illustration: Fig.79 - A fine drinking cup made by folding a Grape +leaf.] + +[Illustration: Fig.80 - Bring the two lower lobes of the leaf together.] + +The bottom of the cup is pointed, as you see, and, of course, will not +stand; then, too, the cup falls apart when you loosen your hold, but +neither of these things are of any consequence, for you can let your +cup lie flat and fold it again very quickly when it is needed. As +long as the folds are held tight in your fingers, the cup will keep +its shape and hold water without leaking a particle. Use the upper, or +green, side of the leaf for the inside of the cup; the under, or light, +side is fuzzy and may harbor small insects even after it is washed. Be +sure you look into the water before drinking it. This should be done no +matter what you drink from or where you get the water. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +GREEN-LEAF DESIGNS + + +Beech-Leaves + +REMARKABLY pretty designs can be made entirely of green leaves; also +with leaves and their seed-pods, their nuts and berries. You can press +a design of leaves alone, but one having seed-pods, berries, or nuts +cannot be pressed. It is fun to make it, even if it cannot be preserved +by pressing, and you will like to do it. + +[Illustration: Fig.81 - Two twigs broken off a Beech Tree made this +design.] + +Fig. 81 is the drawing of a charming design made of two twigs broken +off a beech-tree. On one twig were two beechnuts in their pretty green, +spiky outer shells; on the other was just one nut. Each twig had three +leaves. Nothing was cut off and nothing was added for this design; the +twigs were used exactly as they came from the tree. The stems were +simply crossed, with the lower leaf of one twig falling over the stem +of the other twig, and that finished it. The easiest thing in the world +to do if you happen to think of it. + + +Violet-Leaves + +There is one thing about the green leaves of the violet which makes it +a joy to use them in a design, and that is, the stems are so pliable, +so easily bent and curved, you can do almost anything with them. + +[Illustration: Fig.82 - Design made of Violet leaves.] + +See how the stems add to the beauty of the violet-leaf design Fig. 82. + +[Illustration: Fig.83 - The stem curves naturally.] + +[Illustration: Fig.84 - Under side of the small leaf in the design.] + +The curve of the stem of Fig. 83 is a natural one for it to take, and +you can probably find a leaf with its stem curved very much like it, +but it is another thing to come across one of the same size which has a +stem curved in the opposite direction, and such a stem is necessary for +a design like Fig. 82. + +Very well! Since the stem does not naturally curve the way we want it, +we will make it do so. All we have to do is to draw it through our +fingers several times and, by pressure, gently persuade it to turn as +we wish. + +Fig. 84 is the under-side of the small leaf at the bottom of the design +(Fig. 82), and shows how the stem loop above the leaf was made. + +[Illustration: Fig.85 - This is the way the curling Ground-Pine grows.] + +First a violet-leaf with stem curved like the one in Fig. 83 was laid +down on a sheet of paper, then another leaf of the same size, with stem +_made_ to curve in the opposite direction, was placed beside but not +touching the first leaf, and with its stem crossing the other stem. The +two stems meeting at the bottom formed a pear-shaped loop. The small +leaf, after its stem had been formed into a loop and the end tucked in +at the back, was fitted on top of the stems of the large leaves, as you +see it in Fig. 82. + +[Illustration: Fig.86 - Beautiful, tiny, green Pine-Tree made of a +curling branch of the Ground-Pine.] + +Violet-leaves are seldom flat; they are apt to curl at the edges; some +are so curled as to form little cornucopias. Choose the flattest you +can find for a design like Fig. 82, and paste them to the paper with a +touch of paste on the under-part of the tip and of the two lobes at the +bottom of each leaf. Paste the stems down also with a touch of paste +here and there. + +The violet-leaf design can be pressed. + + +Ground-Pine + +Deep in the shadowy woods, often where pine-trees are growing, you +will find the ground-pine. Clinging close to the ground, curling in +feathery, green clusters on its vine-like root, it runs for yards over +the surface, while its root, lying along the top, sends down slender +rootlets into the earth. Push away the dry leaves or pine-needles that +usually cover the root, and you can pull up long strips and soon gather +enough to make the prettiest kind of festive decorations. + +Festoons of the ground-pine are very pretty on walls, stair-banisters, +porch-railings, over picture-frames, and hanging from chandeliers, and +this ready-made evergreen rope is as suitable for outdoor as for indoor +decoration, as beautiful in summer as in winter. + +When you want to "dress-up" in the woods use the ground-pine for +trimmings. Loop it over your skirt and make a wreath for your +hair. Last summer at camp we used the ground-pine in this way and +the little girls, arrayed for a dance, never looked prettier. For +table decorations at camp and for decorating the tent doorways the +ground-pine is charming. + +Fig. 85 shows how the short, curled clusters grow on the long root, and +Fig. 86 gives a wee pine-tree made of one cluster picked off the root +and planted in an outdoor doll's garden. + +This is what our American writer and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said of +the ground-pine: + + "As I spoke, beneath my feet + The ground-pine curled its pretty wreath." + + + + +_PART IV_ + +CULTIVATED FLOWERS + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +PHLOX + + +Phlox Tower and Phlox Design + +IN a great bunch of garden-flowers given me by a friend I found some +pink-and-white phlox (Fig. 87), and from it I made first a + + +Phlox Tower + +As you know, the blossom is trumpet-shaped and flares at the open end +into five petals. The tube part is long and narrows to a point, so +it is easy to push one flower into another. That is what you do in +building the phlox tower. You pull the blossom off its stem and out of +the little green calyx which holds it, then you push the end of the +tube part into the round red eye in the centre of another flower as far +down as it will go. Then you push another blossom into that one and +build up until your tower is as high as you want it, or as high as it +will stand without toppling over. A bud stuck in the top flower makes a +good finish (Fig. 88). + + +Phlox Design + +The design Fig. 89 was made by first putting three blossoms together, +sticking one inside the other as for the tower, to form the long side +sprays, and afterward arranging three blossoms below the side sprays +and one above with their stems meeting at the middle, as they are in +Fig. 89. On each side of the upper flower was placed a sprig of buds; +then the tube part of a blossom was cut off and the petal part fitted +in the centre of the design to cover the ends of the other flowers +where they met. + +[Illustration: Fig.87 - Blossoms of the Phlox.] + +[Illustration: Fig.88 - Build your Phlox Tower like this.] + +The tube parts of three more flowers were cut away, and the petal parts +arranged in the position shown in Fig. 89. This formed a scattered +design quite different from any of the others made of flowers. + +Touches of paste on the under part held all the flowers in place. The +phlox design is a good one to preserve by pressing. + + +The Tiger-Lily Leopard + +[Illustration: Fig.89 - This phlox design should be pressed.] + +From the brilliant-orange tiger-lily, with its dark-brown or black +spots, we are going to make a--tiger? No, a leopard. Tiger-lilies may +have spots, but tigers, you know, are striped. + +It is really wonderful how much this little animal, made of parts of a +beautiful flower and broom-straws, looks like the stealthy, prowling, +wild creature which lives in Africa and Asia. The yellow coat of the +live leopard is covered with black spots, and so is that of our flower +leopard. The fierce living animal has a long tail that it moves slowly +back and forth in anger or when it threatens to attack another animal +or a man. Our little leopard also has a long tail which, if it does +not really move, looks as if it were just going to. But while the live +animal is ferocious and will kill, we can only pretend that of the +tiger-lily leopard. Though he looks dangerous, he cannot even nibble a +green leaf. + +The illustration of the tiger-lily given here is a drawing of the one +from which the lily leopard (Fig. 90) was made. You will notice that +at the right of the flower (Fig. 91) there is the stem and pistil of a +blossom that has fallen apart. + +[Illustration: Fig.90 - The stealthy, prowling Leopard.] + +[Illustration: Fig.91 - The leopard is made from a Tiger Lily like +this.] + +When we make the leopard we cut off this lily-stem close to the stalk, +leaving the pistil attached, to use for the back-bone and tail. Four +broom-straws, about an inch and a half long and sharpened at one end, +we use for legs. The pointed ends of two of the legs are pushed into +the stem at the front, and the other two in part of the pistil at the +back, as shown in Fig. 92. That makes the skeleton. + +[Illustration: Fig.92 - This is the skeleton of the leopard.] + +[Illustration: Fig.93 - The leopard's spotted coat.] + +Now we have to fit on the skeleton the leopard's spotted coat. After +pulling the perfect flower apart we select the petal best suited for +this purpose (Fig. 93), and then take the curl partially out of it by +pressing it down on the table with our fingers. The tip of the petal +will have to be cut off because it comes down too far over the tail. + +The blunt end of the petal will be the leopard's head, and it can be +rounded up and moulded with your fingers until it looks like the head +of the leopard in Fig. 90. Small ears of bits of broom-straw, pointed +at one end, we must stick in the head where they belong and then, in +order to make the coat stay in place, we will pin it to the skeleton at +the neck, in the middle of the back, and again at the tail, with fine +broom-straws. So we have the little leopard complete. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +CULTIVATED FOXGLOVE + + +Fairy-Caps + +[=Transcriber's Note:= Foxglove is poisonous. Do not play with +foxgloves.] + +DO you know the cultivated foxglove with its tall spikes of +thimble-shaped flowers, prettily spotted inside? (Fig. 94.) And do you +know that these flowers will fit on the ends of your fingers like tall +caps on the heads of little fairies? + +Perhaps there are foxgloves growing in your garden now. If there are, +pick five blossoms off the stalk, selecting a large one for your thumb +and a small one for your little finger; the others should be of a size +in between these two. + +Turn these blossoms upside down and they at once become fairy-caps. Fit +the caps on all five fingers of your left hand. Then on your fingers, +just below the caps, draw little faces with pen and ink. Now you have +five living, moving fairies who will do all sorts of things and be very +spry about it (Fig. 95). They will nod at you joyously, they will bend +low in solemn salute, and they will put their little heads together to +plan some piece of mischief. + +They can be fairy children at school, if you like, with the short, fat +thumb fairy for the teacher; and you can make the fairy pupils stand +close together, shoulder to shoulder, then at a word from the teacher, +separate and stand alone again. + +It will be fun to name the fairies, such names as Pepper-grass, +Mustard-seed, and Catnip, and with the teacher standing before his +class, have him call the roll and have each fairy bob his head as he +answers to his name. + +[Illustration: Fig.94 - "Do you know the cultivated Fox Glove?"] + +Perhaps you will want the teacher to require each pupil to sing a +little song or recite a short verse. When a fairy does that, he moves +forward in front of the others, and stays in that place until he has +finished. Here is a pretty verse for a flower-capped fairy to recite: + + "I wonder what the Clover thinks, + Intimate friend of the Bobolinks, + Lover of Daisies, slim and white, + Waltzer with Buttercups at night. + + * * * * * + + Oh, who knows what the Clover thinks? + No one! Unless the Bobolinks." + + +Sweet Pea--the Peacock + +[Illustration: Fig.95 - Five living Fairies.] + +You use a little pretended magic when you turn a sweet-pea blossom into +a peacock, and that makes it seem more mysterious and more interesting. +It doesn't take a second but while you are doing it you must repeat +this transformation rhyme: + + "Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea, + Your petals unlock. + I turn two down, + And you're a peacock." + +Pick out a fine, large sweet-pea blossom. It doesn't matter about the +color. If you have a number to choose from, suit yourself. Hold the +flower in your left hand by its stem and recite the first two lines: + + "Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea, + Your petals unlock." + +[Illustration Fig.96: - "Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea, Your petals unlock."] + +[Illustration Fig.97: - "I turn two down and you're a Peacock."] + +Then as you reach around to the back of the flower with your right hand +and put your thumb on one curled petal, X, and your first finger on the +other curled petal, Y (Fig. 96), finish the rhyme: + + "I turn two down, + And you're a peacock." + +and at the same time turn these petals down as they are in Fig. 97. You +will see right away that the turned-down petals at the sides are the +wings, the upright petal at the back is the tail, and the closed middle +part is the body. The tipped-up point of the body part makes a very +good head for the little sweet-pea peacock. + +[Illustration: Fig.98 - The blossoms of the cultivated Snapdragon are +large.] + + +Snapdragon--Lady's Head and Lion's Head + +The magic that turns a blossom of the large, cultivated snapdragon into +a little lady's head, upon which rests a dainty, ruffled sunbonnet, or +into a ferocious-looking lion's head, is the magic of pen and ink, not +of rhyme. + +[Illustration: Fig.99 - The Snapdragon Lady's Head.] + +[Illustration: Fig.100 - The Snapdragon Lion's Head.] + +The blossoms of the cultivated snapdragon are very much larger than +those of its wild cousin, called by some people butter-and-eggs, but +the cultivated flowers grow on a stalk in the same way as the wild +ones. You would hardly recognize the cultivated flowers as snapdragons +because of their size and wonderful colors. A sure test is to pinch +one; if it opens its mouth it is a real snapdragon; if it doesn't it +is not; but you must know how to pinch it, else it may refuse to snap. + +The illustration (Fig. 98) shows a stalk of the cultivated flower, and +looking at the blossoms in that position you can see neither the lady's +head nor the lion's, yet they are there. + + +LADY'S HEAD + +Pick a blossom off its stalk, leaving the little stem attached, and +turn it around until you discover the sunbonnet and see that it looks +like Fig. 99, then with pen and ink draw eyes, nose, and mouth on the +part under the bonnet that is the face. This part is white, while the +sunbonnet is sometimes a dainty pink and sometimes a gorgeous scarlet +or orange, with deeper color on the edges. + + +LION'S HEAD + +Turn another blossom upside down and the crown of the bonnet becomes +the lower jaw and beard of the lion, while the other part is the lion's +face. On the face you must make two fierce eyes like those in Fig. 100. +When you take hold of the lion's jaws at the back and pinch them he +will open his great, wide mouth as if to send out a tremendous roar, +only to snap it shut again without a sound as you stop pinching. Fig. +100 shows how to hold the flower to open the lion's mouth. + +The pink snapdragon is best to use for the lady's head and the +orange-colored one for the lion's. If you would rather call it a +dragon's head, you can, you know, but it looks more like a lion. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +MISS HOLLYHOCK'S GARDEN-PARTY + + +[Illustration: Fig.101 - Miss Hollyhock gives a garden party.] + +WHEN Miss Hollyhock gives a garden-party the scene is a gay one. +All the ladies, and you can have as many as you want, are in their +freshest, crispest summer gowns. There are dainty pink ones, white, +rose-colored, and deep red; there are light yellow and orange; there +are gowns almost brown and others almost black, but whatever the color +of the skirt the waist is always green. Green waists are the style +where Miss Hollyhock lives, and she and all her friends follow the +style very closely. + +[Illustration: Fig.102 - Cut the Pistil out of the flowers.] + +The hats these little ladies wear to the party are of the same silky +material as their skirts and are usually of the same color, though +sometimes a lady in white will appear in a pink or yellow hat, or a +pink lady can be seen wearing a white hat, and the lady in rose knows +how well she looks in a hat that is almost black. When there are two +or more gowns of the same color the hollyhock ladies prefer to have +different colored hats so that they will not all look alike. + +Fig. 101 shows how Miss Hollyhock and her friends are made from the +flowers of that name. When you have gathered the flowers you must cut +off the stem of each close to the green calyx which is Miss Hollyhock's +waist, and then cut out the pistil which grows inside the blossom. This +pistil is shaped something like a little club, and is covered with the +yellow grains of pollen (ask some one what pollen is). It looks like +Fig. 102. The pollen will make the flower wilt quickly. That is why it +is best to take the pistil out. + +[Illustration: Fig.103 - This is the way to make Miss Hollyhock.] + +Now select a nice, round, hard, green bud for a head and leave its stem +on for the neck. Turn the sharp point of your scissors around in the +top of the hollyhock calyx to make a little round hole, then push the +stem of the bud into the hole, screwing it round and round until the +bud almost, but not quite, touches the calyx. If you push it all the +way down your lady will have no neck; her head will grow directly out +of her shoulders. + +[Illustration: Fig.104 - Miss Hollyhock's Tea Table.] + +[Illustration: Fig.105 - Teapot and cups for the Hollyhock tea table.] + +Wooden toothpicks are used for legs, arms, and support, but strong +broom-straws will answer as well, or straight, slender twigs. Push +three toothpicks, twigs, or broom-straws up into the centre of the +flower, two in front and one at the back as you see them in Fig. 103. +The dotted lines show where they go inside the blossom. Be sure to have +all three the same length so that the little lady will stand firmly. +The arrows on Fig. 103 show where to insert the arms. Cut sharp points +on the broom-straws to make them slide in easily. Blunt ends will tear +the flower. + +With pen and ink make the eyes, nose, and mouth on the head, and use +a petal of another hollyhock for a hat. Pin the hat to the top of the +lady's head with a pin or short broom-straw. + +A garden-party would not be complete without + + +A Tea-Table + +Make the tea-table of the hollyhock's round cake of unripe seeds which +most children call a cheese. This is covered with a green case which +is easily taken off and then you have a round, white disk like a +little table-top turned up at the edge. Select the largest one you can +find and push the ends of three toothpicks or broom-straws into the +under-side for the table legs (Fig. 104). Now the tea-table must have a + + +Teapot and Cups + +Find a green bud for a teapot shaped like Z (Fig. 105). Push two short +straws into the bud in the places shown by the arrows in Z (Fig. 105), +one for the spout and one for the handle. Cut the tops off smaller buds +to make them into teacups (A and B, Fig. 105). A drop of paste at the +bottom of the teapot and the cups will keep them in place on the table. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +DAFFODILS + + +Dancing Flowers and Whirligigs + +DAFFODILS, yellow as sunshine, always come with the beautiful +springtime. The blossoms of the single daffodils, with their tall, +golden cups resting in the saucers of lighter-colored petals, are +the daintiest, though both single and double are so like a song of +cheerfulness it is a joy to have them near. They look as if they wanted +to dance for sheer happiness and, wonder of wonders, you can actually +make them dance. + +[Illustration: Fig.106 - The Daffodil Dancer.] + +[Illustration: Fig.107 - The Daffodil Animal.] + +Gather a few of the single daffies, leaving on them the very short +stems which hold them to the main stalk. These little green stems will +be the stiff ornaments at the top of the dancers' green caps when you +turn the flowers upside down, which is right side up for the dancers. + + +Daffodil Dancers + +To make a flower stand alone and give it feet to dance on, push three +wooden toothpicks firmly up under the little yellow skirt into the +centre of the blossom. It doesn't matter if a flower has three feet; +like an insect, it may have more than two and it won't stand on two. +Spread the bottom ends of the toothpicks out a trifle like a tripod to +make the flower stand steady (Fig. 106). + +When you have made several dancers, stand them on a tin tray, and they +will be a group of "daffy-down-dillies just come to town," arrayed in +their best gowns and ready to take part in the dance. Tap the tray +gently from underneath and the dancers will begin to move. Tap a little +harder and they will begin to dance. Tip the tray slightly forward and +they will dance toward you; tip it backward and they will dance away +again. + +[Illustration: Fig.108 - Daffodil stalk for you to turn into a +whirligig.] + +[Illustration: Fig.109 - The Whirligig.] + + +A Daffodil Animal + +Queer little animals that come only from Daffy land can be made of the +single daffodil-blossoms. Take one of the flowers and carefully cut +away the outstanding petals, leaving the perfect, long cup. Hold the +cup in your left hand with the short, green stem hanging down; the stem +is the animal's head; then break off about half an inch from the blunt +ends of four wooden toothpicks and use the longest parts for legs. Push +the pointed ends of the tooth pick legs up into the under-side of the +long, slender cup as it is held in your left hand. Keep the legs of an +even length and the animal will stand firmly. This little fellow, with +his green head and long green nose, is very comical (Fig. 107). He can +dance on the tin tray too, and run about when you tip it. + +The daffodil toys will keep their color a long while even after the +blossoms are dry. Do not take off the brown calyx which is lightly +wrapped around the bottom of each flower. It represents the hair of the +dancers and the ears of the animal. + + +The Whirligig + +You can have some fun with the daffodil stalk, too, after taking off +the flowers. + +Fig. 108 is a daffodil stalk; look at it closely, then look at Fig. +109. They are really the very same though they appear to be so +different. One seems to have a blossom at the top, and you know that +the other has not. + +If you want to do the trick and make a stalk blossom, select a stalk +like Fig. 108, hold the stem closely between your open hands and roll +it rapidly by first sliding your right hand forward while the left +slides backward, then the left forward and the right hand back. This +makes a whirligig of your stalk, and the flower will appear at the top +as you see it in Fig. 109. + +Try making whirligigs of other kinds of stems; of grasses, twigs, and +leaves. + + + + +_PART V_ + +SEED-VESSELS + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +SEED-VESSEL PLAYTHINGS + + +WHEN the flowers have gone then come the seed-vessels, equally as good +for playthings but very different. + +Of course, you know the rose-haws, the little red and yellow and green +apples that you find on the rose-bushes in the fall. They are the +seed-vessels of the rose, and every rose which is allowed to remain on +the bush until it fades and falls apart leaves a seed-vessel to take +its place. + +[Illustration: Fig.110 - Rose-haw apples for your doll's table.] + +[Illustration: Fig.112 - The bronze-green Rose-haw.] + +[Illustration: Fig.111: - This necklace is made of Rose-haws and +Plantain Lily seed pods.] + + +The Doll's Fruit Piece + +The rose-haws look very much like little apples. Rosy-cheeked Baldwins, +yellow harvest-apples, and greenings, and they will make a fine +fruit-piece for the centre of your doll's table. Pile them up on one +of the toy dishes and put the smallest of green rose-leaves around the +edge (Fig. 110). + + +Rose-Haw Necklace + +But the rose-haws can be used for something besides toy apples; you can +pretend they are jewels and string them for a real necklace. + +One necklace can be entirely of the haws and another like Fig. 111, +which is made of bronze-green haws (Fig. 112), and the long, green +seed-pods of the plantain (Fig. 113). The blossoms of the plantain +are pale purple or lavender, and hang from the stalk as the seed-pods +do. They are bell-shaped and about an inch long. The leaf is like a +lily-leaf. + +[Illustration: Fig.113 - The long, green seed pods of the Plantain +Lily.] + +[Illustration: Fig.114 - The seed pod earring.] + +As you see, the haws and seed-pods are strung alternately; first a +haw, then a seed-pod, again a haw and so on. Thread your needle with +strong thread and be sure the thread is long enough for the necklace. +Measure it around your neck, letting it droop as much as you wish; then +allow several inches at each end for tying. If you cannot find the +large, brownish-green haws use yellow or red ones, but the green haws, +when strung with the green seed-pods, are more beautiful. + +[Illustration: Fig.115 - This necklace is made of Barberries and +Plantain Lily Stalk.] + +[Illustration: Fig.116 - A branch of the Barberry Bush.] + + +Seed-Pod Earrings + +To match the necklace, make long, green earrings of the plantain +seed-pods. Fig. 114 shows a seed-pod earring. You see it is strung on +a thread and the ends of the thread are then tied to form a loop. The +loop must be just large enough to fit comfortably over your ear, and +when you wear the earring, the green jewel will hang down and dangle +delightfully. The upper end of the seed-pod should almost touch your +ear. + +[Illustration: Fig.117 - Make the earring in this way.] + + +Necklace of Barberries and Plantain-Stalk + +Plantain is very useful in making jewelry because you can use the stalk +as well as the seed-pods. + +Fig. 115 is a necklace made of the plantain-stalk cut in short pieces, +all the same length, and the coral-red berries of the barberry-bush. +The crooked branches of the barberry-bush grow very close together and +are covered with thorns which stand out straight and sharp like pins. +That is why it is so often used for hedges; nothing can get through it +without being terribly scratched. From the branches the red berries +hang down like coral drops. Fig. 116 shows the way they grow. To make +this necklace, string first a piece of the plantain-stalk, pushing the +needle through lengthwise, then string a barberry and again a piece of +the green stalk; after that a barberry. Keep on in this way until the +necklace is as long as you want it. + +[Illustration: Fig.118 - Maple seed vessel used as bird wings.] + +The berries are exceedingly pretty strung as you see them, hanging down +in their natural way, and really, you cannot string them any other way. +The upper part of the berry is the only part through which you can +pass your needle because of the large, hard seed which fills the space +below. + + +Plantain-Stalk and Barberry Earrings + +How to make the earrings to complete this set of jewelry is shown +in Fig. 117. First you string a piece of the plantain-stalk, then a +barberry; then you put your needle back through the stalk and tie the +thread at the top. After that you make the loop to put over your ear as +you did in making the seed-pod earring. + + +Birds of Maple-Tree Seed-Vessels + +You see it is not only the seed-vessels of flowers that can be turned +into playthings. The trees also furnish abundant material for toys. + +[Illustration: Fig.119 - Maple seed vessel bird.] + +Gather the winged seed-vessels that fall from the maple-trees, Fig. +118 is a maple seed-vessel, and let us sit on the dry, sun-warmed +grass and turn them into odd little birds like Fig. 119. These birds +are very near the size of our ruby-throated humming-birds, a trifle +larger perhaps, but they do not in the least resemble the beautiful, +jewel-colored, long-beaked wild bird, either in looks or habits. +However, they are nice, tame, quiet little birds and never object +to being handled, played with, and placed on any bush or low tree +where you may happen to want to put them. You cannot say that of the +humming-bird, can you? + +You will need two seed-vessels for each bird. Divide one through the +centre, separating the two wings, and use one of these wings for the +body of the bird, as you see in the diagram Fig. 120. Clip off the two +corners of the square end where the arrows point to shape it like a +bird's head, then carefully bend up the seed-vessel pair of wings, and +fit the body down in between them, resting it on the centre part that +holds the wings together. One or two stitches with needle and thread, +passed through wings and body, will keep them close and secure. + +[Illustration: Fig.120 - Bird's body.] + +When your bird is finished (Fig. 119), thread a needle with black +thread, tie a good-sized knot in the end of the thread, and push the +needle from underneath up through the back of the bird where it will +come out between the wings. Draw the knot up close to the body and tie +the other end of the thread to a low branch of a tree. When you stand +off a little distance you cannot see the thread and your bird will seem +to be hovering in mid-air. A gentle breeze will stir the bird and make +it look as if flying. If there is no breeze, you can blow on it, or fan +it until the little thing flutters about almost as if alive. + +Be careful to string the thread through the bird at a place that will +make it evenly balanced. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +BUCKEYE HORSE AND BUCKEYE RIDER + + +All children love the clean, glossy, brown horse-chestnuts or buckeyes. +There are so many buckeye-trees in Ohio that it is called the Buckeye +State, and many villages of Long Island are full of them. They are +used for shade-trees and often line the streets, where they send +down showers of their nuts, pretty but not good to eat. Everywhere +the children gather basketfuls and take them home to play with, and +in other Beard books we have told of some things that can be made of +buckeyes, but the buckeye horse and rider which you see here have just +arrived. + +He is a very remarkable-looking horse with his funny round head and +stiff legs and tail, though not more remarkable than the little man +who rides him. Both are made simply of buckeyes and slender twigs. The +head and body of the horse and of the man are buckeyes. The neck, ears, +tail, and legs of the horse are smooth, straight twigs; the neck, arms, +and legs of the man are also twigs. + + +The Buckeye Horse + +When you make a horse let the light-colored part of the buckeye be his +face. This part usually has a dark spot on it which looks like an eye. +You will see it in Fig. 121. He will have only one eye unless you put +in another with lead-pencil or pen and ink, but very frequently horses +are blind in one eye, so it will not matter whether he has two eyes or +one. + +Stick two short pieces of twigs in the head for ears and a longer +twig for the neck. You will have to sharpen the ends of the twigs +to a point so that they will go in easily. The neck twig will need +sharpening at both ends. + +Before putting the head on the body of the horse, which should be as +large a buckeye as you can find, push in four twigs for the legs. The +front legs must slant forward, the hind legs slant backward. This will +make him stand firmly. Then choose a slender twig for the tail, and +split it several times at one end to show that it has hair on it, as +in Fig. 121. Fasten the tail on and then push in the neck twig. This +finishes the horse. + +[Illustration: Fig.121 - He is a remarkable looking Horse.] + + +The Buckeye Man + +For the body of the man who sits astride the horse, choose a buckeye +which is rather flat on one side. A round buckeye will roll off. Find a +small buckeye for the man's head and give him a twig neck (Fig. 122). +Do not make his twig arms stand out straight at his sides; push them in +slantingly so that he will hold them out in front. Put his twig legs in +far apart and slant them a little forward. + +Now place the man on the horse, and if he does not fit, change the +position of his legs until he sits securely. Your buckeye man and +buckeye horse will then look like Fig. 122. + + +Pine-Cones. Pine-Cone Forest + +Of course you like to gather the rich-brown pine-cones that lie +scattered on the ground under the pine-trees; we all do. Collect +a number of those which have loosened and opened out their little +leaf-like scales, then stand them up like trees in an open space on the +ground. They look so much like toy trees we immediately want to play we +are foresters, way off in the wild western lands, planting forest-trees +for Uncle Sam. + +[Illustration: Fig.122 - The Buckeye Horse and Rider.] + +We can make our forest as large as we want it and plant trees every day +if we like, or we can gather up our nice, clean, dry cones and take +them into the house to use in some other way. They make nice playthings. + + +A Fruit-and-Vegetable Market + +If you find small, short cones, not fully opened out, notice how +much they look like little pineapples; you must save these for +our fruit-and-vegetable market, where we sell fat, short acorns +as hazelnuts, the long acorns as pecans, and the buckeyes, or +horse-chestnuts, all shiny, dark, and smooth, as eggplants, and +rose-haws as apples. + +There are other things in our store, too. String-beans, which are +really locust-pods, and heads of white cauliflower made of bunches of +the wild carrot or Queen Anne's Lace blossoms, tied together so that +the pretty white flowers of the wide-spreading clusters lie evenly with +edges touching. A number of these clusters are used for one head of +cauliflower, and around each head are arranged green leaves with their +tops cut off just as you see them around the real vegetable. + + +Cone Card-Rack + +Save one of your fine, large-sized, wide-open cones and make a +card-rack of it like the one shown in the photograph Fig. 123. + +[Illustration: Fig.123 - Card rack and pin box combined.] + +You must have a small, round or square wooden box for the base and glue +the flat bottom of the cone on the lid. The box can be filled with +small brass clips for holding sheets of paper together, or with pins, +and it will then make a fine birthday or Christmas present for some +one. The cone card-rack is very useful on a writing-desk. + +If you make a number of these cone-racks they will be something new for +your next fair. Remember to stick some pretty cards in each rack. + + +Christmas-Tree Ornaments + +Perhaps you would like to keep some of your cones for Christmas-tree +ornaments; they make very pretty ones. + +Gild several until they shine like gold, then silver others, and they +will look as if covered with white frost. If you have collected any of +the prickly sweet-gum balls that look as if they were carved in little +starry patterns, gild and silver these, too, and let them dangle from +the tree on long gilt or silver cords. + +These natural, outdoor ornaments are not easily broken, and may be kept +from year to year for your Christmas tree. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +BURDOCK-BURRS + + +The Little House of Burrs + +NOW let us build a little woodsy house of burrs (Fig. 124) and put +it in a little garden. Gather two heaping handfuls of large-sized +burdock-burrs, small ones are not strong enough, and begin building. +These burrs grow on a bush; they are about the size of a marble, are +almost round, are prickly, and are pinkish at the top. + +Make the roof first (Fig. 125). Stick ten or twelve burrs together in a +row with pink heads all pointing in the same direction. Place this row +on a flat, smooth surface, a board, flat stone, table, or, perhaps, the +hard earth, and attach another row of burrs along the side edge of the +first row. Continue to add more burrs until you have six or seven rows +fastened into one flat piece. + +Be sure that this piece does not bulge out or sink down in places, for +the roof must be perfectly flat. Make the two side walls (Figs. 126 and +127) and the back wall of the house as you made the roof; the back wall +must be the length of the roof and the height of the side walls (Fig. +128). The side walls must each fit on the ends of the roof and be high +enough to look well. + +The front wall of the house must have a doorway and a window (Fig. +129). But first make it solid, exactly like the back wall and exactly +the same size, then lay it down on the flat surface that you are using +for a table, and open a hole for the doorway by taking out five or six +burrs, counting from the bottom up, and two or three burrs, counting +from side to side. That will make about ten or twelve burrs to be +removed. Take out the burrs for the window and make the opening three +or four burrs high and two burrs wide. (See Fig. 129). + +Use four burrs for each side of the hollow square chimney (Fig. 130), +which is open at top and bottom. + +[Illustration: Fig.124 - The little woodsey house of Burdock-burrs with +ornamental trees of grass.] + +To put the different parts of the house together lay the roof down flat +and stick the edge of the back wall on top of the outer row of burrs +which forms one of the long edges of the roof. Fasten one side wall on +one short edge of the roof in the same way and press the edge of the +back wall and the edge of the side wall together, making the corner +firm and square. Next attach the second side wall, and lastly fit in +the front wall. + +[Illustration: Fig.125 - Roof of house of Burs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.130 - Chimney of house of Burs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.126 - Side wall of house of Burs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.128 - Back wall of house of Burs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.127 - Side wall of house of Burs.] + +[Illustration: Fig.129 - Front wall of house of Burs.] + +Now lift the house carefully, place it right side up on the ground, and +adjust the chimney to the roof. As you work keep the picture of the +house in front of you so that you may see at a glance whether you are +building it correctly or not. If you cannot find large burrs, let the +sides and the roof of the house be two layers of burrs stuck firmly +together. Make a path leading up to the door of very small shells, +sand, or fresh earth. + +[Illustration: Fig.131 - Cat-tail for little pond made of +Timothy-Grass.] + +[Illustration: Fig.132 - Cat-tail held upright by Burdock-burrs.] + + +Pond, with Water-Lilies, in the Garden + +Would you like to have a little pond near the house, with white +water-lilies floating on its surface and wee cattails growing here and +there in and near the water's edge? + +You can easily make such a pond. Sink a shallow pan in the ground, a +hole must be dug to fit it, you know, and fill the pan with water. +Cover the edges with moss or earth and plant short-stemmed heads of +timothy-grass (Fig. 131) and slender, stiff grass-blades in scattered +groups near the water. It is timothy-grass that looks so much like +cattails, and also the grass called foxtail. + +[Illustration: Fig.133 - The play Water-Lily made of a White Clover +floating on water.] + +[Illustration: Fig.134 - Cut leaves for the water lilies from a Maple +leaf as shown here.] + +Some of the cattails can be made to look as if they were growing in the +pond if you make a flat-bottomed ball of burrs around the ends of the +stems to hold them upright (Fig. 132), and put some small stones on top +of the ball to weight it down in the water. + +For the little water-lilies select perfect white clover-blossoms (Fig. +133), and for the leaves, or lily-pads, use any rather small, smooth, +round leaves. The marsh-marigold leaf will answer, or you can cut out +water-lily leaves from oak or maple. Make them the shape of the pattern +Fig. 134. The pattern here is laid on a maple-leaf ready to cut out a +leaf for the water-lily. Make a number of lilies and float them and the +leaves on top of the water. + +[Illustration: Fig.135 - Pea-pod Canoe.] + +[Illustration: Fig.136 - Cut open the pea-pod along dotted line.] + + +A Pea-Pod Canoe + +You might add a pea-pod canoe (Fig. 135), with a tiny American flag +standing proudly erect at the bow. + +When you make the canoe, open the pod where you see the dotted line +in Fig. 136. To keep the pod open make little braces of broom-straws, +and put them in crosswise with one end against each side of the canoe. +There are four braces in the canoe (Fig. 135), but you may not need +that many. + + +The Trees + +In the picture given here the tree on the left of the little house +of burrs is just two stalks of the common grass called meadow +muhlenbergia, which are held up as if really growing, by several green +burrs left from building the house. The burrs are squeezed up tight to +the grass-stems and then pressed down tight to the ground. You can find +the grass for these trees almost any place; it is very social and loves +to make its home with other grasses. + +[Illustration: Fig.137 - Burdock-burr target.] + +The graceful, drooping tree on the right of the house is made of the +grass called brome-grass. Keep your eyes open and you will find it some +time while playing out-of-doors. As soon as you see it, run to the +brome-grass and whisper its name. You will be glad to discover it and +will remember its name afterward whenever you see the grass. + +Look at the picture again and notice the odd plants near the +brome-grass tree. Their name is Bermuda-grass. See how they spread out +their long, slender fingers. They look very much like a grass named the +small crab-grass, and another the large crab-grass, and like another +still called the wire-grass; but if you put all these side by side and +examine them closely you will see how they differ. + + +Burdock-Burr Game + +Besides making things of burdock-burrs, you can play a game with them. +The game is something like archery, only, instead of shooting arrows at +a target, you throw burrs at it. + +Get a good-sized piece of woollen cloth or some kind of material with a +rough surface to which the burrs will cling. Tack this up on the fence +or on a board; then, with a large piece of chalk that will make a wide +mark, draw four circles, one inside the other like Fig. 137. It doesn't +matter if your circles are not perfect. Do the best you can and finish +your target. Number the spaces between the circles 1, 2, 3, 10. The +outer space is 1, the next, 2, next to the centre 3, and the centre 10. +The centre, being the bull's-eye, counts most. + +[Illustration: Fig.138 - Hold the burr this way when you throw it at +the target.] + +Have ready a lot of burrs for each player; mark a boundary-line on +the ground, beyond which no one must step in throwing the burrs, and, +standing at the boundary-line, let each player in turn throw three +burrs at the target. The burrs that stick to the target make the score +if they are in the numbered spaces. Fig. 138 shows how to hold the +burr. Suppose one burr sticks to the space numbered 2, and the two +others are in number 1, the player would then have two ones and one two +which, added together, make four; her score then would be four. + +Always pull the burrs of one player off the target before the next +player takes her turn, and there will be no question as to who should +claim them. After each player has had three turns, let every one add up +her scores. The player who has the highest wins the game. If divided +into sides, the players on the side having the highest score are the +winners and they should be given a hearty cheer by the losing side. +Even very little girls and boys should learn to be good losers and to +help celebrate the victory of others. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THINGS TO MAKE OF ENGLISH-WALNUT SHELLS + + +NUTS are the seed-vessels of the nut-trees; did you ever think of that? +They do not grow only that we may have something delicious to eat. They +ripen and fall on the ground, where some of them take root and grow up +into trees themselves. If you plant a hickory-nut a little hickory-tree +should come up, and it will if the conditions are all right. If you +plant a walnut it will be a walnut-tree that will appear; so you see a +nutshell is the seed-vessel of the nut-tree. + +English walnuts do not grow wild in this country, but are cultivated +here and you all know what the English walnut is like. Our American +walnut is very hard to crack; its shell is rough and deeply grooved, +but the English-walnut shell is smooth and without sharp edges, though +its surface is uneven. There is a shallow groove running round the +shell, like a seam, and the shell cracks open along this seam evenly +and easily. + + +To Open an English Walnut + +The easiest way to open an English walnut so that the shell will be +in two perfect halves is to push the tip of a penknife-blade into the +groove at the large end of the nut, and then slowly and carefully turn +the knife to pry the halves apart. When opened this way the shell is +never broken (Fig. 139). + +After you have opened several nuts and taken out the kernels, use the +knife to cut away the thin, papery divisions inside the shells. You +will then be ready to make + + +The Professor + +and one half-shell is to be his head. Draw a face on the shell like +the face of the professor (Fig. 140). The narrow part of the shell is +his chin, the wide part, the top of his head. He has an intellectual +forehead, high and broad, with furrows of thought showing plainly on it. + +[Illustration: Fig.139 - This is the way to open the shell.] + + +The Professor's Robe + +As a rule professors wear black robes when they wear any, but our +nutshell professor wears white because it is more becoming to his dark +complexion, and because it is more effective and draws attention to +him. + +[Illustration: Fig.140 - The English Walnutshell Professor.] + +[Illustration: Fig.141 - The Professor's Robe.] + +To make the robe, fold an oblong piece of white paper into a square, +which makes the square double. The edges should measure about four +inches. If you have a large white envelope cut off one end to make it +square and use that. Fold the square diagonally across from point to +point, as is shown by the dotted line in Fig. 141. Now turn back first +one side point, then the other side point, and make them meet over the +first fold to form a fanlike pleat, wider at the bottom than at the +top. The dotted lines on either side of the middle one in Fig. 141 show +where the folds should come. The middle fold is bent out, or toward +you; the side folds are bent in, or away from you. The side points now +extending toward you are the wide, flowing sleeves of the professor's +gown. + +Take the robe in your hand at the bottom point, holding it from the +back, and on the top point hang the professor's nutshell head (Fig. +140). + +[Illustration: Fig.142 - The Nutshell Mouse.] + +[Illustration: Fig.143 - Ear for the mouse.] + +While the head balances quite securely on the point, you can make it +wag from side to side, make it shake and tremble when the professor +grows very earnest in his discourse, and make the chin thrust itself +forward when he is emphatic. You do all this merely by shaking +and tipping the paper robe. He is an amusing little lecturer, this +English-walnut shell professor, and seems very much alive. + + +English-Walnut Shell Mouse + +It is a far cry from a lecturer to a little mouse, yet one +English-walnut shell will make both, half a shell for each. + +This is a nice, cosey-looking little mouse who crouches down +comfortably and does not show his legs (Fig. 142). + +The point of the shell is the nose of the mouse; above it make two +round, black eyes and then paste on two brown-paper ears. Cut the ears +like Fig. 143, bend back the little stems at the bottom, put a touch +of paste on each stem and stick the ears to the mouse's head in the +position shown in Fig. 142. Cut a piece of string about three inches +long for the tail and paste one end of it on the inside edge of the +shell at the large end. + +[Illustration: Fig.144 - The Nutshell Thimble Box.] + +[Illustration: Fig.145 - Tie a ribbon around the nut.] + +If you make three of these mice and glue them to a piece of cardboard +they will look very cunning. Or you can glue one mouse to a small card +and use it for the top of a Christmas pen-wiper. + + +English-Walnut Shell Thimble-Box + +A pretty way to give a small present at Christmas or on a birthday is +to put it into an English-walnut shell box. A thimble fits in the box +beautifully (see Fig. 144). + +Open the shell of an English walnut in the way described (Fig. 139). +Cut away the inside partitions and, with jeweller's cotton, make a +soft little bed in one-half of the shell. Press down the cotton in the +middle to make a hollow, and in this hollow fit the new thimble. Put a +layer of cotton over the top of the thimble and tuck in the edges. The +way to close the box is to cover the edges of the other half-shell with +glue and then fit it on the half that holds the thimble, just as it was +before you opened it. + +Now you have a whole nut again, but the meat inside is very different +from that which you took out. You can gild the nutshell after the +glue has hardened or leave it as it is. Its own brown color is pretty +enough. In either case you must have a piece of narrow ribbon to tie +around the box and form a loop by which to hang it (Fig. 145). + +Pass the ribbon under the small end of the nutshell, then bring it up +and tie it securely at the top of the large end. The ribbon should not +be over the seam but should pass across the middle of each half-shell. +It will then hold the two parts together and keep the glue from +loosening. After the ribbon is tied at the top of the nut, make a long +loop above it and tie again in a bow-knot. + + + + +_PART VI_ + +VEGETABLES + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +THINGS YOU CAN MAKE OF LIMA BEANS + + +[Illustration: Fig.146 - The Lima Bean Fish will swim.] + +[Illustration: Fig.147 - The pod for the fish must be open at the +bottom.] + +VEGETABLES are good to eat, certainly, and you know what they are like +when cooked and on the dinner-table; but many are also good to play +with. You can make fine toys of them, toys that are entirely different +from any you have ever seen. Here is the + + +Swimming Fish Made of a Lima-Bean Pod + +A fish that really swims, not on top of the water but in it, is the +little fish (Fig. 146). You won't find that in a shop or anywhere +else, for I have only just discovered how to make it myself. + +A paper tail and two paper fins must be added, but that won't take +five minutes when you know how to do it. The tail and fins make it +wonderfully lifelike, for when the fish swims around in a big basin +or dish-pan, the tail sways this way and that, the fins move back and +forth exactly as they do on a living fish in a real lake or in the +great ocean. + +[Illustration: Fig.148 - The fin of Bean-pod Fish.] + +[Illustration: Fig.149 - Tail of Bean-pod Fish.] + +Choose a good, firm bean-pod, one as flat and even as you can find, +open it carefully along the straight edge and take out the beans. Save +the beans, for you can make something of them too. Do not let the pod +close again after the beans are out. It must be open about half an +inch, or maybe a little more, at the middle. You can widen the opening +by pushing your finger in. Be careful not to split it along the upper +edge. It should be like Fig. 147, which shows the opening at the bottom. + +With the small blade of a pocket-knife make a slit on each side of the +pod at the large end where it is marked C in Fig. 147. + +[Illustration: Fig.150 - The Lima Bean Man will stand.] + +These slits are to hold the fins. Directly on the curved edge of the +small end of the pod, at the place marked D, cut another short slit. +Don't let it reach the lower edge. This is to hold the tail. + +From writing-paper, not the very heavy kind, cut two fins like Fig. +148. Double the paper and cut out both at once so that they may be +exactly alike. From the same kind of paper cut the tail like Fig. 149. +All you have to do now is to push the sharp point of one paper fin into +the slit on one side of the pod, the other fin into the slit on the +other side of the pod, and the sharp point of the tail into the slit +in the edge of the pod, and there is your fish. You see the fins and +tail are not pasted on and they really seem a living part of the fish. +Notice that the top of fins and tail are different from the bottom, and +be sure to have the top edge up when you put them in the slits. + +[Illustration: Fig.151 - Parts of Lima Bean Man] + +The way to make the lima-bean fish swim is to place it, open edge down, +in a large basin of water; then with a stick or spoon begin at the +centre to stir the water gently and gradually round and round until +it all moves faster and faster, and keeps on moving after you stop +stirring. Then your little green fish will swim. Round and round the +basin he will go, his tail waving and his fins moving so naturally you +will shout with delight. + +If at first the fish insists upon turning over on his side and floating +about like a dead fish, don't give him up. He is only playing 'possum. +He _can_ swim and he _will_ if you are patient and keep setting him +upright until he gains his balance and becomes used to the water. +Remember to put the fish _in_ the water, not on top. + +Don't let the beans, that you have taken out of the pod when making the +fish, get dry and hard. They can be turned into a + + +Lima-Bean Man + +Three beans and several strong, straight broom-straws you will need for +making this comical little fellow, who, upright and independent, stands +squarely on his own feet. That is a good thing for any one to do, let +alone a little bean man (Fig. 150). + +The beans should be of different sizes. A large one for the body, next +in size for the feet and a smaller one for the head. Some beans have a +little point that stands out on one edge and looks like a tiny nose, +while below it there is a round hollow that looks like a little open +mouth. That is the kind of bean to choose for the little man's head. + +The broom-straw for Mr. Bean's arms should be quite four inches long, +if he is to be four inches tall. Cut one end of this broom-straw +slanting to a point like E in Fig. 151, and push the point through the +upper part of the body bean and out far enough on the other side to +make the arms of equal length; then bend one arm up at the middle where +the elbow should be, and the other arm down as you see them in the +drawing of the man (Fig. 150). + +The broom-straws for the legs must be two and a half inches long and +cut pointed at both ends, for one end of the leg is pushed into the +lower part of the body bean and the other end into the half bean which +is the foot. Split the foot bean in half to make two feet and push the +leg straw into the rounded side. The flat side is the bottom of the +foot. + +[Illustration: Fig.152 - The beans are not taken out of the pod for the +Lima Bean Pig.] + +A short piece of broom-straw, hardly an inch long, is the neck. Cut +this straw pointed at each end, push one end into the top of the body +bean and the other end into the lower part of the head bean. Use +one-half of the outer skin, that comes off the foot bean when you split +it, for a hat. Being curved like a rose-petal, it fits the head very +nicely, but a drop of paste on the little man's head will make it more +secure. + +Your lima-bean man may be a farmer and own + + +A Lima-Bean Pig + +--a funny pig with fat sides and a turned-up snout (Fig. 152). + +Look over all your bean-pods that still have beans in them, and select +the one shaped most like Fig. 153. Do not take the beans out of the +pod; they make the pig fat and solid. The stem end forms the snout and +the head. + +[Illustration: Fig.153 - Choose a bean-pod shaped like this for your +pig.] + +Cut four broom-straws about one and a half inches long for the legs. +Sharpen each of these straws at one end and push the pointed end into +the lower part of the body, two on each side, in the places shown by +small rings on Fig. 153. + +From part of another bean-pod cut two ears like F, Fig. 154, and pin +them on the pig's head with a short straw as they are shown in the +picture of the pig. Run the straw through one ear near the bottom, +through the head and then through the other ear on the other side of +the head. + +[Illustration: Fig.154 - Make these of a bean-pod or of paper.] + +Pull a narrow strip from the edge of a bean-pod for the tail (G, Fig. +154). Curl it by drawing it lightly over the blade of the scissors. +Punch a small hole with the point of the scissors in the upper edge of +the pig's back at the place marked by the arrow on Fig. 153, and push +one end of the tail into the hole. Make small round dots with a pencil, +or pen and ink, for the eyes. The ears and tail may be made of paper if +you find that easier to use. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +SWEET-POTATO ALLIGATOR AND WHAT TO MAKE OF A RADISH + + +IF you have ever seen an alligator, a long-tailed sweet potato will +make you think of one immediately. + +Fig. 155 is a baby alligator with a sweet-potato body and paper head +and legs. It is just the size of the little alligators they sell for +pets down in Florida. That is, the alligator from which the drawing was +made is the size of the live ones; the drawing is, of course, smaller. + +[Illustration: Fig.155 - The Baby Alligator made of a Sweet Potato.] + +[Illustration: Fig.156 - Find a potato shaped like this for the +alligator.] + +Find a potato shaped like Fig. 156. Cut a slit in the large end and +two slits on each side where you see them in Fig. 156. When you make +the side slits push your knife in with the blade slanting upward and +backward for the front legs, and slanting downward and backward for +the back legs. This will allow the paper legs to slide in without +bending. + +[Illustration: Fig.157 - Make the alligator's head like this.] + +[Illustration: Fig.158 - Cut two front legs by this pattern.] + +[Illustration: Fig.159 - Make the two hind legs by this pattern.] + +Use brown paper, as near the color of the potato as you can get, for +the alligator's head and legs. Make the head like Fig. 157, cutting +along the heavy lines and bending along the dotted ones. Bend down the +sides of the head and of the neck, then bend the head first up, then +down, to lift it above the neck (Fig. 155.) + +The eyes of a baby alligator are large and prominent. Draw them on the +head as you see them in Fig. 157. That is as near as we can come to the +real eyes. + +[Illustration: Fig.160 - The Radish Imp is a decorative little fellow.] + +Cut out of the same paper used for the head two fore legs like Fig. +158, and two hind legs like Fig. 159. Slide the fore legs into the +slits nearest the large end of the potato and the hind legs into the +slits near the tail. Push the point of the paper neck into the slit at +the large end of the potato. That finishes the baby alligator, which is +wonderfully true to life. + + +What to Make of a Radish + +A crisp, fresh, clean radish is very tempting, but don't eat it this +time; turn it into something else by the magic your ten fingers can +work. + + +The Radish Imp + +Fig. 160 shows a round white radish which, with its long, slender root +and leaves still on it, has been changed into a queer little radish imp +by using strong broom-straws to stiffen his leaf arms, his leaf legs, +and his leaf body. His eyes are bits of broom-straw, his mouth is a +slit with a broom-straw tongue, and his absurd, stand-out ears are also +pieces of stout broom-straw. + +The root growing out of the top of his head is like a Chinaman's queue +standing on end with little, crinkly separate hairs at its base. + +[Illustration: Fig.161 - Cut two broom-straws for the arms and two for +the legs.] + +When you make your radish imp cut two broom-straws about four inches +long for his arms; point these at the ends. Cut two more strong +broom-straws a little longer than the distance between the radish and +the tips of the two longest leaves. Point these at both ends (Fig. +161). Now choose two leaves of even length, nearest the radish, for the +arms. Don't take them off but push a broom-straw through each leaf, +first in, then out, then push the other end of the straw into the thick +part of the stems just under the radish. Look at Fig. 160 and see how +this is done. + +[Illustration: Fig.162 - White Mouse.] + +[Illustration: Fig.163 - These belong to the mouse.] + +The leaves with the longest stems must be used for the legs. If there +are more than two long-stemmed leaves, cut off all except those wanted +for the legs. Bend the long, stout broom-straws at one end, as in Fig. +161, and push the other end up through the thick part of the stems and +into the radish; then with a piece of string or strong blade of grass +tie the stems of the leaves to the straws, as shown in Fig. 160. This +forms a little belt at the waist-line. Leave a large leaf with short +stem loose at the back for a cape and run the bent ends of the long +straws in and out of the leaves intended for the feet. + +Cut a curved slit in the radish for a mouth and push in a small piece +of broom-straw for a tongue, then put in bits of straw for eyes, nose, +and uplifted ears. + + +A White Mouse + +You can make a most amusing little white mouse of a white radish; not +a round one like that used for the imp, but egg-shaped, like Fig. 162. +The long root is the tail of the mouse and the other end of the radish +is his head. Cut two paper ears like H, Fig. 163. Make two slits in the +head and slip the pointed ends of the ears into the slits. + +For whiskers (all mice have whiskers) find two sprays of fine branching +broom-straws (I, Fig. 163), cut them the proper length, and push a +spray into the head on each side of the nose. Put bits of broom-straw +in for eyes and then cut four thick straws like J, Fig. 163, and push +the pointed ends slantingly in the lower part of the radish for the +feet of the mouse. His legs are not seen because he is crouching. The +drawing of the mouse shows where to put the feet. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +GREEN-PEA TOYS AND A GREEN-PEA DESIGN + + +PRESS your thumb on the rounded edge of a fresh, fat green pea-pod, +and, pop! it goes splitting open at the top. Then push your thumb into +the opening, run it down the pod and the two halves separate, showing +a row of fine, large peas that look like great green pearls in a soft, +silk-lined case made expressly for them. + +[Illustration: Fig.164 - The Green Pea Greenies, cousins of the +Brownies.] + +You have done this ever so many times when helping mother, haven't you? +And you know that the next thing to do when the pod is open is to run +that same little thumb down again and scoop out all those round green +peas, letting them fall with a patter into the pan in your lap. + +Now as a reward for such helpfulness suppose you ask mother or the cook +to give you a good big handful of peas which have not been shelled, and +ask also for some wooden toothpicks such as are used in the kitchen +for fastening meat together; or a number of nice, straight, strong +broom-straws if there are no wooden toothpicks. Take all these out +on the porch if the day is fine and sit down comfortably to make the +remarkable things which I am going to tell you how to make. It is a +good plan to have a box and its cover to hold the shelled peas and +their pods, but it does not really matter except that the round peas +are apt to roll away and get lost if you put them in your lap. + +[Illustration: Fig.165 - Parts of the Greeny Girl and how to put them +together.] + + +The Greeny Girl + +The little green-pea greenies, cousins of the brownies, shown in the +illustration are funny, aren't they? But the drawing is not as funny +as the real greenies, and you can make them in all sorts of absurd +positions. + +Two little men and a widely smiling greeny girl are given here (Fig. +164). The large green peas that come late in the season are used to +make these little people. In fact, it is only the large peas that +can be used for any of the things described. Fig. 165 shows how the +greeny girl is put together. Her arms, legs, and neck are made of +broom-straws. Her body and head are green peas. Her dress is one end of +a pea-pod and her feet are bits of a pea-pod cut the shape you see in +Fig. 165. + +First cut short pieces of broom-straws for the legs and point them at +both ends so that they will be easy to push into the peas and pods. Cut +another piece the same length, pointed at the top end for the support. +Push the legs and support into the large pea used for the body as you +see them in Fig. 165. Now cut another piece of broom-straw pointed at +both ends for the neck and push one end into the pea you have selected +for the head. + +[Illustration: Fig.166 - Begin the tent in this way.] + +[Illustration: Fig.167 - The Greenies' Pea-pod tent.] + +Cut off the stem of a large pea-pod, leaving the little leaves at the +top, which were the calyx of the pea-blossom, for a collar, and then +cut the pea-pod dress the proper length to fit the little woman. When +that is done put the dress on over the headless body and push the lower +end of the broom-straw neck in at the top, down through the collar, +and into the pea which forms the body. With a pin make a hole on each +side just under the collar and push a broom-straw arm in each of the +armholes you have made. Bend one straw in the middle, as in Fig. 165, +to give the bent elbow. + +Last of all cut two three-cornered feet like the one in Fig. 165 from +a pea-pod and push a foot on the end of each leg. Turn the toes in and +the little figure will look very comical. To give her a face, dip a pen +in black ink and make two round eyes in the head, a round nose, and a +wide mouth turned up at the corners. The pen must be pushed through the +skin of the pea to do this. When the greeny girl stands up, her dress +hides the support at the back so that it cannot always be seen, and she +looks as if she stood on her two feet just as you stand on yours. + + +The Greeny Men + +The illustration (Fig. 164) shows how the greeny men are put together. +The little dancing fellow must have two supports because one foot is +lifted. The tiny ridiculous cap on the head of the other man is the +little cap that holds the pea to the pod and sometimes clings to the +pea after it is shelled. + + +Pea-Pod Tents + +The greenies' little tents are made of pea-pods and it takes three pods +for each tent. After you have taken out the peas split the pods up +along the back edge, but leave the two halves fastened together at the +stem. Stand up two pods by pushing the stem end of one pod between the +two halves at the top of the other, as they are shown in Fig. 166. Then +separate the halves of the third and longest pod and place it astride +the first two (Fig. 167). This will make quite a strong tent, and, if +you like, you can have a whole camp of them. + + +The Green-Pea House + +The greenies need not always live in tents. Like other people, they can +have houses as well. + +It is best to use the wooden toothpicks in making the house. They are +stronger than broom-straws and all the same length. Begin by putting +the front of the house together. Make the peak first. Choose a large +pea, push the end of a toothpick into it, then not far from that push +in the end of another toothpick slantingly so that the lower ends will +be separated as you see them in Fig. 168. On each of these lower ends +stick a pea like Fig. 169. That is the peak for the roof. Now make a +long upright for each side by using a pea to join two sticks (Fig. +170), and push the upper end of each upright into the peas at the lower +ends of the peak (Fig. 171). + +[Illustration: Fig.168 - Begin the peak in this way.] + +[Illustration: Fig.169 - Stick a pea on the lower ends of each +toothpick to finish the peak.] + +Shorten two toothpicks by breaking half an inch off each of them, then +join them as you did the uprights by pushing one end of each stick +into a large pea (Fig. 172). This is the front joist or crosspiece of +the upper floor of the house, and you must fit it in between the two +uprights of the front by pushing the ends of the crosspiece into the +peas at the middle of the uprights (Fig. 173). + +[Illustration: Fig.170 - The long upright.] + +[Illustration: Fig.171 - Add the uprights to the peak.] + +[Illustration: Fig.172 - This is the front joist.] + +[Illustration: Fig.173 - Fit the joist in between the two uprights.] + +[Illustration: Fig.174 - The back of the house.] + +The back of the house is made in the same way with a third upright +added which runs down through the middle from the point of the peak +to the bottom of the house. This third upright is made by shortening +two toothpicks and joining them with a pea, then fitting them in +between the pea at the top of the peak and the pea at the middle of +the crosspiece. A whole toothpick with the upper end pushed into the +lower part of the pea at the middle of the crosspiece finishes the long +upright (Fig. 174). + +[Illustration: Fig.176 - The Greenies' little house.] + +When the front and back are made all there is to do to finish the frame +of the house is to put in the crosspieces to hold them together. Fig. +175 shows all these crosspieces or joists. One crosspiece between the +two peas at the top of the front and back peaks for the ridge-pole (K, +Fig. 175), one on each side between the peas at the bottom of the peaks +(L and M), one at each side between the peas at the ends of the front +and back crosspieces (N, O), and one between the two peas at the middle +of the front and back crosspieces (P). + +[Illustration: Fig.177 - The first bar of the fence.] + +[Illustration: Fig.175 - This is the frame of the house.] + + +Now you have the frame of a two-storied house or a house with only +an upper story, but it needs a roof and a floor. Split some of your +pea-pods in half and lay one at a time across the ridge-pole at the +top and the crosspiece at the bottom of the peak. Put half of a pod on +one side of the peak, half a pod on the other side of the peak, then +another half pod on the first side, and the next one on the second +side, and so on until the space is covered and the house is roofed in. +The stem ends of the pods must be up. The stems lock together and hold +the roof in place. + +Make the loosely laid floor also of the split pea-pods, putting them +across from front to back. + +[Illustration: Fig.178 - Push in two uprights.] + +Your little house (Fig. 176) now looks like those which strange people +in far-away, hot countries build for themselves. They have no lower +story or what we call a first floor, but are lifted on posts far above +the sometimes very damp ground, and out of reach of any wild animals +that may be prowling around. + + +The Fence + +You can make a fence to put around the house in this way: Push a large +pea on each end of a whole toothpick like Fig. 177, then break a +toothpick exactly in half, stick one end of each half into the lower +parts of the peas to form uprights, and push the lower end of each of +these uprights into another pea as shown in Fig. 178. For the slanting +crosspiece stick one end of another toothpick into the upper pea at the +left-hand side, and the other end into the lower pea at the right-hand +side (Fig. 179). Add a toothpick between the two lower peas, and one +section of the fence is finished (Fig. 180). + +[Illustration: Fig.179 - Put in a slanting crosspiece.] + +[Illustration: Fig.180 - The finished section and the way to begin a +new section of the fence.] + +Begin another section by sticking one end of a toothpick into a new pea +and the other end into the upper pea at the left side of the section +you have just finished (Fig. 180), then put in half a toothpick for +the upright, a pea on the bottom of that, a whole toothpick for the +slanting crosspiece, and another whole toothpick for the bottom. + +In this way you can keep on adding section after section and make your +fence any length. To turn a corner all you have to do is to push the +toothpicks which form the upper and lower crosspieces of a new section +in at the back of the top and bottom peas of an end section of the +fence. + + +The Tropical Plant + +You will notice that in the illustration there is a plant growing at +the side of the house which looks something like a cactus and adds to +the tropical, or hot-country look of the little greeny people's home. + +[Illustration: Fig.181 - Draw curves like these for the design.] + +[Illustration: Fig.182 - The Green Pea design.] + +Seven half pea-pods are used to make this plant, four to stand up and +three to lie down flat. Wrap and tie the stem ends of the four half +pods together with a bit of string. Push a toothpick for a flower-stem +through the middle of the bunch. Cut away the stem of a pea-pod, then +cut off the calyx, or circle of little leaves, with the knob below +attached. This is to be the blossom of the strange plant. Stick the +flower on its toothpick stem, knob down, as you see it in the picture. + +To make the plant stand firmly lay the three extra half pods down flat +with the stem ends one on top of the other and the outer ends at equal +distances apart, and force the toothpick flower-stem through the pods +where they cross. These three flat pods make a base which holds the +rest of the plant upright, while they look as if they were a part of it. + + +A Pretty Design of Green Peas + +This is not a toy, but you will like to make it just the same, and +afterward, perhaps, you will want to try another design all by +yourself. If you can draw at all, with a soft pencil make some curves +on a piece of white paper like Fig. 181, only ever so much larger, +then a straight line up from the centre. The distance between the two +largest curves at their widest part should be about eight inches. If +you cannot draw these curves, ask some older person to do it for you. + +[Illustration: Fig.183 - Do not open the pods wide.] + +Lay your paper with the pattern drawn on it flat on the table before +you, shell some peas and carefully place them on the pencil lines of +the curves. Begin with the largest peas at the centre of the design and +finish with the smallest at the ends of the curves. Fig. 182 shows how +this is done. Put the first pea on the curve at the place shown by the +arrow in Fig. 181. + +You won't be able to keep the peas in place unless you stick them to +the paper with paste. Hold the tube of paste in your left hand, squeeze +out a very little, take it off the tube with one of the peas and push +the pea, paste side down, onto the paper where it belongs. + +When the peas are all placed on the curves open two pea-pods as you +did for the greenies' tent, slide one pod between the two halves of the +other, and with a little paste on the stem ends and the tips, fasten +them in the middle above the curves of peas as they are shown in Fig. +182. The two halves of each pod are not opened wide but are like Fig. +183. Above the pods, on the straight, upright line, place four more +peas, beginning at the bottom with a large pea and ending with one much +smaller. + +The success of this design will depend upon making one side just like +the other and in keeping it equally balanced. That is, one side must +not sag down below the other and the pods at the top must fit exactly +on the line, half on one side, half on the other. + +The peas, you see, do not touch each other, but are separated by little +spaces, and the spaces are all of the same length. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +CORN-HUSKS AND CORN-COBS + + +How to Make American History Seem Real--Our First Thanksgiving + +LET us play that we are really celebrating America's first Thanksgiving! + +You can see one of our long, rude puncheon tables spread out in the +mild, sweet air of Indian summer, laden with delectable dishes of clam +chowder, oysters, fish, turkey, duck, goose, venison pasties, turnips, +dumplings of barley flour, corn bread, wheat cakes, pumpkin pies, +grapes, plums, great flagons of cider, and "all manner of tasty eats." + +William Bradford, our good governor, with his old flintlock in hand, +is just returning from a successful hunt for additional wild turkey. +We shall need these, as ninety friendly Indians are to be our guests +for three days and nights. Later they, too, will hunt and bring us wild +deer. + +Elder Brewster, in his festive doublet and hose, has stopped a moment +to speak to Master Bradford. Sitting at table, you can see Captain +Miles Standish with arms outstretched in glad welcome as he calls more +Indians to join the feast, while Massasoit, the mighty chief, stands at +the table signalling with his arrow for the braves to approach. + +Already Quadquina and Hobomok are at the festive board, seated between +Captain Miles Standish and John Alden. Squanto, who tells the boys how +to trap game and teaches settlers how to plant corn, is resting on the +ground with his feather-bedecked shield in one hand, and the calumet, +or pipe of peace, in the other. + +[Illustration: The First American Thanksgiving Dinner in the year +1621.] + +Now winsome Priscilla Alden comes, bearing on a pewter platter one of +her savory hot baked turkeys, and her friend, Mary Chilton, is watching +the delicious stew which simmers in the big iron pot over the outdoor +fire. + +[Illustration: Fig.184 - Begin to make the pioneer in this way.] + +Mistress Brewster, on her way to cut pumpkin pie, must needs stay her +steps a moment to give ear to Governor Bradford's remarks, and Desire +Minter is hurrying forward, ahead of the other young women, to serve +the men at the feast. + +All this would be told you by one of the little corn-husk pioneers +shown in the photograph if only they could speak. + +[Illustration: Fig.185 - Fold the husks across the centre.] + +At all events, they can stand alone. They can be made to sit down, too, +and their arms can be bent in any position. You may lift and place them +in various parts of the grounds at pleasure. You might even imagine +them to be the real characters they represent, and so live over again +that Thanksgiving of 1621. + +The making of these little people is most interesting. Use the rather +soft between-layers of corn-husks; about two husks for each pioneer. +If the husks seem brittle, soak them in water and make them pliable. +Lay one husk partially over the top of the other (Fig. 184), bend them +across the centre (Fig. 185), and let the smoothest side be the front +of the doll. Fold each side of the front to the back until the front +somewhat resembles Fig. 186; then wind slender, soft string around to +form the neck and head of the doll. Wind another soft string around +lower down for the belt-line (Fig. 187). + +[Illustration: Fig.186 - The head and neck are made.] + +[Illustration: Fig.187 - Wind the waist with string.] + +[Illustration: Fig.188 - Arms for the pioneer.] + +Make the arms of soft corn-husk (Fig. 188) by turning the lengthwise +edges of the husk inward again and again, until the roll is of the +desired size. Cut off the ends evenly and wind the arms with string at +the centre and near each end. + +Run the small blade of a penknife through the shoulders of the doll +from side to side. Turn the blade flat side uppermost and allow it to +remain in this position while you slide in the arms and screw them +through the opening, pushing them along on top of the flat side of the +blade. When in place, withdraw the knife and your little woman will be +ready for her costume. + +[Illustration: Fig.189 - The pioneer is ready for his costume.] + +To make the man, cut Fig. 187 up from the bottom to within a short +distance of the belt, thus dividing the husk skirts into two equal +parts. Wind each half with string at the top, middle, and near the end +to form the legs (Fig. 189). + +Use black tissue-paper for the loose knee-trousers. Cut + +[Illustration: Fig.190 - First leg of the trousers.] + +[Illustration: Fig.191 - The trousers are pushed into shape and coat +is ready for its belt.] two strips of the paper, fit one strip over a +leg (Fig. 190), push the paper up on the inside until it resembles Fig. +191, then fasten in place with strong paste. Make the other trouser leg +in the same way (Fig. 191). + +[Illustration: Fig.192 - Pattern of pioneer's collar.] + +[Illustration: Fig.193 - Make the hair of paper fringe.] + +[Illustration: Fig.194 - Crown of pioneer hat.] + +[Illustration: Fig.195 - Glue the hat crown on the man's head.] + +[Illustration: Fig.196 - How to slash the hat brim.] + +Cut the coat from a folded piece of dull-green tissue-paper, and +just at the neck make a hole large enough for the man's head to slip +through (Fig. 191). Paste the front edges of the sleeves over the back +edges and lay the front edges of the coat over those of the back. Fit +the coat in at the belt-line with your fingers. Cut a black belt of +tissue-paper, fold it lengthwise, and belt in the fulness of the coat, +then paste the belt ends together. Be careful to make the belt loose, +for men's waists are large. Make the collar (Fig. 192) of white paper +and fasten it around the man's neck with a drop of paste in front. + +From black, brown, or drab-yellow tissue-paper cut a strip of fine +fringe and paste it on the man's head for hair (Fig. 193). Then make +his hat. To do this, roll a small square of stiff black paper into a +cornucopia to fit the man's head, paste the edges together, and trim +off the corner which hangs down at the bottom (Fig. 194). Glue the +hat-crown on the man's head, cut off the sharp top peak, and tilt the +crown back a little (Fig. 195). + +Now cut a disk of the black paper for the hat-brim, slash it across +the centre into four points (Fig. 196), but only just far enough to +make the opening fit over the hat-crown. Slide the brim on the crown, +allowing the slashed central points to lie up against it, and fasten +them there with paste (Fig. 197). Glue the pioneer's feet into holes +cut part-way through a small piece of the corrugated flat pasteboard +used for packing purposes. In this way the little man becomes +independent and able to stand alone (Fig. 197). + +[Illustration: Fig.197 - The pioneer is fully dressed and wearing his +hat.] + +The corn-husk women also wear tissue-paper clothes. The waists are +made in the same manner as the men's coats, only shorter and confined +at the belt-line with paste. Straight dress skirts are slipped over +the waists, and held in place at the belt by winding string around the +pinched-up gathers. Long, severely plain white aprons, minus strings, +are pasted to the waist-line, and white-bordered black caps and large +white three-cornered neckerchiefs complete the costume. + +The cap is a straight piece of black tissue-paper with a narrow strip +of white folded over the front edge. When ready, the white-bordered +black strip is laid over the head, smoothly brought down on the sides, +puckered together at the back and tied around the neck with a string. +You have only to clip loose the outside layer of white close to the +string at the neck-line to give the flare to the cap's white border. + +The crisp dress skirt forms sufficient support to enable the little +women to stand alone. + +With the exception of Squanto, whose manly chest, back, and arms +have no covering, the Indians wear suits of tan tissue-paper made on +the same principle as the white men's costume, only the trouser-legs +are narrow, long, and have the seam cut in fringe and run up on the +outside. The bottom edge of the coat and the sleeve seams are also +fringed. The coat is not wide and no belt is worn. + +Pieces of colored tissue-paper adjusted blanket fashion over the +Indians, and fastened here and there with bits of paste to hold them in +place, form the Indian blankets. + +The Indians' hair is merely a strip of black tissue-paper pasted over +the top, back, and sides of the head with the ends loosely twisted and +allowed to hang down in front on either side. + +[Illustration: Governor Bradford, Priscilla, Chief Massasoit and Elder +Brewster. Made of corn-husks.] + +The war-bonnet is cut from a strip of white writing-paper, the tips +of the feathers are inked, and one end of the strip is then pasted +around Massasoit's head, as shown in the picture. + +It is best to make a number of corn-husk people at one time. Put the +two husks together for each pioneer and Indian, then wind a string +around the neck of each to form the head (Fig. 186). Again tie a string +around each at the belt-line (Fig. 187). Continue making the people in +this way, step by step, until all are finished at the same time. Have +ready as many arms as you have people, and run the arms through each, +one after another. + +When bending the arms or legs of the little people do it slowly and +gently. If they are inclined to spring back, tie them in position +overnight and they will stay bent. + +When dressing the dolls, cut out all the men's collars at one time. You +can do this by cutting through as many layers of paper as there are +men. Adopt the same plan with the other parts of clothing for the men, +women, and Indians, and your work will be rapid. + +With ink draw features on all. The women must have ink hair, parted in +the middle. + +Remember when making Miles Standish to cut his hair of red paper, for +he had auburn hair. + +The "sad" colors worn by the pioneers were really the cheerful autumn +hues, rich, dull reds, greens, browns, and yellows. These will give you +quite a variety of colors for the costumes of both men and women. + +Make the puncheon table of a flat, narrow piece of wood. With a gimlet +bore holes through the board, slanting them toward the centre, one hole +near each corner. Any kind of round sticks will do for the legs. Cut +them all of the same length and glue one in each hole. + +[Illustration: Pioneer puncheon table spread for America's First +Thanksgiving Dinner.] + +The pewter dishes are made from one of the collapsible lead tubes +used for oil-paints and various other things. Cut open the empty tube +and smooth it out flat, then cut out round pieces for plates, mould +the plates over the tops of wooden spools, and the flagons over a +pen-handle or other round stick. Make the flagon-handles of slender +strips of the tube bent into rings, and slip one end of the strip over +the edge of the flagon. + +A piece of yellow paper pasted over the cover of a very small +baking-powder can makes a pumpkin pie. The turkey is merely pinched-up +paper with brown tissue-paper laid smoothly over the breast. Its wings +and legs are of bits of lighter-colored paper rolled and bent into +shape, then pasted on the turkey. + +[Illustration: Fig.198 - Corn-cob log for pioneer log cabin with +notches cut and marked.] + +Fresh, green, uncooked corn-cobs from which the corn has been cut and +scraped make delightful pioneer log-houses. Cooked cobs are too hard +to cut. Choose slender cobs, long ones for the front and back of the +house, shorter ones for the sides. Cut a notch, or saw it, if the cobs +are dry and hard, on the tops of the ends of each of the two foundation +logs (Fig. 198). Cut a notch on both top and bottom of each remaining +log as indicated by the black lines in Fig. 198. + +Always make a larger notch in the small end of the cob than in the +large end, so that the large end of another cob may fit in it; for, +when building, it is necessary to place small ends and large ends +together, and never two large ends or two small ends, or the house will +be unevenly balanced. + +Lay the two foundation cobs down parallel to each other and a short +distance apart; then bridge across the ends with shorter cobs, fitting +the notches into each other. Continue building in this log-cabin +fashion until the house is of sufficient height. + +On the front of the house draw two straight lines down across the cobs, +one for each side of the doorway. Then take your house apart and cut +the doorway out from the marked cobs. Rebuild the house, gluing layer +upon layer. Make the doorway jambs of straight pieces of corn-stalk, +and glue them on each side of the open doorway. + +[Illustration: Pioneer log cabin made of corn-cobs.] + +Before the roof can be added, corn-cobs, graduated in length and +without notches, must be laid at each end of the house to support +the roof and give it its gable ends. These graduated cobs are the +"trap-logs." They rest upon long strips of corn-stalk, called "ribs," +which are placed across from one end of the house to the other. Build +the roof log-cabin fashion as you built the body of the house, laying a +rib between the ends of each layer of graduated cobs, and as you build, +fasten the parts together with glue. + +Cut enough clapboards of corn-stalk to cover both sides of the roof. +Make them all of the same length and long enough to reach from the top +of the roof to a trifle beyond its lower edge. + +The clapboards must be held down by means of "weight-poles" laid +across, and to keep the weight-poles from rolling off use pegs called +"knees." + +Make the knee-pegs of corn-stalk. Cut a hole near both ends of four of +the clapboards and glue in pegs, slanting them upward. You will then +have two pegged clapboards for the front of the roof and two for the +back. Place them near the ends of the roof and glue all the clapboards +in place. Cut four slender lengths of corn-stalk for weight-poles, and +lay them across the roof, resting against the knee-pegs. Glue them to +the roof only where they buck the knee-pegs. When finished, set the +house aside until the glue is entirely dry. It may then be moved. + +Corn-tassels standing in empty spools make fine trees. + +It is fitting that the story of our country's first Thanksgiving should +be retold this year by means of corn. You remember, of course, that +friendly Indians showed the pioneers how to plant and cultivate corn, +which, to them, was a new grain. Later, when a wonderful harvest had +been gathered, our forefathers decided to set aside a day to thank God +for His goodness. That was the first Thanksgiving. + + + + +PART VII + +FRUIT + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +THE FUNNY ORANGE HEAD + + +YOU will hardly believe it is only an ordinary, everyday orange when +you have made it into the head that I am going to tell you about. + +Select a small, firm, perfect orange and with a pencil mark features on +it, first the eyes like Fig. 199. Carefully cut out the little spaces +of skin between the lines, then mark the nose (Fig. 200); cut this and +mark the mouth (Fig. 201); cut this and at each side of the head draw +the ears like Fig. 202. You will see that the line of the ear does not +continue all the way around; that means that you are simply to run your +knife along the line, cutting through the skin so that the ears may be +lifted up and peeled forward to stand out from the head; the front part +remains attached (Fig. 203). + +Make the neck of a slender, strong, round stick sharpened to a point at +one end. Push the point up into the under part of the orange, where the +neck should be, by twisting the stick around as it goes in (Fig. 204). + +The orange is the head, but your hand and fingers are to be the body +and arms to go with it. Look at Fig. 204. That will show you how to +hold the stick firmly and at the same time leave your first finger and +thumb free to use as arms. + +[Illustration: Fig.199 - Eyes marked on orange head.] + +[Illustration: Fig.200 - Eyes cut, nose marked.] + +[Illustration: Fig.202 - Ear marked, ready to cut and peel forward.] + +[Illustration: Fig.201 - Nose cut, mouth marked.] + +[Illustration: Fig.203 - Mouth cut, ears cut and peeled forward.] + +Pin a handkerchief, or other soft cloth, around Mr. Orange's neck, +bring it around to cover your hand and then pretend he is talking while +you move his arms and say as many funny things as you can think of. +By moving the stick while you hold it in your hand, you can make the +orange head turn in various ways (Figs. 205 and 206), and a little +paper hat fitted on it will make it still funnier (Fig. 207). + +[Illustration: Fig.204 - Hold the orange this way.] + +The orange need not always be a man. You can play it is a little girl +and make a cunning little wreath of flowers for her small head; or +pretend it is a baby and have it wear a baby's cap made of paper. +If you want to turn it into a young lady, pierce the ears and fit +in earrings made of violets. You do this simply by threading the +flower-stems through the holes you have pierced, and drawing the +blossoms up close to them. Then, you can make believe the orange is an +old man and put a pipe in his mouth. Make the pipe of an acorn with a +twig for the stem. If you want the baby to cry, squeeze the orange a +little and tears of orange-juice will roll from its eyes and stream +down its face. Little holes must first be punctured in the eyes to let +the tears run out. + +[Illustration: Fig.205 - "Now I'll tell you a funny story."] + + +Things You Can Make of Orange-Skins + +A TOY JAPANESE STOOL + +The soft, golden orange-skin, lined with silvery white, is fine +material for moulding and making into different kinds of things to play +with. Bring your orange and we will begin by making a toy stool for +your doll-house (Fig. 208). It will look very much like the real stools +which the Japanese make for real people to sit on, though nothing is +used for it but the orange-skin. + +[Illustration: Fig.206 - "Can't remember what I was going to say."] + +First cut the orange across from side to side, making two halves, and +after you have taken out the pieces of juicy fruit and enjoyed eating +them, examine the two pretty yellow orange-skin bowls that are left. +See how soft and pliable they are. Now take one of the bowls and pinch +the edges of two opposite sides toward each other; hold them steady +while, with your other hand, you pinch the other two sides toward each +other. Hold all four sides bent inward for a moment, then let go of +them and the sides will stay bent while you wind string across, first +one way then the other, between the curved stool legs you have just +made by bending the sides of the bowl inward. + +[Illustration: Fig.207 - "What a joke."] + +[Illustration: Fig.208 - Japanese stool made of half an Orange peel.] + +Set the stool away to dry and stiffen into shape; then, when it has +become hard, take off the string and you will have a little Japanese +stool quite as strong as if made of wood. + + +A CANDY-BOX + +A candy-box can be made in the same way of the other half of the +orange-skin, but you must curve the sides in only a little for this; +not nearly as much as for the stool. Stand the candy-box, with open +part up, ready to be filled with candy. + + +A BASKET + +An orange-skin basket is a substantial little affair when finished, and +will hold almost anything you want to put in it. It looks like Fig. +209. For this you will again need half of an orange-skin. Bend in two +opposite sides after first cutting a short slit in each side near the +edge. Make the handle of strong paper, cutting it like Fig. 210, with a +tongue at each end. Bend over the two side points of each tongue, and +slide one tongue through the slit in one side of the basket, the other +tongue through the slit in the other side, then open out the points +again and they will make secure fastenings for the handle. You will see +from the illustration that the tongues are put through the basket from +the inside and show on the outside. + +Before setting away to dry, tie a string around the bent-in sides of +the basket, and stuff the open part with crushed paper to keep it in +shape. + +[Illustration: Fig.209 - Half of Orange skin used for a basket.] + +[Illustration: Fig.210 - Make the handle of paper.] + + +ORANGE-SKIN BOWLS + +When you have another orange save the two halves of the skin, pack each +full of crumpled, clean, blank paper, flatten the bottom of the bowls +so that they will stand firmly, then set them away to dry. + +If you do all this carefully the bowls will harden in good shape and +you can use them to eat and to drink from. + +[Illustration: Fig.211 - A little summer house made of half of an +Orange skin.] + + +Other Things Made of Orange-Skins + +Cunning little toy summer-houses may be made from an orange-skin in a +moment's time (Fig. 211). Take half of an orange-skin and stick the +sharp ends of four wooden toothpicks into the edge of its rim. Place +the toothpicks upright, at equal distances apart, and they will form +the pillars to support the golden, dome-shaped roof. Stand the little +summer-house on the table, and you will think it charming. + +By slicing an orange you can have a number of little, yellow hoops for +your dolls, made of the rind around each slice. When the hoops are +carefully dried in perfect circles, you can roll them on top of a table +or on the floor, and play the dolls are having great fun racing with +their orange-skin hoops. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +APPLES AND APPLE FUN + + +WHEN the apple-trees are in bloom, stand under one and look up through +the wonderful tent of flowers at the little bits of blue sky peeping +down at you between the blossoms. Isn't it delightful to see so many, +many apple-blossoms all at once? How beautiful they are and how sweet +they smell! + +Now, pick one little blossom and examine it carefully. Count the pretty +pink-and-white petals. Five petals? Yes. Look again, see how they grow +from the centre and notice their shape. Be very particular, so that you +will remember exactly how the blossom looks; make sure you know, for I +am going to tell you about the flower you can find inside the big, ripe +apple after all the other apple-blossoms are gone. + + +Apple-Blossom in Apple + +Cut the apple into thin slices from side to side through the core. Take +one of the slices from near the middle of the apple and hold it up to +the light, so that the light will shine through it, then look carefully +and you will see in the centre a perfect pattern of the apple-blossom +you gathered from the tree (Fig. 212). Apple-seeds form the centre of +the flower. The petals, five in number, are of the flesh of the fruit. +They are of the same shape and size as the real blossom. Isn't it +wonderful? + +[Illustration: Fig.212 - Apple blossom inside of the fruit.] + +[Illustration: Fig.213 - Design begun on apple slice.] + +[Illustration: Fig.214 - Design pierced through apple slice.] + +Now, take the seeds from their hard, glossy cases, again hold the slice +up to the light and lo, in the centre of the slice, you will find a +five-pointed star which twinkles as the light shines through. + +You can add to this and make a pretty, shining pattern in this way: +Take a wooden toothpick, and with its pointed end pierce little holes +all along the edge of the flower pattern; then make a loop of little +holes above one of the petals (Q, Fig. 213), and still another above +that one (R, Fig. 213). Pierce the edges of all the petals and make the +same kind of double loops above them also, then the design will be like +Fig. 214. Hold it up to the light, turn it this way and that and your +slice of apple will look as if spangled with glittering diamonds. Fig. +215 shows a wheel design which you can make of another slice. + +[Illustration: Fig.215 - Another design on apple slice.] + + +Apple Candle in its Candlestick + +When I was a little girl I used to make apple candles that stood up in +their own candlesticks. I always ate the fresh, juicy slices as I cut +them off. Fig. 216 shows how the candles look when finished. The stem +is the wick, and as it is usually dark at the end, it is a very good +imitation of a candlewick that is partially burnt. The dotted lines on +Fig. 217 show how to cut away the apple to leave the candle and its +holder. + +[Illustration: Fig.216 - Apple candle ready for table.] + +[Illustration: Fig.217 - Cut away apple leaving candle in candle-stick.] + +First cut off a slice at the blossom end, so that the candle-stick +will stand without tipping. The dotted line at the bottom of Fig. 217 +indicates where this cut is to be made. Then run your knife around the +apple without cutting all the way through to the core, where you see +the middle dotted line on Fig. 217. After that, begin at the sides and +gradually shave down the upper part little by little, being careful not +to cut below the slit you have made around the apple. When the middle +part standing up around the core is the size of a real candle it is +time to stop cutting. Because of the core inside you cannot make your +candle very slender, but you can cut off the sharp edges and make it +round. + + +A Roasted Apple + +Another thing I used to love to do with my apple when I was a little +girl was to tie a long string to the stem and hang it before an open +fire to roast. I think you will enjoy it too. + +Tie one end of the string securely to the stem of your apple, and don't +break the stem off in doing it (Fig. 218); then tie the other end to +something heavy on the mantel-shelf that will hold it securely. The +apple should hang in front of a grate of glowing coals, or near the +red-hot coals of a wood-fire. + +[Illustration: Fig.218 - Roast your apple this way.] + +As soon as cooking begins, twist the string and make the apple spin +round and round so that it may be roasted evenly on all sides; it is +fun to do that. When the juice begins to run and drop from the apple, +set a saucer under to catch the hot, sweet syrup. It is good poured +over the apple when that is thoroughly cooked. Add sugar to the juice +while it is hot if it is not sweet enough. + + +The Spice Apple + +In New England, many years ago, there was always to be found in every +household at least one spice apple. It sounds good to eat, doesn't it? +But they were not made for eating, they were used for sweet-smelling +ornaments, and for keeping away moths and other troublesome insects. +Perhaps you will like to make a spice apple to give away; it will be a +pretty and very sweet gift and will last for years. + +Choose a small, perfectly sound apple and have ready a lot of cloves. +Stick the cloves into the apple as you would stick pins into a cushion, +only the cloves must be put in very close together, touching each other +and making the apple look like a large, prickly, brown nut. That is +all, unless you want to hang the apple up. In that case run a wooden +toothpick through one raised side at the top, across the little hollow +where the stem grows, and out through the raised side opposite, after +first breaking off the stem. Cross this toothpick with another pushed +through the apple and also bridging the hollow. This will make a low +handle in the form of a cross. At the middle, where the toothpicks +touch, tie a bright ribbon, leaving a loop by which to hang it. + + +Other Things to Make of an Apple + +When an apple is cut across into round slices, you can make a doll's +table of the largest slice by using four wooden toothpicks for legs, +pushing them into the apple at equal distances apart. Half of a slice, +with halves of toothpicks for legs, makes a very suitable seat for this +remarkable table. + +If you cut a thick flat slice from a small apple you can make it into a +top that will spin by pushing a toothpick through the centre, leaving +a long end on one side and a shorter end on the other. The short end +is the peg upon which the top spins. Take the long, upper end of the +toothpick between your thumb and first finger, give it a hard, quick +twist and drop the top on a table having a hard, smooth finish, where +it will spin merrily. The little fruit-top will not spin on a carpet or +any rough, uneven surface. + + + + +THE BEARD BOOKS FOR GIRLS + +By LINA BEARD and ADELIA B. BEARD + + +Handicraft and Recreation for Girls + + With over 700 illustrations by the Authors + 8vo. $1.50 net + +An elaborate book for girls, by Lina and Adelia Beard whose former +books on girls' sports have become classic, which contains a mass of +practical instruction on handicrafts and recreations. So many and so +various are the things it tells how to do and make that it will give +occupation to any sort of girl in all seasons and all weathers. + + "The girl who gets this book will not lack for + occupation and pleasure."--_Chicago Evening Post._ + + +What a Girl Can Make and Do + +New Ideas for Work and Play + + With more than 300 illustrations by the Authors + Square 8vo. $1.50 net + +This book is the result of the authors' earnest desire to encourage in +their young friends the wish to do things for themselves. Its aim is to +give suggestions that will help them to satisfy this wish. Within its +covers are described a great variety of things useful, instructive, and +entertaining, suited for both indoors and out. + + "It would be a dull girl who could not make herself + busy and happy following its precepts."--_Chicago + Record-Herald._ + + +The American Girl's Handy Book + +How to Amuse Yourself and Others + + With nearly 500 illustrations + $1.50 net + +The authors tell everything that girls want to know about sports, +games, winter afternoon and evening amusements and work, in a clear, +simple, entertaining way. + + +Things Worth Doing and How to Do Them + + With some 600 drawings by the Authors that show exactly + how they should be done + $1.50 net + +This book comprises an infinite variety of amusing things that are +worth doing; for instance: "A Wonderful Circus at Home," "How to Weave +without a Loom," "How to Make Friends with the Stars," "A Living +Christmas Tree," etc. + + +Little Folks' Handy Book + + With many illustrations + 80 cents net + +This book furnishes the means of gratifying the impulse toward +self-expression that, properly directed, is a great factor in a child's +development. It opens a large field of simple handicrafts for little +folk by showing how toys can be made from such ordinary things as empty +spools, clothes-pins, old envelopes, etc. + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + + + + +THE BEARD BOOKS FOR BOYS + +By DAN C. BEARD + + +Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties + + Illustrated by the Author $1.25 net + +He gives easily workable directions, accompanied by very full +illustration, for over fifty shelters, shacks, and shanties, ranging +from the most primitive shelter to a fully equipped log cabin. Boys +will find it an invaluable guide in constructing temporary or permanent +shelters in their hikes or encampments. + + +Boat-Building and Boating + +A Handy Book for Beginners + + Illustrated by the Author $1.00 net + +The directions for making boats are practical and illustrated by simple +diagrams, and the work is full of new and suggestive ideas for all +kinds of craft. + + +The Boy Pioneers + +Sons of Daniel Boone + + Illustrated by the Author $1.50 net + +"A book that is truly fine and will probably have a wider influence on +the lives of boys into whose hands it falls than almost any other book +that comes their way."--_The Interior._ + + +The Field and Forest Handy Book + +Or, New Ideas for Out of Doors + + Illustrated by the Author $1.50 net + +"Instructions as to ways to build boats and fire-engines, make +aquariums, rafts and sleds, to camp in a back-yard, etc. No better book +of the kind exists."--_Chicago Record-Herald._ + + +The Jack of All Trades + +Or, New Ideas for American Boys + + Illustrated by the Author $1.50 net + +"Every boy who is handy with tools of any sort will enjoy this +book."--_Youth's Companion._ + +"Full of new ideas for active boys who like to use tools and see +interesting things growing under their hands."--New York Tribune. + +"A perfect treasure-house of things that delight the soul of a +boy."--_The Interior._ + + +The Outdoor Handy Book + +For Playground, Field and Forest + + Illustrated by the Author $1.50 net + +"It tells how to play all sorts of games with marbles, how to make and +spin more kinds of tops than most boys ever heard of, how to make the +latest things in plain and fancy kites, where to dig bait and how to +fish, all about boats and sailing, and a host of other things which can +be done out of doors. The volume is profusely illustrated and will be +an unmixed delight to any boy."--_New York Tribune._ + + +The American Boys Handy Book + +Or, What To Do and How To Do It + + Illustrated by the Author $1.50 net + +"It tells boys how to make all kinds of things--boats, traps, toys, +puzzles, aquariums, fishing tackle; how to tie knots, splice ropes, +make bird calls, sleds, blow guns, balloons; how to rear wild birds, to +train dogs, and do a thousand and one things that boys take delight in. +The book is illustrated in such a way that no mistake can be made; and +the boy who gets a copy of this book will consider himself set up in +business."--_The Indianapolis Journal._ + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS + + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Page 109, caption Fig.124, "Burdock-burs" changed to "Burdock-burrs" +(house of Burdock-burrs) + +Page 111, caption Fig.132, "Burdock-burs" changed to "Burdock-burrs" +(by Burdock-burrs) + +Page 114, caption Fig.137, same as above (Burdock-burr target.) + +Page 114, caption Fig.138, "bur" changed to "burr" (Hold the burr) + +Page 143, caption Fig.177, "ig" changed to "Fig" (Fig.177) + +Page 164, caption Fig.203, "pealed" changed to "peeled" (peeled forward) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mother Nature's Toy-Shop, by +Lina Beard and Adelia B. 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