The Project Gutenberg eBook of Recreations for Girls, by Lina Beard and Adelia Beard.

Cover the tub with green crimped tissue-paper and bank up with flowers—paper flowers if no others can be obtained. Beginning at the top, wrap the pole with ribbon or strips of pink and white cambric in alternate stripes. This can best be done before the pole is erected. Buy two toy hoops, the smallest measuring about three feet, the largest four feet in diameter. Wrap these hoops with greens of some kind—evergreens if you can find no others—adding sprays of tree blossoms and all the flowers you can manage to get.

Besides the two large hoops you will need fourteen small ones about nine inches in diameter. These you can make of wire for yourself. Wrap eight of the small hoops with pink, and six with white cambric, then decorate with flowers and green leaves. Keep the decoration quite narrow, in order to leave as large an opening as possible in the centre. Get two and two-thirds yards of narrow pink ribbon and two yards of narrow white ribbon; divide the pink into eight and the white into six pieces. On the end of each ribbon fasten a small toy bell; tie the ribbon on the small hoops, the white ones on the white hoops, the pink on the pink hoops, as shown in Fig. 430. Space the largest hoop off into eight equal parts and tie the small pink hoops to it at these points by their ribbons. Divide the other hoops into six equal parts and attach the small white hoops in the same manner. With wire or ribbon suspend the hoops from the top of the pole as in the illustration. Decorate the top of the pole with small flags and flowers.

Make four paper balls in this way: Take a piece of newspaper and, placing a small weight of some kind in the middle, crush it and roll it into a ball four inches in diameter; place the ball in the centre of a square of tissue-paper and bring the four corners of the paper together over the top; overlap the corners and fold and smooth down the fulness at the sides. Wrap the ball with fine cord, making six melon-like divisions, as in Fig. 431. Make two of the balls of pink tissue-paper and two of white. Have ready on a tray a number of small favors consisting of two or three flowers tied together, some with pink, some with white ribbon.

The decorations of the pole may be added to or curtailed as circumstances permit, and if flowers are scarce paper flowers may be mingled with the natural ones, and the difference will hardly be noticed. When

is held in the house the room is cleared of as much furniture as possible. The prettily decorated May-pole stands in the middle of the floor, and the children join hands and dance around it to the accompaniment of the piano or an appropriate song sung by all. Beginning with slow time, the music grows faster; faster and faster the wheel of children spins around the pole until some hand slips from the one clasping it and the wheel parts. When this happens the circle opens at the break and the children, still keeping their places, back up against the wall.

To the first four children at the right end of the line the four paper balls are given, one to each. The first child, or Number One, takes three steps forward and, aiming at the bell in one of the hoops, throws the ball with the purpose of sending it through the hoop and at the same time striking the bell hard enough to make it ring. If successful, Number One is given a favor, to be pinned to the front of the coat or dress, as the case may be, the color of the ribbon attached to the favor being in accordance with the color of the hoop through which the ball passed. As it is more difficult to send the ball through the hoops in the second row, the white-ribboned favors confer the most honor.

As soon as Number One has played he or she gives the ball to Number Five and returns to his or her place; then Number Two takes a turn, giving his ball afterward to Number Six, and so on down the line, thus always keeping the children about to play supplied with balls.

The game goes on until the players are tired or the favors give out, and the object of the players is to win as many favors as possible.

CHAPTER XXII

nearer home; possibly you may have to work a little for the precious metal, but the exertion will be only fun. Ten little fairies—your ten fingers—will cheerfully supply the gold as well as the mine from which the nuggets must come on the eventful night. The fairies should make a number of small gold parcels which when finished form the nuggets (Fig. 432). Inside of each package is a piece of candy and a strip of paper with a fortune written upon it, so whatever may be the fate sent by the gnomes in the mine, it is sure to be sweet. Have enough lumps of gold to furnish each player with equal portions of one or more nuggets. Let the little fairies secure a tub, half-fill it with sand or saw-dust and hide the gold nuggets well in this home-made gold mine, scattering the little parcels through the sand like plums through a pudding. The fairies must stand a small shovel by the side of the mine, then all will be ready and the miners can dig for their fortunes (Fig. 433).

Each player in turn must take the shovel and dig in the mine until one gold nugget is found. He must then open the package carefully and read aloud the fortune Fate has given him, while the other players look on and listen. The fairies can readily whittle or saw out a wooden mining shovel from a shingle or thin box-lid. Tell them to make it about four inches long and three wide, with a handle eleven inches in length. Try to think of original ideas to write on the slips of fortune paper, or, failing these, look up apt quotations for the prophecies. If you can have the lines bright and witty, writing something that will cause a laugh when read aloud, without hurting anyone's feelings, your Hallowe'en mining will be a great success.

understands well the art of fortune-telling. She is a funny little creature made of a stick (Fig. 434), some yellow tissue-paper and an apple. A strip of the tissue-paper is gathered (Fig. 435), drawn tight together at the top and placed over the stick with a thread wound around a short distance from the top to form the head (Fig. 436). The arms are pieces of tissue-paper (Fig. 437) folded lengthwise (Fig. 438) and run through a hole punched in the body (Fig. 439). The face is marked with ink on the head (Fig. 439). Small strips of tissue-paper gathered like Fig. 440 are sewed on each arm to form the sleeves. Hair of black thread or darning cotton tied in the centre (Fig. 441) is sewed on the yellow paper head.

is a triangular piece of paper (Fig. 442) with edges pasted together and a circular piece of paper slightly slashed around the small hole in the centre (Fig. 443). The circular piece is slid down over the peak to form the brim (Fig. 444), glued on, and the entire hat is inked all over, dried and fitted on the little woman's head. A broom made of a strip of folded tissue-paper (Fig. 445) with a fringed piece of the same paper bound on for the broom part (Fig. 446) is sewed in the folded-over end of the witch's arm. When finished the point of the stick is pushed into an apple, and the apple placed upon a piece of paper divided into squares in which different fortunes are written (Fig. 447). When you want the witch to tell your fortune, spin the apple on the blank centre of the paper and wait until the witch is again quiet, and she will point with her broom to some spot where the fortune is written especially for you. Each girl and boy must be allowed three trials with this apple witch (Fig. 448).

is very mysterious and exciting. Dip a new clean pen in pure lemon juice and with this queer ink write mottoes or charms on a number of pieces of writing-paper. Allow the ink to become perfectly dry, when it will fade out completely; then place the charms in a box and let each girl and boy in turn draw what appears to be a blank slip of paper. After examining it, the paper should be handed to some grown person present who is in the secret and who has provided a lighted candle by means of which he may read the ghost writing. All the young people will cluster around and with bated breath watch the magical developing of the words on the blank paper as the reader moves the message back and forth over the lighted candle. The heat brings out the writing in distinct letters that all may see. A second charm must not be taken from the pile until the first has been read aloud.

even though it be a pressed one, you can put it in your shoe on the morning of October 31 and wear it until you retire at night. The clover is a charm which will bring good luck and will insure at least one hearty laugh before the next day.

A glimpse into the future showing the disposition of your sweetheart may be had by

which have previously been dampened and each dipped into a separate flavoring. The moisture will cause the spices, etc., to cling to the seed, giving various flavors. Those dipped in liquids must, of course, be afterward dried. If to your lot falls a seed which has been powdered with pulverized cloves, your life companion will never be dull and uninteresting; pepper denotes quick temper; sugar, affection and kindness; cinnamon is lively, buoyant and bright; vinegar, sour and cross; gall, bitter and morose; molasses, loving but stupid; lemon, refreshing and interesting. Add as many more flavors as you wish. When the seeds have been prepared and dried wrap each one in a small piece of white tissue-paper and pass them around to the young people, allowing each girl and boy to take two of the prophecies; then all the children must be quiet while each in turn tastes first one, then the other seed, telling aloud as he does so the particular flavor he has received. Should a player find the first seed sweet and the other sour, it would mean that the disposition of the future wife or husband will vary, partaking more of the stronger flavoring. If the taste of the first apple seed is pleasant, the married life of the player will be reasonably happy. If the flavor is very agreeable, the married life will be very happy; if the flavor proves unpleasant, it is best to remain single.

Purchase or make a number of brown paper bags of medium size. In each place a simple little gift such as a tiny home-made doll, a paper toy you have manufactured or a picture of a young woman or man cut from a newspaper and pasted neatly on a half sheet of fresh writing-paper, drop a nut in the fifth bag and add other home-made gifts for other bags, and label each appropriately. Pin a piece of paper on the doll with these words written on it, "Dorothy's new doll" (if none of the girls happens to have that name use another in its place). Under the young woman's picture write, "Marie when she is grown," and under the young man's write, "This is Malcolm when he is a man." Change the names if they do not represent any of the party. After a gift has been dropped in, take the bags one at a time and blow them full of air, do not allow the air to escape while you wind a string around the openings and tie them securely. The bags, being puffed out with air, will appear much the same, rendering it impossible to tell, by merely looking at them, which contain the largest gifts. All the bags should be tied on a strong string, forming a fringe of bags stretched across the room. The young people should draw lots for first choice of the fortune bags, then each player in turn must point to the bag selected, no one being allowed to touch a bag until the leader has clipped it from the string. Only one bag can be given out and opened at a time, in order that all may see and enjoy the contents of each separate fortune. All young people enjoy the fun of trying their fortunes. Even when convalescent and not yet quite strong enough to join in the general frolic, they may, in a quiet way test many old-time and some new prophecies. The three saucers is one as in the illustration. The apple seeds charm commencing with "One I love" is another and for new ideas there is The Feather test, Witch Writing, etc.

CHAPTER XXIII

IN India there live wonderful men who can perform the most startling feats, such as making small plants grow up tall and large in a few moments, and who, by repeating certain magic words, cause water to mysteriously spring from the dry earth and fill a hollow, producing a tiny lake on which little boats can sail. Of course, we do not understand how such things can be done, never having seen them; but there are certain amazing and astonishing feats that we do comprehend and which we can perform. Our jumping frog is so lively and funny that even the most grave and serious person would smile to see the little animal actually move and suddenly leap up in the air.

With a soft lead-pencil trace the frog (Fig. 449) on tracing-paper; then transfer it to a very soft, pliable piece of white cotton mull or any white cloth that will stretch readily when pulled, for stretch it must, or the frog will not jump. Turn the square of cloth so that it will resemble the ace of diamonds in a pack of playing-cards, having one point up, one down, one at the right and one at the left hand. Fasten the cloth over a piece of white paper on a smooth board or table with thumb-tacks or strong pins. Very carefully place the tracing-paper, on which you have drawn the frog (Fig. 449), over the cloth, allowing the head to come under the top point of the square and the feet to extend toward the lower point. Mr. Frog may then be drawn exactly on the bias weave of the cloth. When you have finished the tracing, go over the lines again with a soft lead-pencil to make the markings clear and distinct.

Look at the frog to be sure he is correctly drawn; then remove the pins and, allowing the cloth to remain on the table over the piece of smooth white paper, spread both of your hands out on the cloth, one at each side of the frog, and, keeping your eyes on the drawing, move your hands gradually outward, at the same time moving the mull with them. The stretching of the bias material will cause the frog to flatten out until he crouches for a spring (Fig. 450). Cautiously raise your hands up and off the cloth and place them down again in a different way; put one above and the other below his Frogship, and, still keeping your eyes on the figure, suddenly move your hands, stretching the square up and down, when the frog will give a quick leap and spring straight upward in the most unexpected manner (Fig. 451).

Cut the squares of material large enough to be easily handled; if made too small your hands will slip off the edges.

Have you ever seen little young birds in their nest? How they huddle together with their large yellow mouths open wide watching for their mother to return with their dinner! Trace the drawing (Fig. 452) on bias cloth and you can make these little birds move and really stretch up their heads for their dinner as you slowly pull the cloth upward and downward (Fig. 453). Watch them. Then stretch the cloth out sidewise and see the birdlings quietly settle down in their nests with a "Thank you" and "Good-by." (Fig. 454).

Trace the girl and boy (Fig. 455) on bias cloth as you did the frog. Fig. 455 shows how the children appear when they meet. Pull the cloth sidewise and their faces change expression (Fig. 456); they do not seem to enjoy their chat. Now pull the cloth in the opposite direction, and in an instant their faces show surprise and dismay (Fig. 457).

I wonder if you ever attended a concert where the tenor had difficulty in reaching his high notes, where he fairly seemed to rise up on his toes in his efforts to attain the notes as his voice ran up the scale, and everyone in the audience sympathized to such an extent that they, too, felt like rising and stretching up their heads in search of the difficult note. Such a tenor is shown at Fig. 459. Trace him on bias cloth and pull the cloth out sidewise (Fig. 458); then, beginning with the lower note, do, slowly sing the scale as you leisurely pull the cloth upward and downward at the same time. When you come to sol the face should be like Fig. 459, and as you continue singing and stretching the cloth, the tenor should resemble Fig. 460 when you reach your highest do. Though not a very high note it is the best he can do, and he looks very comical while his face is changing, his eyes and mouth opening wider and wider and his hair rising up straight on the top of his head.

The objects which are here illustrated may be replaced by others with equally amusing results; any animals, such as goats, rabbits, camels, hounds, may be drawn on the cloth and then manipulated so as to afford the greatest amusement.

You can have any amount of fun with the moving figures on your magic cloth if you will remember the important points, which we will repeat to be sure you understand. Have the squares of cloth for all the drawings sufficiently large to be easily manipulated. Draw the design clearly and distinctly. Draw it on the exact bias of the cloth; move the two sides of the cloth at precisely the same time. Move the cloth always with both hands spread out flat on top of the cloth. Place the cloth over a large piece of white paper that the picture may be plainly seen. Care should be taken to obtain soft cloth that will stretch readily. These diversions will afford fine sport for a quiet evening and will be enjoyed by the entire family. If painted the designs will be still more comical.

CHAPTER XXIV

NOW we must play in-doors, and if you will spread out your little hands and slide them together, back to back, with the palms outward, so that the longest finger of the left hand rests on the back of the right hand and the longest finger of the right hand lies on the back of the left hand, you will have a

which will move when and how you wish. The two longest fingers form the teeter-tarter; half of the teeter is on one side and half on the opposite side of the fence. The fence is made by the other parts of the hands, which, crossing each other, fit snugly and tightly, leaving the teeter free to swing back and forth at will. Fig. 461 shows how your hands should be placed together: the long finger marked A is half of the teeter; the other half is on the opposite side. Move the long fingers and watch the teeter go up and down, first one end then the other, just like a real teeter made of a board across a fence. If you bend back both of your wrists, the right wrist will drop while the left wrist will be raised above it. This will bring one edge of the fence or hands toward you, and looking down, you can see both ends of the little teeter.

You might cut out of writing-paper two small dolls and bend them so that they will sit on the teeter. The least bit of paste on the ball of the teeter finger of your left hand and some more on the nail of the teeter finger of your right hand will fix the paper children securely on the teeter, and you can make it go as fast as you please without danger of the dolls' falling off. Fig. 462 gives the pattern for the dolls; Fig. 463 shows how to bend them, and Fig. 464 gives a little paper girl seated on one end of the teeter.

Take the dollies off the teeter and let them rest for a while and watch you build a church. Place your two hands back to back, with the ends of the fingers of the right loosely crossing those of the left hand; then, bring the palms of the hands together, fingers inside and thumbs outside and lo!

(Fig. 465). But it is without a steeple. Build one by raising the two first fingers, without disturbing the remainder of the hands; bring the raised finger-tips together and, "Here is the steeple" (Fig. 466). A church, like any other building, to be of use, must have people in it, and if we could only look inside this building we might find them; move your thumbs apart, or "Open the doors and see all the people" (Fig. 467). There they are sitting in rows; don't you see them? Now let the people go up-stairs. Cross your two smallest fingers on the inside, which will bring the backs of the hands toward each other; keeping the little fingers together, cross the third fingers, next the second, then the first fingers. The fingers on the left hand form the stairs for the people or fingers of the right hand to climb. Try it again, allowing the people to ascend slowly one by one: "Here are the people climbing up-stairs" (Fig. 468). Keep your hands loosely in the last position and raise your right elbow; while holding that up, twist your left hand around forward until the left thumb rests on the inside of the right hand. Both hands will now be turned downward with the wrists uppermost.

Leaving the hands in this position, turn your two elbows outward and down, which will bring your hands up; slide your right thumb outside and around your left thumb, the left thumb will then be the minister and, though you cannot see them, the fingers clasped inside the hands are the people, but you can see the thumb, preacher, standing up ready to talk to the people, and you may say, "Here is the preacher who for them cares" (Fig. 469).

of your hand, lift up the second finger of the left hand with your right hand, and cross the lifted finger well over the back of the first finger of the left hand. Again, use your right hand to lift the third finger of the left hand and twist it over the second left-hand finger. The last finger is the little one of the left hand; lap this over the left third finger and you will have all the left-hand fingers crossed, one on top of the other. Bring the top of the left thumb up to meet the tip of the second left-hand finger, which will finish the bird's head. The head does not greatly resemble that of a real bird, but we will pretend it does, for the fun of seeing who can build the head first.

place the inside of the little finger of the right hand on the inside of the little finger of the left hand, and the inside of the third finger of the right hand over the inside of the third finger of the left hand; then bring the second and third fingers of the right hand up and over the inside of the palm of the left hand, as in Fig. 470. Rest the tip of the second finger of the right hand on the tip of the thumb of the left hand. The second finger is the stick of wood. Strike the wood with the first finger of the left hand (C, Fig. 471); raising that, bring down the second finger of the left hand (B, Fig. 471). Keep them moving, first one, then the other, and you will have "the man chopping wood" (Fig. 471). It is a pity to waste the chips which always fall when wood is being cut, so let two children, the thumb and first finger of the right hand, pick them up. Do this by tapping the palm of the left hand with the thumb and first finger of the right hand, while the man cuts the wood.

The four fingers working at the same time make it quite lively, but you will find that if the man chops fast, the children will pick the chips very quickly, and if the man works slowly the children will not hurry about gathering the chips. It will be very difficult for you to have the man chop slowly when the children are eager and quick at their task. The feat will be almost as hard as patting your chest with the left hand while you rub the right hand back and forth over the top of your little head. You will laugh to see the left hand rub, when you told it to pat; the poor little left hand tries to mind, but just as soon as its twin brother, the right hand, begins rubbing, the left hand has to stop patting and rub too.

(Fig. 472). Of course, the fingers are the knives and forks. Turn your hands over while the fingers remain in place, bring the wrists down and say, "Here is my father's table" (Fig. 473). Raise the two first fingers, bringing their tips together, and say, "Here is my sister's looking-glass" (Fig. 474). Then raise your two little fingers and, rocking the hands from side to side, say, "And here is the baby's cradle" (Fig. 475).

Dampen two bits of paper and press one down tight on the nail of the first finger of your right hand and the other on the nail of the first finger of your left hand. The two pieces of paper are the two blackbirds. Now hold your first fingers, on which the birds are resting, out stiff and double up the remaining fingers; then let your father see how well you have taught these little pet birds to mind, for they will do exactly as you say, going and coming at your command. Place the tips of your two first fingers on a chair, which you must pretend is a hill, and raising first one finger to make the bird fly, then the other, keep the pets flying up and down while you repeat these lines:

Fig. 441.—Black hair for witch.	Fig. 442.—Crown of witch hat.
Fig. 443.—Brim of witch hat.	Fig. 444.—Witch hat.
Fig. 445.—Witch broom handle.	Fig. 446.—Witch broom.

Fig. 437.—Tissue-paper for witch arms.	Fig. 436.—Head formed for witch.
Fig. 438.—Paper folded for arms.