Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

the same time the name of one of the other players. That one must catch the platter before it falls to the ground, and then twirl it again, calling out the name of some one, as before. Any player failing to catch the platter before it falls must pay a forfeit. Sometimes the players are numbered, and the one who twirls the plate calls out a number instead of a name.

TWIRLER. An arrangement for spinning objects rapidly, used in some of the scientific experiments described in this book. It consists usually of two wheels fixed on a stand, and so connected by a band that by turning a handle fixed to one, the other revolves very rapidly. The object to be twirled is fixed to this second wheel. Twirlers can be bought of dealers in scientific or school supplies, or its place can be supplied by the wheel of a toy cart. Turn the cart bottom upward, pin or tack the object to be twirled to one side of the wheel, and twirl it from the other side with the forefinger. If the object is to be twirled horizontally as, for instance, a pail of water-the cart may be placed on its side on a table with the wheel to be used projecting over the edge. The cart is kept in place by putting a weight on it. The string supporting the object is now tacked as near the middle of the hub as possible, and the wheel twirled as before.

An excellent twirler can also be made as follows: Support a board

from six to twelve inches wide and a few feet long, by placing one end under the top of a door-way, opening the door slightly, so that the middle of the board rests on it. Over the free end of the board

A

Twirler.

hang a circle of twine so long that the lower end reaches within two feet of the floor. This end should be provided with a hook. If the twine now be twisted and the object to be twirled hung on the hook, the untwisting of the cord will make the object spin. It will move still more swiftly if it is assisted to untwist by pressing downward with a stick just above the twisted part. A flat piece of cork may be strung on the twine a little above the end, and kept in place by knots. On this colored disks of paper may be placed, producing the same effects when spun as the color TOP.

U

UGLY MUG. A singing game, | must imitate every gesture that he played by any number of persons. A leader is chosen, who stands facing the rest of the company. They

makes, and those who can do so sing with him. He sings, to the tune given below:

I put my right hand in, I put my right hand out, I

give my right hand shake, shake, shake, and turn my self

As he sings he suits the action to the words, first stretching out his right hand, then facing in the opposite direction and extending it again, then shaking it, and finally turning back to his first position. In like manner he then sings:

"I put my left hand in," etc.
"I put my both hands in," etc.
"I put my right foot in," etc.
"I put my left foot in," etc.
"I put my both feet in," etc.
"I put my ugly mug in," etc.

What shall we send it in?

a - bout.

In a piece of paper.
Paper is not fine enough;
In a golden saucer.
Whom shall we send it by?
By the king's daughter.
Take her by the lily-white hand,
And lead her o'er the water.
The dancers then sit down, and
the last down (supposing it to be a
girl) selects a friend and whispers
in her ear the initials of some boy.
She then takes her place in the

friend announces the initials, and
the players again circle and sing:

To" put both feet in" the play-ring, but facing outward, while the ers jump forward, and to shake them they dance up and down. At the last line the players stretch their heads forward. Sometimes those who laugh are required to pay forfeits.

In England this game is called "Hinkumbooby" or "Looby Looby," and the verse begins:

"Looby, Looby, Looby,

All on a Saturday night." UNCLE JOHN. A singing game played by any number of boys and girls. The players dance hand in hand in a circle singing:

Uncle John is very sick;
What shall we send him?
A piece of pie, a piece of cake,
A piece of apple dumpling."

"X. Y., so they say,

Goes a-courting night and day,
Sword and pistol by his side,
And
to be his bride.

He takes her by the lily-white hand
And leads her o'er the water;
Here's a kiss, and there's a kiss
For Mr. 's daughter."

The one whose initials were given then kisses the girl who gave them; she faces inward, and the game goes on as before. If the player last down was a boy, his full name is given in the first line of the last-quoted stanza, and the initials he gives are inserted in the fourth line.

V

part so that the hollow stalk will be closed at that end. A slit about an inch long is then made lengthwise, close to the closed end. When that end is placed in the mouth so that the slit is entirely within, a harsh note may be produced by blowing. If little holes are cut in the stem different notes

VALENTINE PARTY. An enter- | stalk of a squash or pumpkin vine tainment at which each guest the leaf is cut through the fleshy gives a valentine to every other. The party must be given on or near St. Valentine's day, February 14th. The hostess informs each guest beforehand what he or she is expected to do, and at least a day beforehand each guest must send in his valentine. On the evening of the party some one appointed by the hostess reads them all aloud, giving each to the person to whom it is addressed, after it is read. Assumed names are usually signed to the valentines, which may be sentimental or ridiculous, as the writer pleases. Sometimes each guest is allowed to write as many or as few valentines as he wishes; and if the hostess finds, on looking them over, that any guest has received none, she either writes him one herself or asks some one else to do so. VEGETABLE MUSICAL INSTRURude musical instru

MENTS.
ments of several kinds can be made
from trees or vegetables. Some of
these are described below.

Willow Whistles. A green willow stick from two to five inches long is cut, as in Fig. 1. The bark is loosened by pounding it carefully with a smooth stone or the handle of a pocket-knife till it will slip off. A thin slice of wood is then cut from the notch A to the end of the stick at B, and then the bark is slipped on again. (See Fig. 2.) If the whistle has been properly made, blowing at the end B will make a shrill noise.

Willow whistles were once supposed to have the power of causing rain. Swiss children, when they make these whistles, sing " Franz, Franz, lend me your pipe," which is supposed once to have been an appeal to a water spirit.

Squash Trumpets. From the leaf

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Vegetable Musical Instruments.

may be produced by stopping these with the fingers; and by cutting them at the right distance apart-which may be done after a few experiments—a tune can be played. (See Fig. 3.)

Corn.stalk Fiddle. A piece of corn-stalk is cut so that a joint will be at each end. Part of the edges of the concave side are then slit so as to detach two cords, the joints holding them at the ends. Then two bits of stick are cut, of the thickness of a slate pencil and about an inch long, and one is pushed under the cords at each end, to raise and tighten them. This makes the fiddle. (Fig. 4.) The bow is made in like manner

[merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]

side of the other box by two bits | beam so as to make the rays of wood, F, G, screwed across it but not into it, so that the rod may be slipped forward and backward. Over the mirror of the upright rod is pasted a piece of paper one inch square with a hole in its centre a quarter of an inch in diameter. A beam of light from a heliostat or a lamp is allowed to enter the room. In case a lamp is used, it must be covered all but the opening through which the light passes, and a LENS must be set in the

parallel. The box supporting the upright rod is so placed that the beam falls squarely on the mirror at the end of the rod. The other box is placed on a table, and the horizontal rod is slid out till just thirty inches of it are beyond the box. The box is now disposed so that the beam is reflected from the upright rod to the mirror on the horizontal rod, and thence to the wall, or a screen at S, where it appears as a bright spot. If the up

right rod be made to shake to and fro by giving it a pull and letting it go, the spot becomes a verti

cal line, which grows shorter and shorter till the rod stops. In like manner, if the horizontal rod is

Vibrating Rods-Fig. 2.

Vibrating Rods—Fig. 3.

Vibrating Rods-Fig. 4.

made to shake, there will be a figure like those obtained with the bright horizontal line on the DOUBLE PENDULUM, but much screen. If both rods together be more clear and beautiful. The made to shake, the result will be a kind of figure depends on the

« ForrigeFortsett »