Procure a box six feet long, one foot wide, and one deep. Cover the
bottom with small pegs of wood one inch high, and inserted two inches
apart. Place a quart of dried peas at one end of the box; then raise
that end quite slowly, allowing the peas to roll gradually down to the
lower part of the box. The sound they produce in striking against the
pegs imitates to perfection the falling of rain. The sound can be
continued for any length of time by raising alternately each end of
the box.