The scientific gentleman at our last meeting bewildered us all with four
grains of rice. It will be remembered that he challenged us to arrange
those four seeds in such a manner that each should be an equal distance
from each, and yet not touch each other. Did we belong to the betting
class, we would be willing to wager a moderately-sized cobble-stone that
not one of our readers has yet solved the problem. It is explained thus:
You lay three of the seeds on the table in the form of an equilateral
triangle; then taking the fourth seed between the finger and thumb, you
hold it above the other three, in the position represented in diagram on
page 106. In this way, and this alone, can the objects be so arranged as
to be each equidistant from each. It is a very simple matter when once
explained, but we never yet knew any one to find it out.
[Illustration]
Our friend Nix is in very fervid condition concerning a new picturesque
trick he has learned. It is an old affair, but very funny, and consists
in making an old woman's face with your fist, and is done as follows:
You double your fist, as represented in the above diagram, and draw on
it a face as also represented.
[Illustration]
Then you make a species of hood something like a mitten, with a hole in
the side, around which hole you sew a frill, to make it look like a cap,
which we also illustrate with a diagram. The mitten is placed on the
hand, and a shawl pinned carefully round it, as shown in our diagram on
page 108, and you have the old woman complete.
[Illustration]
Now, in order to make the old woman appear to speak, you must move the
knuckle of the thumb up and down, at the same time simulate a cracked,
squeaky old voice. By moving your thumb in time to your voice, the
illusion becomes perfect. You can, of course, make the old woman say
whatever you please; but the more emphatic the style of her
conversation the better, as you can make the jaw more energetic, and the
pauses more marked. The conversation might commence something in this
style (you in your natural tone of voice): "Well, aunty, how are _you_
to-day?"
[Illustration]
Aunty Grummidge: "How am I? Ah! Hum! I'm well enough if it warn't for
them plaguey boys! Drat the boys! Heavin' stones at my geese! I'll geese
them, if I ketch 'em! Drat 'em! and tramplin' all over my string-beans!
Drat 'em! I'll string-bean 'em, if I ketch hold of 'em! And then the
pesky young warmints callin' me old Dot-and-go-one! I'll old
Dot-and-go-one them, if I ketch hold of 'em."
It will require a little practice to keep time between the thumb and the
voice; but by making the phrases short and emphatic, it will be soon
learned. When the old woman has done talking, you can stick a pipe in
her mouth, and make her look quite comfortable.