We shall now amuse the fireside with a little song, or rather we will
try to tell our friends how to gladden their own chimney-corners with
the songs of birds through the long winter evenings. It will be pleasant
when the wind is howling without among the snow-laden limbs of the
trees, to be reminded of the gay summer by the counterfeit notes of the
woodland songsters. Still, we must warn our readers, that to acquire the
art thoroughly needs patience and perseverance; we can but tell them how
to make and use the instrument, and the rest they must learn for
themselves. First look at the annexed diagram, and then procure a leek
and cut off from the green leaf thereof a piece about the size of the
diagram; then lay it on a smooth table, and with the thumb-nail
delicately scrape away a semicircular patch of the green pulpy
substance of the leaf (as represented in the diagram), being careful to
leave the fine membrane or outer skin of the leaf uninjured--and there
is the instrument complete. It may require several experiments to make
the first one, but once having discovered the right way, they are very
easily manufactured. The reader may not be aware of the fact that the
leaf of the leek has a fine transparent outer skin which is quite tough,
but by breaking and carefully examining one or two leaves, he will soon
find out to what we allude.
[Illustration]
The way of using this instrument is to place it in the roof of the mouth
with the side on which is the membrane downwards; then press it gently
in its place with the tongue, and blow between the tongue and the upper
teeth. After the first two or three attempts, you will be able to
produce a slight sound like a mild grunt; then as you practise it you
will find that you can prolong and vary the sound somewhat, so that in
the course of a couple of days you can imitate the barking of a dog and
the neighing of a horse. With two or three weeks' practice, you will be
able to imitate some of the song-birds; but to produce exact
counterfeits of the best singing-birds will probably require months of
study; the result, however, will reward you for all your pains; for
certainly to be able to carry a mocking-bird, canary, thrush, cat-bird,
and sucking-pig in your vest-pocket is no small accomplishment.
When not using the instrument, it should be kept in a glass of water to
prevent its drying.