The only thing in the game necessary to purchase is a celluloid
[Illustration: 175] ball, the price of which is three cents. Other
implements needed are two rackets, a net, and the frame or stakes
supporting the net. The racket can be manufactured from a piece of
wooden box, or possibly a shingle [Illustration: Fig. 606.] which is
sound and free from knots. Wood about a quarter of an inch thick, or
more, is best for the purpose. Cut a paper pattern first as a guide for
the shape of the racket. Take a piece of paper twelve and a quarter
inches long and six wide; fold lengthwise through the centre and cut
according to dotted lines in Fig. 604. Open the paper pattern and place
it over the wood; with a lead-pencil draw a line completely around it,
then carefully saw or cut out the racket, and smooth down the rough
edges with sand-paper; make [Illustration: Fig 607.] [Illustration: Fig
608.] the second racket in the same manner. The head of the racket
should be seven inches long and six wide, the handle five and a quarter
inches long and a trifle over one inch wide (Fig. 605). Saw the stakes
from the handle of an ordinary hearth-broom, or from any strong, slender
round stick. Make each stake eight inches long and notch it at the top
(Fig. 606). As a support for the stakes use a strip of board three
inches wide, not more than one inch thick, and about four feet long. If
you have no auger to make two holes in the board for the stakes, burn
them through the centre of the ends with the red-hot point of a round
poker (Fig. 607). Be careful not to make the holes too large, have them
rather small, that the stakes when fitted in may be tight and firm. A
strip of almost any kind of cloth six inches wide, hemmed top and bottom
and cut long enough to stretch taut entirely across and above the board,
when tied from stake to stake, may serve as a net. Mosquito netting or
turkey-red cotton cloth make satisfactory strips; use whatever material
is most convenient. Fig. 608 shows the net with two narrow tapes sewed
at the four corners for tying it to top and bottom of the stakes.
Stretch the net across the centre of a table, preferably a dining-room
table, bring forth your rackets and ball, and practise playing Ping Pong
with some friend, each standing at one end of the table (Fig. 609).
[Illustration: Fig. 609.]
[Illustration: Fig. 610.]
A retriever is sometimes used for picking up the ball when it falls to
the floor, and, though not necessary, will be found very useful,
especially for beginners. Get a strong, slender stick about a yard long
and fasten a small hoop of metal or wood on one end by binding the
turned-up ends [Illustration: Fig. 611.] of the hoop securely to the
stick (Fig. 610). Test the fastening and be sure that it is firm and
strong, and that the hoop does not wobble. Then sew a little cloth bag
on the hoop (Fig. 611) and the next time the ball falls to the floor
scoop it up with the retriever.
=The Rules=
are similar to lawn tennis, but there is no second service, as in lawn
tennis.
The game of Ping Pong is generally for two, though four players may take
part. The double game will afford great amusement if but two rackets are
used, as the player must lay her racket down each time for her partner
to use.
The player who first strikes the ball across the net is called the
server and the other player is called the opponent. The idea of the game
is to serve the ball so as to strike the table on the opposite side of
the net. The ball is then in play. If it drops into the net, or does not
strike the table, it counts in favor of the opponent.
The opponent to whom the ball is served must endeavor to return the ball
over the net so that it will strike upon the table. The ball is thus
sent back and forth until one player or the other fails to get it over
the net so that it will bounce upon the opposite side of the table.
The ball is in play so long as it strikes the table-top and can be taken
on the first bounce. Striking before the ball bounces is not allowed.
When the game is finished the server becomes opponent and the opponent
server, and so on, alternately.
If the ball in play strikes any object above or round the table before
it bounces on the table-top itself (net or post excepted) it counts
against the player.
The server wins a stroke if the opponent fails to return the ball or
returns the ball in play off the table.
The opponent wins a stroke if the server serve a fault, or fails to
return the ball in play, or returns the ball in play so that it falls
off the table.
No volleying is allowed; but as long as the ball touches the table-top
it is in play and can be taken at half-volley. The opponent loses a
point if he takes the ball on the volley.
The player who first wins six games wins a set.
The service must be strictly underhand and delivered from behind the end
of the table.
=Scoring=
Your opponent scores—If you do not return the ball; if you strike the
ball before it touches the table; if the ball bounces twice.
You score—If your opponent strike the ball out of play or bounces the
ball his side of the net.
On either player winning his first stroke, the score is called 15 for
that player; on either player winning his second stroke, the score is
called 30 for that player; on either player winning his third stroke,
the score is called 40 for that player, and the fourth stroke won by
either player is scored game for that player, except when both players
have won three strokes (40 all); the score is then called deuce, and the
next stroke won by either player is scored advantage to that player. If
the same player wins the next stroke, he wins the game; if he loses the
next stroke, the score is again called deuce, and so on, until either
player wins the two strokes immediately following the score of deuce,
when the game is scored for that player. In naming the score the server
is always mentioned first, for convenience, as 30-15, signifying 30 for
server and 15 for opponent.
=Terms Used in Ping Pong=
_Let_ means that the ball, while being served, touches the net in
passing over, and the server has the privilege of serving again. If the
opponent makes a let stroke it counts, the same as if the ball had
cleared the net.
_Volleying_ means striking the ball before it bounces.
_Half-volleying_ means striking the ball just as it bounces.
_Underhand stroke_ means striking the ball with the head of the racket
pointed downward.
_Overhand stroke_ means striking the ball with the head of the racket
pointed upward.
_All_ means same score for both players—as 30 all, meaning 30 for server
and 30 for opponent.
_Deuce_ means a tie.
=The Game=
Begin by taking plenty of time and serving slowly. Remember to strike
the ball lightly; too much force will send it flying to the other end of
the room, which is to be avoided. Keep cool and think what you are
doing.
Your mind must be centred entirely upon the game. Grasp your racket
close to the head, and when serving keep your racket down; the ball must
not be held above the waistline and must be served beyond the end of the
table.
The writer once knew,
=A Little Girl who was Very Fond of Playing=
out of doors, and when confined to the house by inclement weather, a bad
cold, or some other disagreeable thing, was very apt to grow restless
and fretful, complaining always that she did not know what to do. She
had any quantity of beautiful toys, but, as she said, she was tired of
them all.
Then it was that the family would induce her to try to make something
for herself, and when once she became interested in her work, and found
that by her own ingenuity she could manufacture, from odds and ends,
many interesting little toys, her restlessness vanished, and she was
once more cheerful, happy, and contented.
At one time she had a book presented to her which gave the patterns and
directions for making a few little articles—a very few it seemed to her,
for she speedily did all the work laid out there, and was again thrown
on her own resources for new ideas.
A Make-believe Sewing-machine
When she was quite a small child, too young to be allowed to sew on a
real sewing-machine, she constructed a machine which, with the aid of
her imagination, did very good work. Of course she could not really sew
on it, but neither could she have done so had it been a “sure-enough”
sewing-machine, and there was sufficient reality about it to make her
play very absorbing.
The small wheels on top went round with a whiz and a whirr that filled
her soul with delight. There were two wheels, because they were the
remnants of a mechanical toy, a horse and sulky, which was once driven
by a handsome tin jockey. The horse and jockey were gone, but the wheels
and machinery remained. The key to the clock-like works was likewise
missing, but it was very easy to wind up the spring by turning one of
the wheels round and round a number of times. Once wound up, the wheels
were bound to go until the machinery ran down again, and it was while
going at full speed that the pretended sewing was done.
No, these two wheels were not all of the sewing-machine by any means.
There was the arm made of pasteboard, with needle attached, which,
shaken by the vibration of the turning wheels, moved up and down quite
naturally. All this was on top of a small table, underneath was the
treadle made of the back of an old geography laid across a piece of
kindling wood. The treadle would sometimes slip out of place with the
rapid movement of the little girl’s feet, but that was of no
consequence, since it was only the work of a moment to replace it. The
fact that there was no large wheel mattered nothing either, for the
little seamstress felt her feet moving up and down, saw the wheels
whirling on top, and was satisfied without a wheel that could not be
seen anyway.
The sewing-machine was such an ambitious idea that it required some
imagination to carry it out successfully, but there were other things
this little girl made which were quite complete in themselves, such as
toy houses, furniture, and dolls.
Knowing how thankfully this same little maid received any suggestions
which would assist her in the manufacture of her home-made toys, I take
it for granted there are other children who will be just as grateful for
new ideas and who are just as happy in carrying them out. If you happen
to be such a little girl, you will be glad to learn about this impromptu
game of croquet which you can make for yourself in half an hour and
enjoy the use of for many a long day.
=To Make a Parlor Croquet Set=
Diagram No. 612 shows the arches, of which there must be nine, all made
of wire bent in the shape you see, with each of the ends thrust into a
button-mould. To prevent the wire from slipping out, fill the holes with
beeswax, and then push the wire in; this will make the arches quite
strong and steady.
[Illustration: Fig. 612.]
The mallets, as shown, are made of empty spools, with long wire nails
driven in for handles. The stakes are made of wire nails stuck in
button-moulds, like the one seen at the bottom of diagram No. 612. You
will need two stakes and four mallets. Marbles, all of the same kind,
but with different markings, take the places of croquet balls.
Not an expensive set of croquet, surely. The spools, wire,
button-moulds, and nails you will probably find in the house, and the
marbles also, if you happen to have a small brother; if not, you can buy
them seven for one cent.
=How to Arrange the Game=
The parlor croquet should be played on a good-sized table covered with a
woollen cloth. Place the stakes and arches in the position shown in
diagram No. 613. Let the stakes stand forty inches apart. Place arch No.
1 four inches from the starting stake, arch No. 2 four inches from No.
1, arch No. 3 eight inches to the right and one inch in advance of No.
2, arch No. 4 twelve inches in advance of and on a line with No. 2.
Begin at the other stake and place the arches at the same relative
distances.
[Illustration: Fig. 613.]
=Rules for Playing=
First—The object of the game is for each player to send her ball through
each arch in turn, beginning at No. 1 and using her mallet for striking
her ball. When a ball has passed through arches Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7, according to their numbers, it must strike the stake just beyond
No. 7, then returning through arches 7 and 6, it must move on through
No. 8, through No. 4 again in the direction opposite to the one taken in
its first passage; then through arches Nos. 9, 2 and 1, striking the
stake to “go out,” and the first player to do this wins the game.
Second—To decide who shall open the game, or be the first to play, each
player in turn shall place her ball (marble) directly under the first
arch and play for the stake. The one whose ball, after playing, stands
nearest the stake has the privilege of the first turn, the next nearest
the second turn, and so on.
Third—The first play with each ball shall be made after placing it half
way between the starting stake and arch No. 1, and the player may aim
for the arch or any ball which has entered the game, or may send her
ball in any direction she may choose.
Fourth—A ball failing to make its first arch must remain where it rests
until next turn; passing through its arch gives the player another play.
Fifth—When a ball strikes another the player may croquet or roquet the
ball in any direction she wishes, and then have another play. No ball
may croquet or roquet another more than once in one turn unless it
passes through an arch or strikes the stake between the croquets.
To croquet a ball the player places her ball touching the one it has
just struck; then, resting her finger on her own ball to hold it steady,
she strikes her ball with her mallet, sending the other in any desired
direction. To roquet a ball the player places her ball touching the one
just struck and strikes her ball, moving them both at the same time.
Sixth—A ball rolling off the table must be replaced at the point where
it went off two inches from the edge.
Seventh—When a ball has passed through all of the arches it becomes a
“rover,” and need not strike the starting stake and go out until the
player wishes. A rover has the privilege of croqueting or roqueting any
or all of the other balls in each turn, but may play on each ball only
once during one turn.
Eighth—The game may be played with partners, or each may play for
herself. When there are partners each side takes a turn alternately.
[Illustration: A Dash for the Goal.]
CHAPTER XXX
BASKET BALL
With the opening of the basket-ball season the girls are all wide-awake,
interested, and eager to enter the teams; there is an exciting dash and
life about the game which renders it very fascinating.
If you can organize a set of ten players and divide the
=Cost of an Outfit=
among the girls, each contributing an equal portion, the individual
expense need not be exorbitant.
The price of a good basket ball is four dollars, and a pair of goal
baskets the same amount, making in all eight dollars, just eighty cents
each, a small amount when compared with the fun, health, and general
benefit to be derived from the sport. The expense will be even less if
shared by the officials.
It is optional whether you play indoors or out of doors; the game is
suited to either place. The size of a
=Playing Ground=
varies in different localities, being regulated according to available
space, but it must not exceed 3,500 square feet.
[Illustration: Fig. 614.]
Mark out your field, making the width less than the length, according to
Fig. 614. If indoors, use black paint for marking the inch and a half
wide boundary lines; if out in the open air have the lines white, of the
same width as the black, and made with either whitewash, chalk, paint,
or plaster-of-paris.
You must have the side boundaries of the field at least three feet from
the wall or fence, and the end boundaries directly below the pole or
wall surface against which the basket goals are placed. The inclosed
field is divided into three portions (Fig. 614). Two more inclosures are
necessary, called foul limits; make them inside the two end divisions,
Figs. 614. The boundary line of the curved end must be equally six feet
distant all around from station line indicated by a short straight line
in the centre of the inner end of foul limits in both divisions; the
station line must be fifteen feet from the goal or outer edge of basket;
the space across from the straight lines of the foul limits must measure
six feet.
Mark centre of field with a circle of a foot and half radius (Fig. 614),
or two lines one and a half feet apart. If marked by circle the girls
playing centres must stand within it; if two lines are used they must
toe the lines. Hang your
=Baskets=
ten feet above the ground on the centre of each extreme end boundary
line (Fig. 614, C and C). Be perfectly sure that the basket goals are
firmly fastened in place and rigidly supported either on a strong
upright pole, or on a wall [Illustration: Fig. 615.] surface. If on
poles it is better to have a screen six feet wide and four high as a
background, though this is not absolutely necessary. During practice and
ordinary games leave the netting open at the bottom of the basket, that
the ball may fall through the basket to the floor or ground beneath, it
being difficult for girls to get the ball out of the basket when it is
closed at the bottom. Using a pole to push the ball out is not always
attended with satisfactory results, and the effort consumes valuable
time and strength.
[Illustration: Fig. 626.]
The baskets are called the goals; usually they are hammock nets of cord,
sometimes metal chain links; they are always suspended from metal rings
eighteen inches in diameter (inside). The back part of the metal ring is
fastened to an iron bar which extends six inches from the pole or wall
to which it is attached (Fig. 615). The
=Ball=
is round and hollow, composed of two layers, an inside rubber bladder
and an outside cover of leather. The rubber is tightly inflated and the
cover so laced that it cannot be caught or held by the lacing. The ball
measures from thirty to thirty-two inches in circumference and weighs
from eighteen to twenty ounces (Fig. 616).
The usual
=Set of Players=
is ten, making five on each side, though the game is occasionally played
with more. The set sometimes numbers as many as twenty members, ten on
each side; but such teams are rare, and generally undesirable. Large
teams crowd the field to such a degree that very little skill is
required to reach the goal, and action to a great extent is rendered
almost impossible.
Each side chooses its own
=Captain=
who must be one of the five girls constituting the side. There are
always two captains in a game, and they should be selected with care, as
much depends upon their proper qualifications for holding the office. In
addition to other duties, the captains toss for the choice of goals, are
active players in the game, represent their respective sides, and are
entitled to call the attention of the officials to any violation of the
rules which they may think has occurred; it is their further duty to
furnish the scorer with lists of their sides, giving the positions of
the players. The captain appoints the forwards, guards, and centre.
The game calls for nine more girls; these do not take active part in the
play, but hold positions as officials. The officials with a set of ten
players necessitate nineteen girls for the usual game. The nine
=Officials=
are one referee, two umpires, a scorer, a time-keeper, and four
linesmen. Always choose your
=Referee=
at least four days before the game. She must be absolutely neutral and
perfectly impartial; to her belongs the honor of holding the most
important office in the game. It is the referee’s duty to see that the
regulations respecting the ball, goal, and grounds are adhered to.
By mutual agreement of the captains, the referee may allow alterations
in the rules regarding time and grounds, but not as regards goal, ball,
or team. Before the commencement of the game she must ascertain the time
for beginning, or any other arrangements that have been made by the
captains.
The referee must watch the ball constantly, following it wherever it
goes. She must know at all times the whereabouts of the ball, as her
office constitutes her judge of it, and she must decide when the ball is
in play, to whom it belongs, and when a goal has been made. Every time
the ball is put in play the referee tosses it up, she alone having the
right to do so. The referee calls time, when necessary, by blowing a
whistle, and she must always call a foul when any player addresses an
officer. No player is allowed to talk to the officials, though anyone
may speak to the captain and the captain can address the officers; in
that way only are the players able to communicate with the officers.
The referee decides all questions not definitely falling to the umpires
and linesmen, scorer and time-keeper, but is powerless to alter a
decision of the umpire or linesmen regarding matters under their
jurisdiction.
The referee instructs the team when to play, and either side refusing to
begin the game within three minutes after the whistle sounds forfeits
the game.
The referee’s term of office expires at the conclusion of the game, and
her decision awarding the game must be given then, as she no longer has
power to act as referee. The referee must disqualify members when they
are guilty of shouldering, tripping, striking, kicking, hacking, or of
intentional or unnecessary roughness of any kind. These constitute
fouls, and the referee overlooks the first offence, but not the second.
When a player is disqualified she must drop from the game and a
substitute take her place. A foul is a violation of the rules, whether
committed unintentionally, ignorantly, or otherwise; the only guide an
officer has is the cold fact that a foul has been made.
Each team chooses its own
=Umpire=
who must be a thoroughly competent and impartial girl. The umpires call
all fouls except cases coming under the authority of the referee; when
the fouls are made by players crossing the field lines, linesmen judge
them.
Each umpire makes her own decision independently of the other, but a
foul called by one umpire cannot be questioned by the other. The umpire
calls time by blowing a whistle when stating a foul and indicating the
offender; she reports to the scorer the player at fault and the nature
of the foul. The referee appoints the
=Scorer=
who must keep the score. She must be perfectly neutral. It is the
scorer’s duty to notify the referee when a player should be disqualified
for any kind of roughness. The referee appoints the
=Time-keeper=
who must be exact about the time, noting when the game starts, and
blowing her whistle at the expiration of the actual playing time in each
half previously agreed upon by captains and referee. The time-keeper
must take out time when called upon to do so by the referee. The captain
is privileged to ask the referee to call time for an injured player or
when a difference has occurred between the captain and an official. The
half game is generally fifteen minutes, making the entire game thirty
minutes, not counting the intermission. The playing time may be
shortened to ten minutes for each half or lengthened to twenty for each
half. The referee only may order time deducted for necessary stoppages,
should any occur during the game. The four
=Linesmen=
are appointed by the referee; two for each side. These four girls
usually stand at the four corners of the centre division, and it is
their duty to report if any of the players step on or cross over the
dividing lines. Such offences are counted fouls. When the ball happens
to be thrown outside the field boundary lines the players are allowed to
rush after it, but are not allowed to go beyond the dividing lines when
in the field.
All the girls should be in their
=Places on the Field=
ready to begin the game at the appointed signal. Fig. 617 will assist
you in gaining a clear understanding of the different positions occupied
by the various members of the team when in position to commence play.
The object of the game is to _throw the ball into the opponent’s
basket_, and this is best accomplished by the girls being coupled with
opponents and stationed at various places all over the field. In
[Illustration: Fig. 617.] Fig. 617 the girls on one side are represented
by circles, those on the other side by crosses. We will suppose that the
two captains have tossed for goals, and that to the circles has fallen
the goal G and to the crosses the goal H. In the centre of the field are
grouped three girls, one player from each side, and the referee, who is
here indicated by a triangle.
The referee stands with the ball in her hands, facing the other two
girls, having her back turned toward the side of the field (Fig. 617).
It is optional on which side of the centres the referee is stationed.
The two players stand facing each other with their sides turned toward
the referee, and each has her back toward her own goal (Fig. 618). These
two players, circle and cross, are known as
=Centres=
There are always two centres in a game, and it is their duty to jump
quickly for the ball as it leaves the hands of the referee, who opens
the game by tossing the ball vertically in the air immediately between
and not more than two feet [Illustration: Circle Centre. Triangle
Referee. Cross Centre.—Fig. 618.] from the centres. Fig. 618 shows the
referee ready to toss the ball. Each centre endeavors to catch the ball
and pass it to one of the forwards on her own side, with the hope that
it may, sooner or later, land in her opponent’s basket; at the same time
she tries to prevent the ball from being passed by the opponent’s guards
across the centre of the field toward her basket.
The centres must confine their play within the central space; they
cannot step across the dividing lines running from side to side of the
central division of the field. In each of the end divisions are
stationed two girls called forwards and two others known as guards;
their duties are implied by their titles. The forwards endeavor to
forward the ball to their opponents’ basket, and the guards guard their
own goals, striving to prevent the opponent forwards throwing the ball
into their basket. In Fig. 617 the circle
=Forwards=
are in the end near their opponents’ basket H, that they may have a
better opportunity of sending the ball into it, and the cross forwards
are on the other end of the field near the circle’s basket trying to
engineer the ball into that goal. You will notice that the guards on
each end protect their own basket. Standing by each cross forward is a
circle
=Guard=
who endeavors to prevent an opponent from succeeding in her efforts for
the goal, and on the cross end of the field the two cross guards are
trying to protect their basket from the circle forwards.
The stars in Fig. 617 stand for the four linesmen, who must be
continually on the _qui vive_ and report if a girl steps over the
dividing lines.
Each umpire watches both sides; generally one umpire walks about just
outside the field boundary line on one side of the field, and the other
walks just outside the boundary on the other side of the field. It is
optional which side they take, but they should not both be stationed on
the same side. Fig. 617 shows the circle umpire on the right hand, and
the cross umpire on the left hand of the field. The umpires are
designated by circle and cross, with rays extending all around them.
The time-keeper stands outside of the field, that she may not interfere
with the action of the players; other than that restriction, she may
move as she pleases. In Fig. 617 the time-keeper is denoted by a round
black spot.
The scorer must also keep out of the field proper and have her mind on
her portion of the work. In Fig. 617 the scorer is designated by a
square.
When all stand ready the
=Game=
begins. The referee tosses up the ball, and every one of the players on
the field eagerly watches the two centres as they strive to catch the
ball. The centre, gaining the advantage, endeavors to toss it to a girl
on her own side, while the other centre does all in her power to prevent
the ball from reaching its destination, often running in front of the
victorious centre, blocking the way and still further interfering by
throwing up her arms. If the first centre succeeds in tossing the ball
to one of the forwards on her side, that forward immediately strives to
get the ball in the opponent’s basket, but is constantly followed and
opposed by the opponent guard, who endeavors to frustrate the play.
Should the forward decide that the chances for gaining the goal are
better if she throws the ball to another girl on her side, she does so
with the hope that the other forward will succeed in caging the ball.
If, however, the last forward be baffled, she tosses the ball either to
her own centre, back to the first forward, or over across the field to
one of her own guards, anywhere the rule permits in order to keep the
ball from the hands of the opponents.
If one of the opponent forwards succeeds in capturing the ball she tries
either indirectly, with the aid of others on her side, or directly, by
her own exertions, to cage the ball in the basket of the opposite side.
The centre catching the ball from the referee is privileged to throw it
to any player on her own side, either forwards or guards, at one end or
the other of the field, her action depending upon circumstances.
Sometimes it is more advantageous to toss the ball in one direction,
again it is better to throw it in another. Therein lies the secret of
good playing, the ability to see opportunities in time to profit by them
and quickness and accuracy in measuring distances, so that the ball may
land where the player intends to send it, not falling short or getting
too far. The opponent centre constantly follows the centre having the
ball, and is ever at her side trying to obtain the ball or prevent it
from reaching its destination.
The forward catching the ball after it has been advanced to her by her
own centre or by guards from the other end of the field, or obtaining it
from an opponent, generally throws for the basket, and she must be able
to make the goal under many difficulties and from various positions.
Should the ball miss the basket the forward will have no time for
regrets, it being necessary for her to turn her immediate attention to
regaining possession of the ball or to preventing it from falling into
the hands of the opposing guard.
The forward must have a cool head, must be calm, and able to decide and
judge quickly; she must take the situation in at a glance and make the
most of any, even the slightest, opportunity of forwarding the interest
of her side.
The guard’s principal duty is to prevent opponents from getting the ball
into the basket belonging to the guard’s team, and when possible to
obtain the ball and throw it to the centre on her side, or across to her
own forwards.
The guard’s position requires that she be very skilful and constantly on
the watch to defend her goal.
The players are on the field in couples, but the two standing together
are always opponents; a player is never stationed by one of her own
side. The game is thus in part played in couples, that is, the two
placed together pay especial attention to each other and are, for the
time being, each the particular opponent of the other, trying to foil
all efforts of the other to gain any advantages in the game, at the same
time endeavoring to assist the players on her own side.
The inner divisions for fouls, Fig. 614, are ignored except when a foul
has been made; then the side opposed to the one committing the foul has
a free throw for the basket and the foul court is in use. The player
having the free throw stands on the line in the centre of the circle of
the foul division (Fig. 614), and must be allowed to take time to aim
well and throw for the basket. No other player is permitted to stand in
or pass through the limits of this court while the player with the ball
is trying for the goal. The object in marking the inclosure is to
prevent any other girl approaching nearer than six feet to the player
throwing for the basket. The foul court must be absolutely free from all
obstruction during a free throw, nor shall the player having a free
throw step from the station line until the ball has entered or missed
the goal.
When a player is given the privilege of a free throw, the ball cannot be
tossed to any other player; it must be thrown for the basket. Should
this rule be violated, the goal will not count if made, and the referee
takes the ball and tosses it up in the centre as at the beginning of the
game. If by chance the free player is interfered with in any way, and
she fails to make the goal, she can try again, and then, in case the
ball does not land in the basket, the ball is in play and the game
continues.
The ball may be thrown or batted with the flat part of the hand in any
direction, either with one or both hands.
While in the field a girl cannot carry the ball nor hold it longer than
three seconds; she must play it from the spot where she catches it,
unless she happens to be running. If while running she catches the ball,
she must stop as soon as possible; should she fail to do so, in the
opinion of the umpire, the umpire may call a foul. When the player
captures the ball she either throws it at once or stops running as soon
as possible. Allowance is made in such cases, but the player cannot
consume time by turning around without making progress in the game.
A player cannot bound the ball on the floor more than three times, and
never lower than the height of the knee; however, this does not
interfere with her throwing for a goal twice or more in succession.
The player who has the ball is the only one in the field who may be
intentionally blocked in her way; all other players must be free from
intentional interference.
The foul which disqualifies a player counts against her side.
The ball is
=Out of Bounds=
when it completely crosses the boundary line of the field. Should it
bounce or roll back again the game continues, except if the whistle of
the referee is blown; then the ball is put in play as if it had not
returned to the field.
The time allowed for a game is always divided; when the first part has
been played, time is called for a rest by the whistle of the
time-keeper. Generally the intermission lasts ten minutes, sometimes
longer, the game being resumed after the recess. While resting the
players wrap themselves up to keep from taking cold, and are not
permitted to drink cold water.
After each goal the referee puts the ball in play in the centre of the
field; this she must also do at the commencement of the game and at the
beginning of the second half of the game. At the end of the first half
the sides change goals, except in case of a tie, when the game continues
without changing goals until either side has made two additional points.
These points may be made either from field or from fouls. The game is
won by the side scoring the greater number of points during the entire
game.
If the goal (in case of uprights) is moved by an opponent when the ball
is on its edge, one point is scored by the side throwing the ball.
The game is decided by the winning of the most points in the actual
playing time. When there are two fouls at once on opposite sides, each
side has a free throw for the basket; afterward the ball is put in play
from the centre by the referee. Whenever it becomes necessary for the
referee to call “time,” because of illness or accident to a player, play
must be resumed in five minutes. If the injured player is unable to
resume play
=A Substitute=
may take her place, or the game may start at once without her. If a
substitute takes her place she cannot play again during that game.
=Rules=
A goal made from the field counts two points; made from a foul, one
point. If a player by mistake should throw the ball in her own basket,
it counts for the opponents.
After time has been called the referee puts the ball in play by tossing
it up in such a manner that it will drop near the spot where it was when
time was called, unless it was held out of bounds. In this case play is
resumed at the whistle of the referee as if time has not been called.
The two opponents nearest this spot when time was called vie with each
other to obtain the ball after play is resumed. They are indicated by
the umpire.
When the ball is held by two or more players for any length of time the
referee blows her whistle, stops the play and throws the ball up from
where it was held.
Whenever the ball is put in play the players who are to first touch the
ball must not stand further than two feet from the spot where the ball
is to fall.
When the ball goes out of bounds and remains there, it must be returned
by the player first _touching_ it. There can be no interference with her
returning it; that is, no portion of the person of an opponent may be
outside of the field of play. The ball cannot be touched by an opponent
until it has crossed the line. If either of these rules is violated, the
ball is to be returned to the player who had it and the ball again put
in play at the original place.
The player holding the ball may throw it in any direction into the field
of play from any spot (outside of bounds) on a line drawn at right
angles to the boundary line at the point where the ball crossed it. The
ball must be _thrown_ into the field of play. When either of these rules
is violated the ball goes to the opponents at the same spot. The ball
must be thrown to some player and disposed of before the player who
passed it can again play it.
When a player obtains possession of the ball outside the limits of the
field she is allowed five seconds to hold it; if the ball is held longer
it goes to the opponents. In case of doubt in the mind of the referee as
to which player first touched the ball, she tosses it up into the field
of play at the spot where it went out.
When the ball is _batted_, _rolled_ or _passed_ from the field of play,
in order _to claim exemption_ from interference it must be given to the
opponents at the point where it left the field of play. When it is
passed to a player out of bounds the ball is given to the other side.
_Carrying_ the ball from the field of play is a foul. When the centres
are jumping for the ball and one of them bats it to out of bounds, it is
in play and goes to the other side.
A goal scored by a player while any part of her person touches the
ground out of bounds shall not count. In such a case the ball is put in
play in the centre of the field.
If a player throws for the goal and the whistle of the referee, umpire,
or time-keeper sounds while the ball is in the air, and the throw
results in a goal, it is a count.
When the umpire’s whistle sounds simultaneously with either the
referee’s or time-keeper’s, the umpire’s takes precedence.
A goal scored before the whistle can be blown for a foul made by the
side scoring, does not count; but if a player while throwing for the
goal is fouled by an opponent and succeeds in scoring, both count.
Two hands on a ball are necessary to secure it. In case of doubt in the
mind of the referee as to which player first put her two hands on the
ball, she shall toss it up at the spot where it was held by the players.
In no case may a player remove the ball from the hands of an opposing
player, either by _snatching_ or _batting_.
The ball may not be held longer than three seconds.
The ball may not be “juggled”; _i.e._, tossed into the air and caught
again to evade holding.
Crossing field lines with any part of the body constitutes a foul.
No player may lean over or reach over another player.
No player may hand the ball to another player. The ball must be _thrown_
to another player.
=General Fouls=
Players addressing officers.
Kicking or striking ball.
Carrying ball.
Bounding ball more than three times, lower than the knee.
Holding longer than three seconds.
Delaying game.
Tackling, holding, pushing opponents.
Snatching or batting ball from hands of opponent.
Juggling.
Crossing or stepping on the field lines.
Leaning or reaching over another player.
=Fouls for Which Players May be Disqualified.=
Roughness.
Striking.
Kicking.
Shouldering.
Tripping.
Hacking.
Unnecessarily rough play.
Should any question come up not covered by these rules the officers may
decide the matter in accordance with the spirit of the game.
These official rules are intended especially for girls' basket ball as
played in most of the well-known colleges, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Smith,
Wellesley, etc., and by the majority of schools except in and around New
York, in which section both girls and boys play the boys’ game. This
differs from the girls’ in having greater freedom and consequently more
action, players being allowed to run to any part where they think they
can be of most use within the extreme limits of the field. The dividing
lines from side to side of the field are omitted, and the girls must be
equal to greater exertion and more violent action for the boys' game.
The girls’ game is considered the safest and best for them, being
adapted for girls; yet some champion players prophesy that ere long the
boys’ game will be the one generally played by both girls and boys. If
girls enter into the boys’ game they must keep in training that their
strength may equal the demands. They must not shed one tear when
occasionally hurt, though such accidents need not occur if all rudeness
is avoided. Should one girl unintentionally run against another during
the game, precious moments cannot be wasted in apologies, there being no
time for either excuses or tears. While the sport is going on the
player’s mind should be all earnestness and determination, too intent
upon the game to allow thoughts for other things. Girls will soon
acquire greater moral and physical courage by playing basket ball, and
sufficient nerve to keep back the tears. Their self-control will be
vastly improved and their endurance, strength, quickness of action, and
judgment rapidly strengthened. All these qualities are essential, not
only in basket ball, but in helping one to understand the art of living.
Players should wear tennis
=Slippers=
in order to avoid slipping, sliding, and injuring one another with heavy
heels, should one player accidentally step on the toes of another. The
=Gymnasium Suit=
of short, full, divided skirt, gathered zouave fashion at the knee, and
a loose woollen blouse or sweater, forms a comfortable, sensible uniform
for basket ball. If desired a knee-length skirt of stout material may
take the place of the divided skirt, but never attempt to play in a long
dress or tight clothing.
CHAPTER XXXI
SOME OF OUR OUT-DOOR NEIGHBORS AND
WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM
The word grows broader and is more and more filled with meaning as we
begin to understand that “neighbor” may embrace in its kindliness not
alone the whole human race, but all the animal creation with which we
come in contact.
These denizens of the woods and fields are indeed our neighbors, and so
also are the queer folk whose lives are partly or wholly spent in the
water. When we learn to look for them we will find life full of the
beauty, the music, and the good-will of our little friends and
neighbors.
Few of these out-door acquaintances force themselves upon us; they are
not at all sure of their welcome, so we must keep our eyes and ears open
that we may learn their haunts and meet them at least half way. While
strolling in the country it is pleasant to walk along laughing and
singing as we go, but we must refrain if we really wish to come near any
of the bright-eyed, suspicious little creatures. They can only be
approached very quietly, for wild things understand an unusual noise
only as a danger signal, and will start in alarm at the least sound or
sudden motion, and be up and off before we are conscious of their
presence.
A little book for
=Observation Notes=
divided off into spaces, each space having a heading, as in Fig. 619,
will be of great value in identifying the animals, [Illustration: Fig.
619.] birds, and insects you may meet, and in keeping such records, your
interest will deepen and your love for Nature and all her children
greatly increase.
Carry the book with you, and make the notes on the spot. Do not wait
until you reach home, depending upon your memory; it may sometimes play
you false. Write nothing under the heading of “Identification” until you
are quite sure you recognize the creature you are studying; for this one
entry it will be best to wait until you can consult a reliable book on
the subject, and then carefully compare your notes with what the
naturalist gives as facts.
If your stroll leads you through the woods listen for the chatter of
=The Squirrel=
This saucy rodent belongs to a large family, with many branches and
ramifications, and squirrels of some kind are to be found in almost any
wooded spot.
The scolding remonstrance to your invasion of his domain will probably
reach you before you catch a glimpse of him; but sit down and wait
quietly, Mr. Squirrel will soon appear, and very likely his little wife
will follow him. Cautious, alert, yet really unafraid, they will
approach nearer and nearer, until they are quite close enough for you to
mark their peculiarities and decide to which branch of their family they
belong. You may even pass the compliments of the day with your little
host if you speak gently and softly. They are not timid animals, and
will quickly make friends with anyone who treats them kindly. In
Daytona, Fla., where they are absolutely undisturbed, the squirrels are
very numerous, filling the great moss-laden trees, scampering over the
lawns and fences and even eating from the hands of those who will
regularly feed them, all the while living in entire freedom, without
restraint of any kind.
Wherever you may find the squirrels, their nest is probably close by,
hidden in a hole in one of the trees. Be careful how you thrust your
hand into such an opening, however, for squirrels have sharp teeth and
may resent such undue familiarity. About the first of April the nest
will be filled with a promising family of little ones from four to six
in number, and if you can take such a family under your supervision and
“grow up with them,” as it were, you will be amply repaid by the
amusement the merry little creatures will afford and by the opportunity
to observe, with the privilege of an intimate friend, their
house-keeping and manner of life.
You will know
=The Red Squirrel=
by his color, during the summer it is a red-brown with a white vest
bordered on the sides with a dark line. He changes his coat twice a
year, and his winter garment is duller and not nearly so red, while the
vest is gray without the dark border.
When you find a squirrel’s nest in the crotch of a tree instead of in a
hole you may be pretty sure it belongs to the gray squirrel, which is
said to be the most easily tamed of all its family.
Do not mistake
=The Chipmunk=
for a squirrel, although he does resemble one and his lively chatter
seems to be in the same language. He is, in fact, sometimes called a
ground squirrel, but in reality he is only a distant cousin.
You will not be so apt to find him in the interior of the woods as in
more open places; his favorite promenade is the top of a stone wall or
rail fence. He is a little fellow with a flat, bushy tail and
well-developed cheek pouches, which he fills with seeds and nuts until
his cheeks are puffed out equal to a boy’s when he eats an apple.
The tawny little chipmunk of the Eastern States has two white stripes
and five narrow black ones down its back. In the West there are other
varieties, the little black and white striped fellow of the Rocky
Mountains being the prettiest and tamest.
The chipmunk is an engaging little creature, tamer even than the
squirrel, and he will often come close to the house and sometimes enter
it in search of food; it is the dogs that generally drive him away, for
no dog, however well behaved, can resist chasing a chipmunk. He is easy
game, for he seldom climbs a tree, and unless he can find refuge in his
hole or under the wood-pile his life is soon the forfeit.
Do not look in a tree for the chipmunk’s nest, you will not find it
there, but perhaps at the foot of the very pine under which you are
standing, or beneath the large rock which lies in your path there is a
small hole opening into a little hollow, and in this underground chamber
is the soft, warm nest and the store of food which the chipmunk has
providently laid by. Here it sleeps through the cold winter months,
waking only to eat a few nuts, seeds, or grains of corn, soon to drowse
again, and remain asleep until spring has come once more.
When you see a small, brown, long-bodied animal, not much larger than a
rat, running swiftly along the ground, you may be pretty sure it is our
neighbor
=The Weasel=
His home is probably near the river or the borders of the meadow, but he
hunts his game with such intelligence and persistence it is possible to
meet him almost anywhere. We frequently hear this little animal spoken
of, not always with praise, and it is strange he so seldom crosses our
path, for he does not stand in much fear of his human neighbors. The
weasel is very quick and active, and also quite inquisitive; it lives on
frogs, birds, eggs, and mice, and the farmers complain that it seeks
larger game in their poultry yards.
Mr. Dan Beard tells an interesting story of a walk in the woods where he
found a weasel asleep in a deserted crow’s nest at the top of a tall
tree. It is possible the little brown intruder might have been able to
explain just why the nest was empty of all save himself.
The sharpness and cunning of the weasel’s character is shown in its
face. A low forehead, pointed nose, eyes small and penetrating plainly
denote these qualities, yet it is a most interesting little animal and
well worth all the study and observation you can give it.
A very small neighbor to be found on the borders of the woods or a shady
road is the pretty, harmless
=Salamander=
Seldom more than two and one-half inches long, this little creature is
slender and daintily made, with a tail quite the length of its head and
body. Its skin is smooth, not scaled like the lizard’s, and is generally
brilliant in color. One variety is bright red, darker on the back, where
it has spots of a brighter red encircled with dark rings. I have found
many of them in Pike County, Pa., and always in damp places, though
never in the water. There is another kind that lives in the water, but
my little red friends, while loving dampness, remain always on land. You
will generally find them under stones or logs, and after a shower they
are also to be met in the open, though they do not travel far from their
haunts. Take one up in your hand and examine the delicate forefeet, so
much like fairy hands. They will cling to your finger in the most
winning fashion and you may examine the little animal at leisure, for it
is clean and harmless. If you wish to keep the salamander for further
study, place it in a perforated box with damp moss or even damp
blotting-paper, and remember to keep it moist, otherwise it will simply
dry up. I know whereof I speak, for a friend who was with me in the
mountains, wishing to carry two of the salamanders home with her, placed
them in a box without moisture of any kind and when we lifted the lid
the next morning the poor little creatures were dead and as dry as two
sticks.
The salamander feeds on small insects, but I have never seen them eat in
captivity. That they may be safely transported and established in new
homes has been proved, for a gentleman from Seattle, Wash., who was
visiting at our Pike County, Pa., camp, became so deeply interested in
these creatures he took a pail of them across the continent, and at last
accounts they were living in his garden, to all appearances quite as
comfortably as in their native woods.
On the trunks of some of the great trees you are passing you may
possibly see a number of queer, semi-transparent shells. These are the
cast-off armor of
=The Cicadas=
Locusts you will probably call them, but that name rightly belongs to
quite another insect. Perfect in every detail, even to the great bulging
eyes, the cicada’s little coat of mail clings to the tree with its six
pairs of claws like a live creature, and only a split down its back
shows its emptiness and tells how the cicada crept from the old into a
newer and fuller life.
The shells one usually finds belong to quite a large black and green
insect, one of the more common species of cicada. This is called the
dog-day harvest fly, and requires but two years to develop, while the
smaller red and black variety is known as the “seventeen year locust,”
because it spends seventeen years of its life underground before it
reaches maturity. All this while it bears the name of nymph. A pretty
name for the young insect, isn’t it?
The nymph began life as an egg which its mother deposited, with a number
of others, in a slit she made in a twig of a tree. For six weeks it lay
snugly in its narrow bed, then came forth a tiny white creature, with
little legs which carried it about in a lively manner. Its mouth was
simply a hollow tube which would change into jaws later on. For a while
the nymph was happy in its new-found life, then [Illustration: Cicada
and Shell.] suddenly a longing for quiet seemed to come over it and it
dropped to the ground, there to bury itself in the earth, which was to
be its home for many years.
Down in the mysterious darkness, in that busy world where so much we do
not understand is going on, the little nymph grew very slowly for a
year, nourished by the juices of the roots he found near him and which
he sucked up through his tube-like mouth. Then he shed his first skin
for another, which gave him greater freedom for further growth. After a
time this skin was also discarded, another and another, until, we are
told, six times his garment was changed while yet he was deep in the
earth, with no one to see and admire his new attire. Then when seventeen
long years were passed and his days of preparation were accomplished, he
dug his way up into a new world at the dictate of a new impulse, and one
evening he emerged to find himself in a goodly company of his kind, all
intent upon reaching a still greater height. The tree under which he had
lived so long was his goal, and up this he made his way for some
distance, then, forcing his little claws into the bark, he clung to his
place awaiting his final transformation.
Presently his nymph-skin opened down the back and the cicada, a nymph no
longer, crawled slowly out. White again as when he first saw the light,
except for two black spots on his back, soft and helpless he clung anew
to the bark. At first his wings were so much a part of his body you
would have thought he had none, but almost immediately they began to
unfold and grow, becoming transparent and firm as he waved them slowly
back and forth. During the night his color was marvellously changed from
white to black and red, and the next morning came his season of
rejoicing. With all faculties fully alive, he joined the chorus of the
other cicadas and the woods were made to resound with their high,
rasping notes.
By the way, do you know
=How the Insects Sing?=
Or, rather, they do not sing, the noise they make is instrumental, not
vocal, and their instruments are usually carried under their wings, a
part of themselves to be played upon at will, when and where they
choose.
The cicada’s instrument is a kind of drum, and, as if one would not be
sufficiently noisy, he carries two, one behind each of his hind wings.
He has no drum-sticks, but vibrates his drums until the natural buzzing
sound rises almost to a shriek. Other insects play on other instruments,
but, however the sound is made, each species has a note of its own, not
to be mistaken for that of any other.
Deep in the forests where the dead leaves and pine-needles cover the
ground you will be likely to find the well-known
=Indian Pipe=
the delight of all children and an object of interest to everyone. This
wonderful little ghost flower, so purely white and so quickly blighted
by exposure to sunlight appears to live for its beauty alone. As far as
we know it is of absolutely no use, and does not even provide for
itself, as do other plants. It is a root parasite and draws its
nourishment from the roots of the pine upon which it has fastened
itself. The stem as well as the blossom is silvery white, it has no
foliage, and the flower at the end of the stalk bends its head as though
ashamed of its idle life, but it continues to live on the vital juices
of the roots and we call it the Indian Pipe because it somewhat
resembles the long-stemmed Indian calumet, or pipe of peace. The
botanists, however, know it as the _Monotropa Uniflora_.
Another beautiful inhabitant of the deep woods is the
=Moccasin Flower=
which arrays itself every summer in its spotted pink or yellow dress,
and stands as proudly erect on its slender stalk as though troops of
admirers were to pass its way, when, in fact, it is rarely seen save by
those who seek it. As its name suggests, it resembles an Indian moccasin
in shape, the hanging pouch forming the toe, while the heel is clasped
by five pointed and twisted petals. Over the opening of the pouch there
is a little flap, which has much to do with the fertilization of the
flowers. The botanical name of this little orchid is the _Cypripedium_,
and some call it lady-slipper, though it looks not at all like your
slipper or mine.
As you walk on under the interlacing branches of the close-growing
trees, look about for evidences of the
=Engraver Beetle=
Pull the bark from a dead trunk or limb and you will probably find its
trade-mark. Fig. 620 is one pattern, but there are various others, among
them a spiral [Illustration: Fig. 620] design cut as smoothly as though
done with an engraver’s chisel.
These little workers in wood are but babies, being the larvæ of the
engraver beetle, which, deposited as eggs under the bark of a dead tree,
turn into worm-like creatures and eat their way along the surface of the
sap-wood, tracing the cabalistic designs in their progress. When fully
developed the beetle is still a wee thing, the largest being not over a
quarter of an inch in length. Some are brown in color and some black.
Drop your eyes now and look for
=Footprints=
in the soft earth. You will frequently find them around ponds and the
margin of brooks. They make a most interesting study, and will soon
enable you to learn which of your forest neighbors has visited the spot
before you.
A small, delicate impression, much like that of a dainty little hand,
will show that
=The ’Coon=
has been along, and this is all you are likely to see of him unless you
take a moonlight stroll, for Master 'Coon shuns daylight, and is about
only at night. Being a pretty and an intelligent little animal, he is
sometimes tamed and even allowed the freedom of the house, like a dog or
cat, but 'coons are as mischievous as monkeys, and very frequently the
little hands are used to work disaster among the household gods. When
that occurs a chain is used to keep Master 'Coon out of further trouble
and consequent punishment.
The 'coon’s fur is long, thick, and of a pepper-and-salt gray. Its tail
is decorated with rings, and its broad white face is marked with three
radiating black lines across the forehead and black settings to its
eyes.
Though all you find is the footprint of this nocturnal little fellow you
may rest assured that somewhere, just above your head perhaps, he is
snugly curled up in the hollow of a dead limb awaiting the darkness,
when he will sally forth to seek his supper.
In the softly creeping twilight, when the woods become more mysterious,
and one’s nerves are almost like the wild things in their quick response
to sudden noises, the night prowlers begin to awake and stir about.
Before darkness quite settles down is the time to make the acquaintance
of the night birds, nocturnal insects, and some of the small animals
which avoid the garish light of day.
Though they love darkness better than light these little creatures are
just as harmless as the ones you have seen in the genial sunshine. Do
not be startled, then, if a small dark body suddenly sails through the
air near you, but watch it in its flight, see how it courses downward,
always downward, on a gradual incline until, with a short upward curve,
it alights on a low branch or trunk of a tree. From the summit of a tall
pine its flight has been, perhaps, fifty yards, yet it has no wings and
in the dim light you will see before you only a big-eyed, satin-coated
little squirrel, and you will have met, it may for the first time, your
neighbor
=The Flying Squirrel=
Look closely and notice that he wears a suit of brownish gray, white
underneath, bordered with black, which fits him so loosely about the
legs and sides that when he stretches out [Illustration: Flying
Squirrel.] and flattens himself he may almost be said to be web-legged,
and can sail through the air like a parachute.
The natural home of the flying squirrel is a hole in a tree, where he
makes a soft nest, deep enough to burrow into until completely hidden.
But a hole anywhere, except in the ground, attracts him. Whole families
will take up their quarters in an unoccupied house if they can squeeze
themselves through some crack or crevice, and will frequently refuse to
vacate when the rightful owner appears and claims the premises.
I have several times made pets of the young flying squirrels, and they
are the prettiest, most friendly and entertaining little things
imaginable, as tame as kittens and as harmless. They are nocturnal in
their habits, sleeping all day in their woolly nests and scampering
about all night, full of mischief and merry play.
If you wake one of the baby squirrels from its nap and take the drowsy
little thing in your hands you will love it immediately; it is so soft,
so babyish, so unresisting.
A rare but most beautiful dweller in the woods is the
=Luna Moth=
named for the moon and sometimes called the “queen of night.” One
evening just at dusk it was my good fortune to find a luna moth clinging
to a forest tree by the roadside. It had but recently emerged from its
chrysalis and was slowly moving its delicate wings back and forth,
drying them in the warm night air and strengthening them for flight.
The _Tropœa luna_, as the scientists call it, is one of the giant
silk-worm moths. It has the large, fuzzy body of the moth, with the
feather-like antennæ; but its wings are unusual in shape. Nearest the
tail they are extended to form long appendages, which curve gracefully
outward. The color is a delicate light green, the edges of the
fore-wings are bordered with a band of purplish brown, and they are
further ornamented with four large eyes.
[Illustration: Luna Moth.]
Look on the ground under the walnut, hickory, or other hard-wood trees
for the cocoon, as it is on these trees the larva feeds.
When daylight comes again seek the path which leads through
=Orchard and Field=
and once more you are among the little folk who love the warm, bright
sunshine.
The birds leave the shade to sit on the old rail fence and sing
joyously. You will see the busy little wren here, tripping about
importantly, and the song-sparrow, too, which loves to perch on the top
rail and sing its heart away. Hidden deep in the tangled grass or
nestled amid the clover you may find the nest of the bobolink. Do you
know the lines which occur in one of Saxe Holm’s stories:
“I wonder what the clover thinks?
Intimate friend of the bobolinks.”
When you remember these you will remember to look for the bobolink where
you see the red clover.
There is a concert going on at this very minute; do you hear it? The
high soprano is taking the lead, the soft, gurgling notes of the
contralto are coming in, and now the whole chorus has burst into song
and one of the sweetest of Nature’s anthems is being given. You must
hear it, some of you, for no matter what the season, in this great land
of ours, somewhere the warm summer sun is shining, somewhere, without
money and without price, these beautiful songsters are pouring out their
souls in exquisite melody.
Stop and think what the birds are doing for you; think of what life
would be without them and how near akin they are to all that is joyous
and bright within you; read “The Birds of Killingworth” in Longfellow’s
“Tales of a Wayside Inn” and then wear the dead bodies of your little
friends on your hats if you can.
As you cross the pasture be on the lookout for the
=Woodchuck’s Hole=
It is generally on the side of a hill or knoll, and in front of it is a
small pile of earth which the woodchuck has taken out in his
excavations. The hole is large enough for a small dog to enter, and
leads to several tunnels, some of them twenty or twenty-five feet long.
If you remain quietly near for awhile perhaps you will be rewarded by
seeing the woodchuck, or ground-hog, as he is sometimes called, peep
cautiously out of his front door and then come boldly forth to look
about and see what is going on in the outer world. Make a sudden noise
and he will sit up on his haunches with hanging forefeet, like a begging
dog, and then dart into his hole to remain in hiding until it seems safe
for him to venture out again.
[Illustration: Woodchuck and His Hole.]
The woodchuck is a snub-nosed little animal, a trifle larger than a
good-sized rabbit. Its tail is short and bushy and its hair long,
coarse, and of a brownish color, ears low and inconspicuous, and eyes
round and bright. At the approach of winter he retires to his nest,
which is in a chamber at the farthest end of his longest tunnel, there
to sleep or hibernate until spring. A popular legend has it that on the
second day of February the ground-hog—he is always a ground-hog in this
connection—is sure to be up and out to see how high the sun is and
investigate the general progress of things.
You know the rest of the story; how he prophesies an early or late
spring by his actions on this important day. If he stays out we will
have an early spring; if he goes back we will have winter weather for
six weeks longer; and his going and staying are determined by the sun.
This is because the ground-hog is supposed to be absurdly afraid of his
shadow, which he has not seen for so long, and if the bright sunshine
reveals it to him he is said to return ignominiously to his hole, where
he will remain for another six weeks. If, on the other hand, the day
proves cloudy, and there are no shadows to alarm him, he concludes that
he has slept quite long enough, that there will be no more winter, and
that it is high time to be up and about his business.
The farmers hunt the woodchuck because of its voracious appetite for
green things. They say it takes more than its share of the farm
products, and they make forcible objections.
June is the time to find the baby woodchucks, which in this month play
like puppies around the entrance to their home.
And now these few remaining pages must be devoted to our small neighbors
of
=The Sea-shore=
To some of them at least; a volume would not give space for all.
It is on rocky coasts or the shores of bays and inlets that you will
find most of the creatures which make their home on the borders of the
vast and mighty ocean. Along a rugged shore like that of Maine, where
the storms and great breakers carry the water high upon the rocks,
little pools are formed, and in one of these natural aquariums there is
enough life for a summer’s study.
Undisturbed by the rising and falling tide, the water is transparently
clear, and you can see distinctly all the inhabitants of this little
water-world. Clinging to the rocky sides are what appear to be silvery
pink moss and brilliant aquatic flowers. Lying at the bottom or amid the
jagged stones are round, prickly looking balls which resemble chestnut
burs, some of them no larger than a tiny pearl button. So much like
vegetables do all these things appear, it seems hardly possible they are
animals; yet the moss is sometimes called the
=Nurse of the Jelly-fish=
and some of the small bubble-like bags clinging to its stems, which give
it the silvery appearance, are full of eggs that will hatch into minute
jelly bodies. After various transformations and subdivisions these
bodies develop into the wonderfully beautiful and fairy-like jelly-fish
which you find swimming in the deep waters of the bay, some of them
trailing long, filmy, lace-like skirts or veils as they move.
The delicate red, green, yellow, pink, and lavender blossoms, which add
so much to the beauty of the pool, are
=Sea-anemones=
Animals, too, every one, living only on animal food, which they find and
absorb in a peculiar manner. The fringed petals are in reality tentacles
that reach out and draw food into the mouth at the centre, from which it
is taken into the stomach just below.
How the baby sea-anemones are born, how they are cared for by their
mother, how they are at first “foot loose” and afterward become fixtures
on the rocks, you must study out for yourselves; the description here is
but an introduction at best and must be necessarily brief.
The queer-looking green burs, which you will see moving about if you
watch them closely, are the
=Sea Urchins=
You have, perhaps, found some of their beautiful shells on the beach,
empty of all life and bleached quite white by [Illustration: Shell of
Sea Urchin.] the sun. Where the green spines grew are regular rows of
bead-like projections, looking like strings of pearls; but, lovely and
pure as the shells are, they cannot possibly be as interesting as the
real creatures, full of life, crawling about at the bottom of the
crystal pool on [Illustration: Sea Urchin.] the tips of their prickly
looking spines.
I have never found a live sea-urchin except in these quiet pools,
probably because they do not like to subject themselves to the buffeting
waves, and when in deep water hide in the crevices of the rocks or bury
themselves in the seaweed.
Unlike the sea-anemone, they are vegetarians and seldom indulge in
animal food. The mouth is underneath the little animal, where you find
the round hole in the shell.
=Starfish=
too you will probably see crawling over the rocks at the bottom of the
pool. Although called by that name, these strange, five-fingered
creatures are no more fish than the sea-urchins, and their life is not
so much of the water as of the ground below. The starfish may swim, but
it greatly prefers gliding about over the slippery stones and sandy
bottom, searching for the small shellfish which form its food. If you
will place a starfish in a small fish globe filled with salt water, or
in any clear glass vessel that is large enough, you can see its
numberless feet, which are little tubes projecting from the under side
of the five rays. This wonderful waving mass of tube feet is quite
concealed when we look at the animal from above, and until we have
discovered them its rapid movements seem very marvellous.
There are barnacles looking like a part of the rock to which they are
firmly attached, tiny crabs darting hither and thither, various species
of small mollusks and numerous other forms of salt-water life to be
found in Nature’s beautiful rock aquariums, but we must leave you to
make their acquaintance alone, while wishing you much joy and happiness
in your intercourse with these and all of your little neighbors.
INDEX
A
“Abe” Lincoln log-cabin, how to build, 194
Acorn bucket, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 207
Acorn made from egg, 38
Active games, 322
All-cotton rugs, 158
Alphabet, living, 303
Animals, to make a Noah’s ark, 164
Animals, vegetable, 101
Apples, Christmas, 269
Apples, to make flower feast, 177
Apple-seed charms, 297
Arch, to make spool memorial, 240
Ark, peanut Noah’s, 163
Ark, to make the, 172
Armless bust, 285
Auger-bit, 8
B
Ball, basket, 348
Bamboo pistol, 144
Bark, for “Abe” Lincoln cabin roof, 203
Basket ball playing-ground, 346
Basket-ball rules, 360
Basket, corn-husk, 60
Basket-weaving, 185
Baskets of green burs, 180, 181
Bedposts, naming the, 295
Birch-bark canoe, 212
Blackboard drawing, 215
Blotting-paper, for painting monotypes, 151
Bobbinet bags, 253
Bonbons, snapping, 179
Bones, 232
Books, to illustrate, 82
Boxes, to make fancy Christmas, 252
Brace, 48
Braiding palm grasses and corn-husks, 64
Brownie, to make from egg, 34
Bubbles, spool, 241
Bucket, acorn, 207
Bugle-horn, 231
Burs, baskets made of, 180, 181
Bust, armless, 285
Butterfly ink, 122
Butterfly paper, 51
Button-mould tops, 132
C
Calendar, to make a, 80
Calumet, sparkling, 140
Camels, to make Noah’s ark, 167
Cannon, spool, 243
Canoe, birch-bark, 212
Canoe, birch-bark for, 203
Canopy, merry-go-round, to make, 127
Captain, basket ball, 349
Centres, basket ball, 354
Chair, hooded, made from packing-box, 21
Charms, apple-seed, 297
Chicken, to make Noah’s ark, 168
Chimney, “Abe” Lincoln log-cabin, 201
Chimney, pasteboard, 112
Chipmunk, 368
Chisel, 4, 8
Christmas decoration, to make, 244
Christmas devices, 260
Christmas pie, an all-day, 260
Christmas stockings, 253
Christmas tray, 265
Church, pasteboard, 107, 108
Cicadas, 371
Circus, the hoop game, 328
Clothes-press, portable corner, 15
Collections, 69
Color basket, 192
Color letter, 276
Color schemes for rugs, 154
Colored pictures, 83
Comb, musical, 233
Comet, rushing, 143
Cone hanging basket, 58
'Coon, 375
Country garden in city, 310
Corn-husk basket, 60
Corn-husks, braiding, 64
Cornucopias, 253
Costume, statuary tableaux, 282
Cotton dyes, 162
Cotton rugs, 158
Covers, basket, 191
Cranberries, strings of red, 256
Crook, sheep and shepherd’s, to make, 246
Croquet, parlor, 341; rules, 343
Crystal flute, 232
Cups, to make flower feast, 178
D
Daisy, to draw a, 225
Dance, flag, 130
Dandelion games, 181
Dishes made from eggs, 36
Doors, from “Abe” Lincoln log-cabin, 199;
how to hang, 200
Dove, to make from an egg, 28
Drawing-class, home, 107
Dreams, Halloween, 298
Dressing-table, to make a, 11
Duck, to draw a, 223
Dulcimer, to make a, 229
Dyes, rug, 160, 162
E
Easel, valentine, 91
Easter hare, 32
Easter lily, 52
Easter, paper, 45
Egg changed into rooster, 46
Egg, possibilities of an Easter, 26
Egg, slippers made from egg, 41
Egg, spinning, 30
Egg, to make brownies from, 34
Eggs, hares made from, 33;
fruits, vegetables, opera-glasses, and dishes made from, 36;
radish, 37;
watermelon, plum, acorn, 38;
a dainty vase, a teapot, 39;
sugar-bowl, egg dippers, 41
Eggs, paper, 45
Egyptian statue, 287
Elephant, to make Noah’s ark, 168
Engraver beetle, 375
F
Fastenings, basket, 191
Feather tests, 293
Fence, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 210
Fence, pin-wheel, 137
Festoons, Christmas-tree, 248
Festoons, holly-leaved, 254
File, 4, 9
Finger-bowls, musical, 230
Fire-cracker, valentine, 95
Fireplace, magic, 263
Fire rug, 155
Fish, to draw, 221
Fish, to make flower feast, 176
Flag dance, 130
Flower feast, 175
Flower pad valentine, 95
Flower-stand, to make a piazza, 17
Flower writing, 273
Flying squirrel, 377
Fortune wheel, 300
Forwards, basket ball, 354
Fouls, basket ball, 363
Four-leaved clover valentine, 90
Friendship garden, 320
Fringe, ruching, 249
Fringe, rug, 159
Frog, swimming, made from an egg, 26
Fruit lanterns, 101
Fruit salad, to make flower feast, 177
Fruits made from eggs, 36
Furniture, set of spool, to make, 238
G
Galatea, 288
Games, active, 322
Games, expensive, with little or no expense, 334
Garden, friendship, 320;
memory, 321
Garden, real summer, 313;
water garden, 314;
soil for, 315
Gardens, odd, 310
Ghost ideas, 299
Gimlet, 7
Going to market, 332
Gouge, 4, 8
Grass-blade, musical, 234
Greek temple, to make spool, 237
Guard, basket ball, 355
Guest book, to make a, 78
H
Halloween fortunes, 293
Hammer, 3, 5
Hand pin-wheel, 136
Hare, Easter, 32
Hares made from eggs, 33
Harp, to make a, 228
Hatchet, 6
Head, to draw a, 220
Heads, to paint, 149
Heart-shaped valentine, 94
Hen, to draw, 217
Hinges, basket, 192
Home drawing-class, pasteboard models for, 107
Home-made pyrotechnics, 135
Hoop dance, 324
Hoop-race game, 329
Hoop tag, 327
Horses, fantastic ink, 122
House, pasteboard, 111
Houses, 10
I
Illustrating, books, 82
Indian pipe, 374
Indian powwow, 274
Ink, landscapes, marines, 119;
butterfly, fantastic horses, 122;
pair of birds, 123
Ink pictures, 118
J
Jelly, 269
Jelly-fish, 382
Jewelry, Christmas-tree, 257
Jumping-rope conquer game, 330
K
Kaleidoscope in an egg, 31
L
Lake, to make a, 204
Lamp, to make spool, 239
Landscapes, ink, 119
Lantern, pumpkin, 105, 106
Lanterns, fruit, 101
Lavender sticks, 62
Letter of color, 276
Lights for statuary tableaux, 282
Lily, paper Easter, 52
Linesmen, basket ball, 352
Living alphabet, 303
Lobsters, to make Noah’s ark, 170
Log-cabin, “Abe” Lincoln, how to build, 194
Luna moth, 377
M
Magic fireplace, 263
Marble flesh, to make, 284
Marble locks, to make, 284
Marines, ink, 119
Mats, sweet-grass, 59
Memorial arch, to make spool, 240
Memory garden, 321
Merry-go-round, 125
Mitre-box, 10
Moccasin flower, 374
Models, pasteboard, 107
Monotone monotypes, 151
Monotypes, 148;
monotone, 151;
papers for painting, 152
Morning-glory, 183
Mounting pictures, 70
Moving toys, 125
Musical instruments, home-made, 227
N
Naming the bedposts, 295
Net, ping pong, 336
Noah, to make, 171
Noah’s ark, a peanut, 163
O
Observation notes, 366
Odd gardens, 310
Officials, basket ball, 350
Opera-glasses made from eggs, 36
Original valentines, 89
Ostrich, paper, 45
Owl, to make Noah’s ark, 169
P
Palm-grasses, braiding, 64
Paper chains, colored Christmas, 257
Paper Easter, 45
Paper, musical, 227
Paper, to prepare for picture mounting, 72
Parthenon, to make spool, 236
Passing by, 332
Pasteboard church, 107;
house, 111;
tower, 113;
steeple, 113;
chimney, 112;
pyramid, 107
Pasteboard models for home drawing-class, 107
Pasteboard pistol, 144
Peanut, Noah’s ark, 163
Peanuts, Christmas, 256
Pedestals, statuary tableaux, 282
Penguin, paper, 45
Photograph book, 84
Photographs, 83
Picture hanging, 73
Picture writing, 271
Pictures, mounting, 69
Pictures, quick ink, 118
Pie, an all-day Christmas, 260
_Pièce de résistance_, 268
Pig, blackboard, 215
Pineapple, to make flower feast, 175
Ping pong, 334
Pin-wheel, three-story, red, white, and blue, 135;
in your hands, 136;
on the fence, 137
Pistol, pasteboard or bonbon, 144
Plane, 4, 7
Plants, ink sketches from, 123
Plants, water, 316
Players, set, in basket ball, 349
Plum, made from egg, 38
Pop-corn balls, 255
Portfolio, to make a, 74
Portière, to make effective, 246
Portrait medallion, 286
Potato turkey, 102
Printing, monotypes, 150
Prints, to make a collection of, 69
Priscilla rugs, 153
Pumpkin lantern, 105, 106
Pygmalion, 288
Pyramid, pasteboard, 107
Pyrotechnics, home-made, 135
Q
Quick ink pictures, 118
R
Rabbit, paper, 45
Rabbit, to make a Noah’s ark, 167
Raccoon, 375
Racquets, ping pong, 335
Radish made from eggs, 37
Rags, how to cut and sew, 157
Raisin turtle, 105
Red, white, and blue, 333
Reeds for basket-weaving, 186
Referee, basket ball, 350
Rice-paper, for printing monotypes, 151
Roman candle, 142
Roof, “Abe” Lincoln log-cabin, 201
Rooster, made from egg, 46
Rooster, paper, 45
Rose, to draw a, 218
Rugs, Priscilla, 153;
color schemes for, 154;
fire, 155;
weight of rags for, 156;
cotton and wool, all-cotton, 158
Rule, 7
Rules, basket ball, 360
Rules, ping pong, 337
Rushing comet, 143
S
Salamander, 370
Santa Claus, to make, 266
Saucers, to make flower feast, 178
Saw, 3, 4, 6
Sawbuck, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 213
Sconce, 248
Scorer, basket ball, 351
Scoring, ping pong, 338
Screw-driver, 6
Sea-anemones, 382
Sea-shells, musical, 234
Sea-urchins, 383
Sewing-machine, a make-believe, 340
Shepherd’s crook, to make, 246
Shields, living alphabet, 309
Shoat, lemon, 103
Sign language, 271
Sky-rockets, 146
Snap-fire, 142
Soil for water garden, 315
Sparkling calumet, 140
Spiders, to make Noah’s ark, 166
Sponge, green, 318
Spool bubbles, 241
Spool cannon, 243
Spools, what to make of empty, 236
Spring, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 204
Squirrel, 367; red, 368
Squirrel, flying, 377
Starfish, 384
Statuary tableaux, 281
Steeple, pasteboard, 113
Storks, to make Noah’s ark, 170
Sugar-bowl, made from egg, 41
Suit, basket ball, 364
Sunshine diary, to make, 75
Sweet-grass mats, 59
Symbols, 273
T
Tableaux subjects, 285
Teapot, made from egg, 39
Tea-table, to make a five o’clock, 16
Temple, to make spool, 237
Terms, ping pong, 339
Time-keeper, basket ball, 352
Toast, to serve, 267
Tool-chest, 4
Tool-rack, 5
Tools, 4
Tools, how to use, 5
Touchstone charm, 294
Towel-rack, to make, 14
Tower, pasteboard, 113
Toys, 125
Toys, button-mould, 132
Tray, Christmas, 265
Trees, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 208
Try-square, 4, 9
Tulip, to draw a, 224
Turkey, potato, 102
Turtle, made from raisin, 105
Turtles, to draw, 222
U
Umpire, basket ball, 351
V
Vacation work with Nature’s materials, 57
Valentines, original, 89;
four-leaved clover, 90;
easel, 91;
heart-shaped, 93;
fire-cracker, 94;
pot of flowers, 95;
little friend, 98
Vase, a dainty, made from egg, 39
Vegetable animals, 101
Vegetables, growing in water, 319
Vegetables, made from eggs, 36
Vines, ink sketches from, 123
W
Wagon, to make spool, 239
Walk, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 205
Walnuts, gilded English, 258
Warps, rag, 159
Wash-stand, to make a, 14
Water garden, 314
Watermelon, made from egg, 38
Water plants, to procure, 316
Weasel, 369
Weavers and weft, 322
Weaving materials, 185
Well, “Abe” Lincoln cabin, 206
Wings, pasteboard, 113
Wings, to make hornet, 165
Witch writing, 295
Witchery, 292
Wood, choosing the, 10
Woodchuck, 380
Wood-pile, “Abe” Lincoln, 213
Wool dyes, 160
Wool rugs, 158
Workshop, 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_THE BEARD BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE_
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE AMERICAN GIRL'S HANDY BOOK
HOW TO AMUSE YOURSELF AND OTHERS
By LINA and ADELIA B. BEARD
With nearly 500 Illustrations by the Authors
One volume, square 8vo, $2.00
-------
Eight new chapters have been added to the forty-two which have carried
this famous book to the hearts of all the young people since its first
appearance, and everything that the girls of to-day want to know about
their sports, games, and winter afternoon and evening work, is told
clearly and simply in this helpful and entertaining volume. The volume
is fully and handsomely illustrated from drawings by the authors, whose
designs are in the best sense illustrative of the text.
[Illustration]
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
First of April—Wild Flowers and Their Preservation—The Walking
Club—Easter-Egg Games—How to Make a Lawn Tennis Net—May-Day
Sports—Midsummer-Eve Games and Sports—Sea-side Cottage Decoration—A
Girl’s Fourth of July—An Impression Album—Picnics, Burgoos, and
Corn-Roasts—Botany as Applied to Art—Quiet Games for Hot Weather—How to
Make a Hammock—Corn-Husk and Flower Dolls—How to Make Fans—All Hallow
Eve—Nature’s Fall Decorations and How to Use Them—Nutting Parties—How to
Draw, Paint in Oil-colors, and Model in Clay and Wax—China
Painting—Christmas Festivities, and Home-made Christmas Gifts—Amusements
and Games for the Holidays—Golf—Bicycling—Swimming—Physical
Culture—Girls' Clubs—A New Seashore Game—Apple Target Shooting—Water
Fairies.
LOUISA M. ALCOTT wrote: “I have put it in my list of good and useful
books for young people, as I have many requests for advice from my
little friends and their anxious mothers. I am most happy to commend
your very ingenious and entertaining book.”
GRACE GREENWOOD wrote: “It is a treasure which, once possessed, no
practical girl would willingly part with. It is an invaluable aid in
making a home attractive, comfortable, artistic, and refined. The book
preaches the gospel of cheerfulness, industry, economy, and comfort.”
The Outdoor Handy Book
FOR PLAYGROUND, FIELD AND FOREST
By DANIEL C. BEARD
With more than 300 Illustrations by the Author. Square 8vo, $2.00
“It tells how to play all sorts of games with marbles, how to make and
spin more kinds of tops than most boys ever heard of, how to make the
latest things in plain and fancy kites, where to dig bait and how to
fish, all about boats and sailing, and a host of other things which can
be done outdoors. The volume is profusely illustrated and will be an
unmixed delight to any boy.”—New York _Tribune_.
[Illustration]
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Marbles—Tops—Latest Things in Kites—Aerial Fish and Dragons—Hoops and
Wheels—How to Make the Sucker—Up in the Air on Stilts—Bait, Live and
Dead—Fishing—Aquatic Sports—Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats—Shells and
Canoes—Hints for Collectors—Honey-Bee Messengers—A “Zoo”—Choosing Up and
“It”—Counting Out Rhymes—Swimming—Games of Tag—I Spy—Leap Frog—Various
Sports for Hot Days—Tip Cat—Games of Ball—Mumbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, and
Jack Stones—Hints for Bicyclists—Camping Out—Boy’s Ballista—“Tally-ho!”
and Other Cries—Indian Games for Boys—Football—Golf, Hockey, and
Shinny—Turtle Hunting—Skating—Stunning Muskrats and Fish—Snowball Battle
and Snow Tag—Sleds.
From CHARLES DANA GIBSON: “It makes a man of a boy and a boy of a man.”
“This book is praiseworthy from end to end, and will find favor even
with those who have long since passed to man’s estate.”—_The Nation._
“It is one of the completest things of the kind ever written, and with
it one can hardly conceive how a boy could be without pleasant and
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season of the year, in and out of doors, and on land and water. One of
the best things about it is that it furnishes employment for a boy’s
ingenuity and mechanical skill. It seems as if this book must be
destined to an immense popularity.”—_The Advance._
THE AMERICAN BOY'S HANDY BOOK
Or, What To Do and How To Do It
By DANIEL C. BEARD
One volume, 8vo, fully Illustrated by the Author, $2.00
Mr. Beard’s book tells the active, inventive, and practical American boy
the things he really wants to know; the thousand things he wants to do,
and the ten thousand ways in which he can do them, with the helps and
ingenious contrivances which every boy can either procure or make. The
author divides the book among the sports of the four seasons; and he has
made an almost exhaustive collection of the cleverest modern devices,
besides himself inventing an immense number of capital and practical
ideas.
[Illustration]
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Kite Time—War Kites—Novel Modes of Fishing—Home-made Fishing Tackle—How
to Stock, Make, and Keep a Fresh-water Aquarium—How to Stock and Keep a
Marine Aquarium—Knots, Bends, and Hitches—Dredge, Tangle, and Trawl
Fishing—Home-made Boats—How to Rig and Sail Small Boats—How to Camp Out
Without a Tent—How to Rear Wild Birds—Home-made Hunting Apparatus—Traps
and Trapping—Dogs—Practical Taxidermy for Boys—Snow Houses and
Statuary—Winged Skaters—Winter Fishing—Indoor Amusements—How to Make a
Magic Lantern—Puppet Shows—Home-made Masquerade and Theatrical
Costumes—With many other subjects of a kindred nature.
“It is an excellent publication, and is heartily recommended to
parents.”—_The Brooklyn Eagle._
“The book has this great advantage over its predecessors, that most of
the games, tricks, and other amusements described in it are new. It
treats of sports adapted to all seasons of the year; it is practical,
and it is well illustrated.”—_The New York Tribune._
“It tells boys how to make all kinds of things—boats, traps, toys,
puzzles, aquariums, fishing tackle; how to tie knots, splice ropes, to
make bird calls, sleds, blow guns, balloons; how to rear wild birds, to
train dogs, and do the thousand and one things that boys take delight
in. The book is illustrated in such a way that no mistake can be made;
and the boy who gets a copy of this book will consider himself set up in
business.”—_The Indianapolis Journal._
The Jack of All Trades
OR, NEW IDEAS FOR AMERICAN BOYS
By DANIEL C. BEARD
Profusely Illustrated. Square 8vo, $2.00
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“Every boy who is handy with tools of any sort will enjoy this book.”
—_Youth’s Companion._
“This book is a capital one to give any boy for a present at Christmas,
on a birthday, or indeed at any time.”
—_The Outlook._
“Full of new ideas for active boys who like to use tools and see
interesting things growing under their hands.”
—_N. Y. Tribune._
“A perfect treasure-house of things that delight the soul of a boy and
keep him happy and busy.”
—_The Interior._
[Illustration]
CONTENTS
Part I. Fair Weather Ideas
Tree-Top Club-Houses—How to Capture and Trap Small Live Animals—The
Back-Yard Zoo—A Back-Yard Fish-Pond—Pigeon and Bantam Coops—How to Make
a Back-Yard Aviary—A Boy’s Back-Yard Workshop—How to Build an
Underground Club-House—A Boys’ Club-House on the Water—How to Have Fun
on a Picnic—How to Build and How to Furnish a Daniel Boone Cabin—Flat
Boatman’s House—The American Boy’s House Boat—Back-Yard Switchback—How
to Build a Toboggan Slide in the Back-Yard.
Part II. Rainy Weather Ideas
A Home-Made Circus—Good Games with Toothpicks and Matches—Fun with
Scissors and Pasteboard and Paper—How to Prepare and Give a Boys' Chalk
Talk—A Christmas Novelty for Boys—How to Make Two Boys into One Santa
Claus—A Circus in the Attic—A Boys’ Stag Party—A Wild West Show in the
House—How to Have a Panorama Show.
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CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers
153-157 Fifth Avenue, New York
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Transcriber’s Note
Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and
are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.
38.5 Wate[r]melon Inserted.
129.30 on real carous[a/e]ls. Replaced.
154.14 there will be increasing orig[i]nality Inserted.
154.23 what is called “hit or miss[.]>” Added.
201.31 and constitutes [p]art of the framework Restored.
210.2 You will be su[r]prised Inserted.
258.30 plenty of wor[l]dly goods. Inserted.
273.30 and social intercourse (balm).[”] Added.
336.28 The writer once knew[./,] Replaced.
377.1 and you will have met, [it may for] the first _sic._
time