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Read Ebook: Mother Nature's Toy-Shop by Beard Adelia B Adelia Belle Beard Lina
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Ebook has 406 lines and 21548 words, and 9 pages
You use a little pretended magic when you turn a sweet-pea blossom into a peacock, and that makes it seem more mysterious and more interesting. It doesn't take a second but while you are doing it you must repeat this transformation rhyme:
"Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea, Your petals unlock. I turn two down, And you're a peacock."
Pick out a fine, large sweet-pea blossom. It doesn't matter about the color. If you have a number to choose from, suit yourself. Hold the flower in your left hand by its stem and recite the first two lines:
"Sweet Pea, Sweet Pea, Your petals unlock."
Then as you reach around to the back of the flower with your right hand and put your thumb on one curled petal, X, and your first finger on the other curled petal, Y , finish the rhyme:
"I turn two down, And you're a peacock."
and at the same time turn these petals down as they are in Fig. 97. You will see right away that the turned-down petals at the sides are the wings, the upright petal at the back is the tail, and the closed middle part is the body. The tipped-up point of the body part makes a very good head for the little sweet-pea peacock.
Snapdragon--Lady's Head and Lion's Head
The magic that turns a blossom of the large, cultivated snapdragon into a little lady's head, upon which rests a dainty, ruffled sunbonnet, or into a ferocious-looking lion's head, is the magic of pen and ink, not of rhyme.
The blossoms of the cultivated snapdragon are very much larger than those of its wild cousin, called by some people butter-and-eggs, but the cultivated flowers grow on a stalk in the same way as the wild ones. You would hardly recognize the cultivated flowers as snapdragons because of their size and wonderful colors. A sure test is to pinch one; if it opens its mouth it is a real snapdragon; if it doesn't it is not; but you must know how to pinch it, else it may refuse to snap.
The illustration shows a stalk of the cultivated flower, and looking at the blossoms in that position you can see neither the lady's head nor the lion's, yet they are there.
LADY'S HEAD
Pick a blossom off its stalk, leaving the little stem attached, and turn it around until you discover the sunbonnet and see that it looks like Fig. 99, then with pen and ink draw eyes, nose, and mouth on the part under the bonnet that is the face. This part is white, while the sunbonnet is sometimes a dainty pink and sometimes a gorgeous scarlet or orange, with deeper color on the edges.
LION'S HEAD
Turn another blossom upside down and the crown of the bonnet becomes the lower jaw and beard of the lion, while the other part is the lion's face. On the face you must make two fierce eyes like those in Fig. 100. When you take hold of the lion's jaws at the back and pinch them he will open his great, wide mouth as if to send out a tremendous roar, only to snap it shut again without a sound as you stop pinching. Fig. 100 shows how to hold the flower to open the lion's mouth.
The pink snapdragon is best to use for the lady's head and the orange-colored one for the lion's. If you would rather call it a dragon's head, you can, you know, but it looks more like a lion.
MISS HOLLYHOCK'S GARDEN-PARTY
WHEN Miss Hollyhock gives a garden-party the scene is a gay one. All the ladies, and you can have as many as you want, are in their freshest, crispest summer gowns. There are dainty pink ones, white, rose-colored, and deep red; there are light yellow and orange; there are gowns almost brown and others almost black, but whatever the color of the skirt the waist is always green. Green waists are the style where Miss Hollyhock lives, and she and all her friends follow the style very closely.
The hats these little ladies wear to the party are of the same silky material as their skirts and are usually of the same color, though sometimes a lady in white will appear in a pink or yellow hat, or a pink lady can be seen wearing a white hat, and the lady in rose knows how well she looks in a hat that is almost black. When there are two or more gowns of the same color the hollyhock ladies prefer to have different colored hats so that they will not all look alike.
Fig. 101 shows how Miss Hollyhock and her friends are made from the flowers of that name. When you have gathered the flowers you must cut off the stem of each close to the green calyx which is Miss Hollyhock's waist, and then cut out the pistil which grows inside the blossom. This pistil is shaped something like a little club, and is covered with the yellow grains of pollen . It looks like Fig. 102. The pollen will make the flower wilt quickly. That is why it is best to take the pistil out.
Now select a nice, round, hard, green bud for a head and leave its stem on for the neck. Turn the sharp point of your scissors around in the top of the hollyhock calyx to make a little round hole, then push the stem of the bud into the hole, screwing it round and round until the bud almost, but not quite, touches the calyx. If you push it all the way down your lady will have no neck; her head will grow directly out of her shoulders.
Wooden toothpicks are used for legs, arms, and support, but strong broom-straws will answer as well, or straight, slender twigs. Push three toothpicks, twigs, or broom-straws up into the centre of the flower, two in front and one at the back as you see them in Fig. 103. The dotted lines show where they go inside the blossom. Be sure to have all three the same length so that the little lady will stand firmly. The arrows on Fig. 103 show where to insert the arms. Cut sharp points on the broom-straws to make them slide in easily. Blunt ends will tear the flower.
With pen and ink make the eyes, nose, and mouth on the head, and use a petal of another hollyhock for a hat. Pin the hat to the top of the lady's head with a pin or short broom-straw.
A garden-party would not be complete without
A Tea-Table
Make the tea-table of the hollyhock's round cake of unripe seeds which most children call a cheese. This is covered with a green case which is easily taken off and then you have a round, white disk like a little table-top turned up at the edge. Select the largest one you can find and push the ends of three toothpicks or broom-straws into the under-side for the table legs . Now the tea-table must have a
Teapot and Cups
Find a green bud for a teapot shaped like Z . Push two short straws into the bud in the places shown by the arrows in Z , one for the spout and one for the handle. Cut the tops off smaller buds to make them into teacups . A drop of paste at the bottom of the teapot and the cups will keep them in place on the table.
DAFFODILS
Dancing Flowers and Whirligigs
DAFFODILS, yellow as sunshine, always come with the beautiful springtime. The blossoms of the single daffodils, with their tall, golden cups resting in the saucers of lighter-colored petals, are the daintiest, though both single and double are so like a song of cheerfulness it is a joy to have them near. They look as if they wanted to dance for sheer happiness and, wonder of wonders, you can actually make them dance.
Gather a few of the single daffies, leaving on them the very short stems which hold them to the main stalk. These little green stems will be the stiff ornaments at the top of the dancers' green caps when you turn the flowers upside down, which is right side up for the dancers.
Daffodil Dancers
To make a flower stand alone and give it feet to dance on, push three wooden toothpicks firmly up under the little yellow skirt into the centre of the blossom. It doesn't matter if a flower has three feet; like an insect, it may have more than two and it won't stand on two. Spread the bottom ends of the toothpicks out a trifle like a tripod to make the flower stand steady .
When you have made several dancers, stand them on a tin tray, and they will be a group of "daffy-down-dillies just come to town," arrayed in their best gowns and ready to take part in the dance. Tap the tray gently from underneath and the dancers will begin to move. Tap a little harder and they will begin to dance. Tip the tray slightly forward and they will dance toward you; tip it backward and they will dance away again.
A Daffodil Animal
Queer little animals that come only from Daffy land can be made of the single daffodil-blossoms. Take one of the flowers and carefully cut away the outstanding petals, leaving the perfect, long cup. Hold the cup in your left hand with the short, green stem hanging down; the stem is the animal's head; then break off about half an inch from the blunt ends of four wooden toothpicks and use the longest parts for legs. Push the pointed ends of the tooth pick legs up into the under-side of the long, slender cup as it is held in your left hand. Keep the legs of an even length and the animal will stand firmly. This little fellow, with his green head and long green nose, is very comical . He can dance on the tin tray too, and run about when you tip it.
The daffodil toys will keep their color a long while even after the blossoms are dry. Do not take off the brown calyx which is lightly wrapped around the bottom of each flower. It represents the hair of the dancers and the ears of the animal.
The Whirligig
You can have some fun with the daffodil stalk, too, after taking off the flowers.
Fig. 108 is a daffodil stalk; look at it closely, then look at Fig. 109. They are really the very same though they appear to be so different. One seems to have a blossom at the top, and you know that the other has not.
If you want to do the trick and make a stalk blossom, select a stalk like Fig. 108, hold the stem closely between your open hands and roll it rapidly by first sliding your right hand forward while the left slides backward, then the left forward and the right hand back. This makes a whirligig of your stalk, and the flower will appear at the top as you see it in Fig. 109.
Try making whirligigs of other kinds of stems; of grasses, twigs, and leaves.
SEED-VESSELS
SEED-VESSEL PLAYTHINGS
WHEN the flowers have gone then come the seed-vessels, equally as good for playthings but very different.
Of course, you know the rose-haws, the little red and yellow and green apples that you find on the rose-bushes in the fall. They are the seed-vessels of the rose, and every rose which is allowed to remain on the bush until it fades and falls apart leaves a seed-vessel to take its place.
The Doll's Fruit Piece
The rose-haws look very much like little apples. Rosy-cheeked Baldwins, yellow harvest-apples, and greenings, and they will make a fine fruit-piece for the centre of your doll's table. Pile them up on one of the toy dishes and put the smallest of green rose-leaves around the edge .
Rose-Haw Necklace
But the rose-haws can be used for something besides toy apples; you can pretend they are jewels and string them for a real necklace.
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