letter V inverted and slightly tipped for the ear (Fig. 430); put a dash

in front of the ear parallel with the top line for the eye, and a little loop at the back for a tail (Fig. 431). Add two short straight lines to serve as legs on the far side of the pig, making them touch but not pass the bottom line (Fig. 432). Next put in the other two legs on the near side of the animal, extending them up a trifle beyond the bottom line and down a little lower than those on the far side (Fig. 433).

There! the pig is all attention, listening to the welcome sound of the children’s call and ready to start for his dinner! Now make the little animal as he appears when satisfied and trotting off contentedly. Draw the body as for the first pig, but turn it upside down (Fig. 434), then add the eye, ear, tail, and legs. Slant the eye with the head line and point the ear downward toward the left (Fig. 435). In [Illustration: Fig. 432.] these lines forming the two animals you have produced expressions; in the first, expectation; in the second, contentment, and you have also suggested character, by giving the principal distinctive lines of the pig.

When you see a picture of a pig, or the live creature, try to find the lines which you have drawn. To do this, first [Illustration: Fig. 433.] get an idea of the general line forming the back, omitting all the little ups and downs and curves—in other words, all detail. Then proceed in the same way with lines forming the rest of the animal. Do not allow yourself to be confused by the amount of detail; keep to the principal parts and you will gain some idea of the form of the object.

In the same way look at the governing lines of

=A Hen=

and you will discover that if a triangle be drawn with the straight line, or base, uppermost and the point down at the bottom, it will give the characteristic outline of the hen by adding simple outlines of head, tail, and feet. But the leading lines are not necessarily straight and angular; they are often entirely of curves—the kind of curves boys and girls delight to cut in the ice while skating, and which Old Ocean marks upon the sand in summer, using brushes [Illustration: Fig. 436.] [Illustration: Fig. 437.] made of waves.

Did you ever notice how many beautiful curves exist in

=The Queen of Flowers, the Rose,=

the national flower of England? Examine the blossom and endeavor to take in its beauty. A question often asked in one of the games of children is this: “Which would you rather have, a gold rose or a gold lily?” and the bewildered young prisoner scarce can choose, so impressed is she with the desirability of possessing, if only in imagination, both rose and lily, little dreaming that once a year a rose of the purest gold is actually made and given by the Pope to an Empress, Queen or royal princess belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. The rose you can make will not be of the precious metal, but of chalk or lead from a pencil, and you need not wait to present it to a royal personage, but may give it to whom you please. Begin with a circle (Fig. 436). Draw it as perfect as possible, and within its border place one curved petal (Fig. 437), another (Fig. 438), a third (Fig. 439), a fourth (Fig. 440), and two more (Fig. 441). Fill the circle up with petals as in Fig. 442, then on the outside of the circle make six more (Fig. 443); to these add four on the outer edge (Fig. 444). Now you may go over all the lines, making them somewhat irregular, as in Fig. 444. Draw a stem to [Illustration: Fig. 444] the rose, add a few thorns and on the right-hand side of the stem attach a branch of green [Illustration: Fig. 443.] leaves according to the copy. The easiest way to sketch in the leaves is to first draw the mid rib or central line which reaches from the point of the topmost leaf to its juncture with the stem of the rose. When that line is made draw two more, branching out on each side of it. These lines form the skeleton of the leaves, and all one has to do to finish them is to commence at the tip of each line and draw a curve to its base, first on one side, then on the other, to form the leaf.

Is not that easy? Should the work be incorrect the first time, do it over again and again. Only little animals are born with a knowledge of all they are required to know; people must learn everything, even how to walk. Remember that the women and men who seem so skilled and wise had to learn by repeated trials, just as you are doing now.

Rub the marks off the blackboard or get a fresh piece of paper and we will put a face on it—one that, after you have once drawn it, you can almost sketch with your eyes shut, so simple is the work. Possibly you do not know that the general outline of

=A Head=

is egg-shaped. Make an egg-shaped outline, using the large part for the top like a balloon (Fig. 445). Draw two curves on the egg for the eyebrows just above the centre of the face (Fig. 446); make two smaller curves under the eyebrows and exactly in the centre of the face for eyes (Fig. 447); another curve midway down between the eyes and the bottom of the chin for the nose (Fig. 448), and a last one below the nose to form the mouth. See how supplicating the face looks! You know how he feels—the boy wants to go to the circus (Fig. 449).

Reverse the order of the lines and the expression will be entirely different. Turn the curves which form the features the other way by bending them downward instead of upward (Fig. 450). The boy is now thinking of the lesson he did not learn.

=The Three Blind Mice=

who ran so fast when the butcher’s wife went after them can also be drawn in a simple manner. Make a curve (Fig. 451) and draw a straight line from end to end (Fig. 452); add ears (Fig. 453), eye and whiskers (Fig. 454), a tail (Fig. 455), and the legs and feet (Fig. 456). Draw three mice all alike in a row. Again, make Fig. 452 to form the body of

=A Fish.=

Sketch in the gills (Fig. 457), the eye and pectoral fin (Fig. 458), the dorsal fin (Fig. 459), and tail (Fig. 460); then make the scales by first drawing parallel curved slanting lines over the body of the fish (Fig. 461) and crossing them with others (Fig. 462). Indicate the water with a few short lines (Fig. 462).

=Turtles=

are slow creatures, but they are interesting travelling about with their houses on their backs. Did you ever have one for a pet? They are very quiet, not at all troublesome, and make fine pets for girls. It may be that you have never seen a geographic turtle. We will draw one, and that will impress it on your mind. Take the same Fig. 452 to form its back, mark as in Fig. 463, then give the turtle a head, in form something like that of a snake. Draw the eyes and mouth distinctly and add the feet and tail (Fig. 464).

Here is something easier to draw than any of the other objects.

=Make a Duck=

without raising the pencil from the paper. Commence at the left-hand starting-point and draw a line sidewise, running [Illustration: Fig. 465.] [Illustration: Fig. 466.] it slightly downward (Fig. 465). Turn the line up and cross it over, making a loop at the right-hand end (Fig. 466). Continue the line to the other side and turn it up into another loop under the starting-point (Fig. 467). Keep on crossing from side to side, looping the line each time [Illustration: Fig. 467.] [Illustration: Fig. 468.] until you have made Fig. 468; then draw the line up and around the loops as in Fig. 469 to form the wing. Next make similar loops, according to Fig. 470, for the tail. At the last loop draw the line across under the duck’s wing, stretching it up in front (Fig. 471). This [Illustration: Fig. 469.] [Illustration: Fig. 470.] gives the lower portion of the head and beak. Continue the line to make the upper part of the head (Fig. 472). One more trial and you will probably be able to draw the bird rapidly without once raising the pencil or chalk from the surface of the paper or blackboard. Let the duck swim in the water by drawing a few swirling lines around it as in Fig. 473.

Young people often have an intense enthusiasm at different seasons for different sports. At one time it may be hoop rolling, when every girl must have a hoop, even if it [Illustration: Fig. 471.] [Illustration: Fig. 472.] be one from a barrel. Again, pin-wheels claim attention, and the stores are besieged for bright-hued paper and all the girls and boys work hard over the pretty whirling toys, talking of the many colors, sizes, and number of their [Illustration: Fig. 473.] special designs. Somewhat after this fashion the grown people in Holland had at one time a craze, not for a toy but a flower—the brilliantly colored tulip—and these older girls and boys often spent many dollars for one plant, vying with each other in their endeavors to obtain rare varieties.

Though often gorgeous in color

=The Tulip=

is very simple in outline. In one stroke draw Fig. 474, make a corresponding curve on the other side (Fig. 475), [Illustration: Fig. 474.] [Illustration: Fig. 475.] forming an oval standing on end; this is one petal. At the right-hand side, from near the top of the petal, run a short, slanting curved line upward and outward (Fig. 476) and connect the end of this line with the bottom of the oval by a reverse curve, making the petal point outward at the top (Fig. 477). Duplicate the petal on the left-hand side, making three visible petals (Fig. 478), most of the other three being hidden on the far side of the flower. Form the tops of the back petals by drawing three [Illustration: Fig. 476.] [Illustration: Fig. 477.] little tent-like points, one on each side and one back of the central petal (Fig. 479, A, B, C). Add the stem by drawing two straight lines down from the bottom of the oval (Fig. 480). A short distance from the flower add two long, pointed leaves on the stem, curving them somewhat after the manner of the side petals (Fig. 481).

There are other flowers whose outlines may be drawn in this simple manner. Try the

=Common White Field Daisy=

with its golden centre. First draw a small circle to represent the centre, and as the texture of its surface is slightly rough or velvety, differing in this respect from the surface of the white petals, indicate the difference by covering the centre with tiny dots. From the edge of the centre sketch in the petals of the flower by drawing, for the sides of each one, two long, curved lines which start from the round dotted centre and end by meeting at the outermost tips. Make a number of petals extending entirely around the circumference of the centre. Let them radiate out in all directions as the spokes stand out from the hub of a wheel, being careful to have the petals about the same length, that the daisy may be circular in form and not uneven.

Always make the designs large in size, drawing the lines in with free, easy sweeps of the wrist and arm. Never allow your work to become cramped; move the pencil or chalk deliberately and think what you are going to do before starting. Satisfy yourself as to where you are to begin and where you are going to stop; then do your best.

The duck of fancy loops (Fig. 473) does not portray the characteristic lines of the bird. Such was not the intention; it is merely given for the fun of twisting the lines into the form of a duck, so that you may be able to say, “I can draw a duck without taking the pencil from the paper. Watch me!” Then you draw it for the benefit of your friends.

If you can get a blackboard or a piece of blackboard cloth and tack it over layers of paper on the wall, you might give

=A Little Parlor Entertainment=

by drawing the simple designs you have learned, and perhaps others you can work out for yourself as you stand before your friends. There is a certain fascination in watching anyone sketch and seeing lines which appear to be without meaning develop into familiar objects. Try the idea with a few friends or the members of your family. As you sketch the objects tell in an easy, natural manner anything and everything you know about them. And before you are aware of the fact you will be giving others a delightful half-hour, besides enjoying it yourself.