CHAPTER VIII

MORE CORK TOYS

=Cork Boats.= Besides the submarine described in Chapter VI, many other boats can be made from corks, all of which will float well. The corks are joined together by pieces of wire passing through the middle. For the keel cut a narrow strip of lead (not more than 1/4 inch wide); point both ends, bend them up at right angles as in Fig. 150; make slits in the corks and push in the pointed ends of the lead. The keel is made more secure by driving pins or thin nails through the lead and the corks. The keel also helps to hold the corks firmly together and prevents them from slipping round on the connecting wire.

=A Steamer= (Fig. 151). Select three corks, as uniform in size as possible. Cut and file part of their round surface quite flat as in Fig. 152. Shape the bow and stern. The funnels are made of two small corks, fastened by pins. The masts consist of pieces of cane or thin sticks.

=A Sailing-boat.= A very pretty little sailing-boat can be made, as in Fig. 153. The sails are of glazed lining. The edges of this do not fray, so the sails do not require hemming, and as they must be as light as possible, this is a great advantage.

The gaff, A, is tied with thread to the mast, also the boom, B; both are pieces of cane, to which the mainsail, D, is sewn. The end of the boom is tied by cotton to a piece of wire at the stern, shaped as in Fig. 154. Care must be taken that the lead keel is exactly in the middle, and that the sails and masts are not too heavy, otherwise the boat will blow over on its side.

=A Paddle-boat.= Two pieces of cork pinned on each side of the steamer and cut as in Fig. 155, or even left round, make very realistic-looking paddle wheels. Other models, such as a dreadnought, a fishing smack, etc., are easily made.

=A Flying Proa of the Ladrones= (Fig. 156). These boats are used chiefly in East Indian waters. They are remarkable for their speed. Bow and stern are equally sharp pointed. One side of the proa is flat, and in a straight line from bow to stern (Fig. 157), but the other is rounded as in other vessels. The outrigger prevents the boat from turning over.

In the model the outrigger is made of a cork fastened to the side of the boat by match sticks or pieces of cane.

=An Eskimo Canoe= is very easily made by pointing the ends very sharply and hollowing out a hole in the centre (Fig. 158). Fig. 159 shows an =Egyptian Dahabieh=. For this boat it is better to use four corks, as two sails are carried.

In the =Double Canoe= (Fig. 160) the two boats are joined by a thin piece of wood, A. A slanting hole is drilled in A for the mast. Mast and yards are best made of cane. These little boats look wonderfully effective on the water.

=Cork Wrestlers= (Fig. 165). This is a very amusing toy and is very easily made. Cut and file two corks to the shape shown in =Fig. 161=. Drill a hole through the shoulders (_a a_) and hips (_b b_), and flatten these for the limbs to work against. The arms and legs are made of cardboard. Cut out the legs as in =Fig. 162= and make holes in them. Pass a piece of stout wire through the hips and the holes in the legs and double the ends over, so that the legs will not slip off, but let them be loose enough to move freely.

In shaping the legs make them bend slightly at the knee, as this makes the figures more life-like in their movements.

The arms must be cut out in pairs as in =Fig. 163=. Make holes near the shoulders and one at _c_. Then fasten the arms to the body in the same way as the legs.

The heads are made of cork, the eyes, mouth, etc., being marked in ink. Cut a slit across the neck and one across the top of the body. Fasten the head to the body by inserting, with the help of a pen-knife, a strip of calico into both these slits, so that the head is fairly close to the body (Fig. 164). The heads will move about as the figures wrestle. Paint the legs and arms.

Pass a piece of thread through the holes c. Hold one end of the thread steady and move the other about and you will cause the little figures to wrestle in a most life-like manner. If it is necessary to make the figures heavier, little pieces of lead may be glued to the feet.

Similar little wrestlers (Fig. 167) can be made from two wooden clothes-pegs (Fig. 166). Cut the pegs in two along the dotted line. The upper part forms the head and body of a wrestler, and the lower parts are used for the legs. Drill holes through the bodies (at A in Fig. 166) and through the legs at the thin ends; fasten these to the body with wire.

For the arms two pieces of thin, flat wood are necessary, about 3 inches in length. Bore holes at each end and in the middle, shape them roughly with a pen-knife to represent the joined hands of the wrestlers. Fix these pieces to the bodies and work them as described in the case of the cork wrestlers.

=Swiss Musical Figures.= These amusing little toys were first invented by the Swiss. They are not musical in the sense that they produce any sound, but they dance about to music when placed on a piano lid, or on any flat surface which vibrates.

The figures should be small and light and are easily cut out from a cork.

Shape a cork as in Fig. 168 and hollow out the centre (A). Cut out arms and legs of thin cardboard. Fasten the legs to a piece of wire passing through the hollow in the cork (B C in Fig. 168), so that they hang loosely. Fasten the arms to the shoulders with wire. Make four tiny holes in the bottom rim, E, with a pin; get some stiff bristles (from an old clothes brush), glue them into the holes and when firm cut them level, so that the figure stands upright, with the feet a little above the ground. A head is then made of cork, and a little dress and bonnet of paper added. This little figure, resting on the bristles, is affected by the slightest vibration. Other figures, such as a soldier, a clown, or animals, such as a dancing bear or a monkey, can be made on the same principle.