CHAPTER XXIV

MORE OLD-FASHIONED TOYS

=Jacob's Ladder.= This is a very old and ingenious puzzle and an amusing toy. It is very simply made. A number of blocks of wood must be made, 4" × 2-1/2" × 3/8". Any number may be used, but not less than seven; twelve is a very good number.

Round the edges of the blocks and make them smooth with sand-paper, as in Fig. 488. Cut strips of tape about 1/4 inch wide and long enough to go over the rounded ends of the blocks, _a_, _b_, _b_, etc., in Fig. 488. There are three tapes to each block. Nail and glue tape _a_ to the centre of upper end of block A; it is then brought over and downward under the middle of the lower end of block B and fastened.

Tapes _b b_ are now fastened to the opposite end of A about 1/4 inch from the end on either side, and are then brought round the opposite end of B, as shown in the diagram. The centre tape _c_ is fastened to B and then brought down underneath to centre of the opposite end of C. The tapes must be arranged like this throughout the whole set of blocks.

Fig. 489 shows how the blocks are held when they are all complete. Top block A must be turned so as to bring the second block to the same level. The top of this block then falls, and it appears to pass rapidly down first on one side and then on the other, until it reaches the bottom. This is only what _seems_ to happen. What really happens is that the second block becomes reversed and falls back again, in its former position. This makes it come level with the third block, which at once falls over on the fourth, and so on to the end of the ladder. A very illusive effect is thus produced. The blocks might be coloured with some bright enamel paint, contrasting colours on opposite sides.

=The Trellis Toy= (Fig. 490). The strips of wood for this toy should be as thin as possible. They are fastened together at points 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., by small pieces of wire, or by rivets bent down to prevent their slipping off, but not too tightly, so that the toy works easily. Heads can be cut out of cardboard painted and glued to the wood. Strips A and B should be wider at one end and have holes made in them for handles.

=A Running Mouse.= This toy is made of fret-wood, two ordinary reels and elastic.

Choose two reels of about 1-1/2 inches in length, diameter about 1 inch.

Cut out a piece of wood, A, to measurements given (Fig. 491). With a fret-saw cut out the head (Fig. 492); slit B is a little wider than the thickness of the wood, so that the head wags about very easily when wired to the body (Fig. 494). Cut out four legs as in Fig. 493. The reels work behind these so that the shape of the leg partly hides them. Nail the back legs to the body as shown in Fig. 494. Make a round axle to fit one of the reels so that it turns easily on it; cut it the exact length of the distance between the two back legs, pass it through the reel and glue its ends, C, to the legs so that the reel comes slightly below the legs and can run along easily. Now make holes, D, in the front legs, and nail them to the body so that holes D are on a level with the axle C. Make a hole through the body A, midway between the front legs, through which the string, E, will pass. Make holes in the other reel and insert wire staples at each end as in Fig. 495. Fasten to and wind round the reel about a yard of string. Pass rubber bands through each staple (F in Fig. 495) and through the holes D in the front legs and knot on the outside. Pass the string through the hole in A (Fig. 496).

=To fasten Head on.= Make two holes in the head exactly over each other, G and H in Fig. 492. Slip the head on to the body and make a hole through the body, between holes G and H, as shown in Fig. 497. Bend a piece of wire as in Fig. 498, distance between bent ends being equal to distance between holes G and H; slip the wire through the hole in the body, pass the ends of the wire through holes G and H, then bend the ends over to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 498; the mouse's head will then swing from side to side. Make a hole in end at L (Fig. 494) and insert a tail of thick string. A piece of wood, M, shaped as in Fig. 494, may be glued along part of the body, A, a little to one side so as not to interfere with string, E. The whole may be suitably coloured.

The toy works in this way. If it is placed on the floor and the string held, the weight of the toy will make the twine unwind, thus causing the elastic which supports the reel to twist. When the string is slackened, the elastic will untwist again, making the reel revolve and the toy run along the ground.

Figs. 499 and 500 show a black beetle that can be made in the same way; the antennæ may be made of wire. Other suitable animals are a lizard and a crocodile.

=A Hygroscope.= The cottage is made of thin wood about 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch in thickness, according to measurements given in Fig. 501. The sides are about 3-1/2 inches. The platform or floor on which it stands, 6-1/2 inches by 4 inches. The sides of the roof are 4 inches by 4 inches, so that it projects slightly.

The doors in front are 1-1/4 inches wide and 3 inches high, and are cut out with the fret-saw; about half-an-inch of the partition between the doors is cut away to allow the disc on which the figures stand to swing round. Cut with fret-saw a circular disc of wood 1/8 inch thick, diameter 3 inches. Drill a hole through the centre and fit into it quite tightly a piece of wire bent into a loop as shown in Fig. 502. Drill a hole in the floor of the cottage, about an inch from the middle of the partition. The wire axle should fit into this so that it turns easily, but not too loosely, otherwise the disc on which the figures stand will wobble. Just over this hole there must be another hole in the roof. This can be made by filing, with round fret-saw file, a little hollow (Fig. 503) in each of the top sides of the roof, so that when they come together a hole is formed. The back, sides, floor and roof may now be nailed and glued together. Next cut out from three-ply wood with the fret-saw two little figures as in Fig. 501; they should be about 2 inches to 2-1/4 inches, and should be suitably coloured. These are glued to the wooden disc.

The disc is hung from the roof by a piece of catgut; a knot is made at the end to prevent it slipping through, the other end being tied to the wire loop; the wire passes through the hole in the floor. The catgut must be long enough to allow the disc to turn round completely on its axis. Four pieces of wood or four small reels are glued to the corners of the floor to prevent the wire axle from touching the ground. The front must not be put on until the model is found to work correctly. To do this, hang the disc so that it is parallel to the ground, and so that both figures are looking out of their respective doors; then tie the knot at the top and wait for a change of weather.

Supposing on a damp day the cricketer comes forward and the boy in mackintosh and sou'wester retires indoors, this is because the catgut is twisting the wrong way, therefore the end that is fastened to the roof must be fastened to the wire loop, and vice versa. Now the front can be glued on. It can be suitably painted, showing door-posts, windows, bricks, etc.

=Why the Hygroscope works.= Catgut has the peculiar property of absorbing moisture from the air and twisting up and becoming shorter; when the air is dry it untwists to its original length; the damper the air the greater is the amount of the twist. Hence in the model, as the catgut twists and untwists according to the state of the atmosphere, the little figures swing in and out of the cottage doors.