The Radish Imp
[Fig. 160] shows a round white radish which, with its long, slender root and leaves still on it, has been changed into a queer little radish imp by using strong broom-straws to stiffen his leaf arms, his leaf legs, and his leaf body. His eyes are bits of broom-straw, his mouth is a slit with a broom-straw tongue, and his absurd, stand-out ears are also pieces of stout broom-straw.
The root growing out of the top of his head is like a Chinaman's queue standing on end with little, crinkly separate hairs at its base.
Fig.161 - Cut two broom-straws for the arms and two for the legs.
When you make your radish imp cut two broom-straws about four inches long for his arms; point these at the ends. Cut two more strong broom-straws a little longer than the distance between the radish and the tips of the two longest leaves. Point these at both ends ([Fig. 161]). Now choose two leaves of even length, nearest the radish, for the arms. Don't take them off but push a broom-straw through each leaf, first in, then out, then push the other end of the straw into the thick part of the stems just under the radish. Look at [Fig. 160] and see how this is done.
Fig.162 - White Mouse.
Fig.163 - These belong to the mouse.
The leaves with the longest stems must be used for the legs. If there are more than two long-stemmed leaves, cut off all except those wanted for the legs. Bend the long, stout broom-straws at one end, as in [Fig. 161], and push the other end up through the thick part of the stems and into the radish; then with a piece of string or strong blade of grass tie the stems of the leaves to the straws, as shown in [Fig. 160]. This forms a little belt at the waist-line. Leave a large leaf with short stem loose at the back for a cape and run the bent ends of the long straws in and out of the leaves intended for the feet.
Cut a curved slit in the radish for a mouth and push in a small piece of broom-straw for a tongue, then put in bits of straw for eyes, nose, and uplifted ears.