NOW we must play in-doors, and if you will spread out your little hands and slide them together, back to back, with the palms outward, so that the longest finger of the left hand rests on the back of the right hand and the longest finger of the right hand lies on the back of the left hand, you will have a
Queer Little Teeter-tarter
which will move when and how you wish. The two longest fingers form the teeter-tarter; half of the teeter is on one side and half on the opposite side of the fence. The fence is made by the other parts of the hands, which, crossing each other, fit snugly and tightly, leaving the teeter free to swing back and forth at will. [Fig. 461] shows how your hands should be placed together: the long finger marked A is half of the teeter; the other half is on the opposite side. Move the long fingers and watch the teeter go up and down, first one end then the other, just like a real teeter made of a board across a fence. If you bend back both of your wrists, the right wrist will drop while the left wrist will be raised above it. This will bring one edge of the fence or hands toward you, and looking down, you can see both ends of the little teeter.
Fig. [461].—The queer little teeter.
You might cut out of writing-paper two small dolls and bend them so that they will sit on the teeter. The least bit of paste on the ball of the teeter finger of your left hand and some more on the nail of the teeter finger of your right hand will fix the paper children securely on the teeter, and you can make it go as fast as you please without danger of the dolls' falling off. [Fig. 462] gives the pattern for the dolls; [Fig. 463] shows how to bend them, and [Fig. 464] gives a little paper girl seated on one end of the teeter.
| Fig. [462].—Pattern of doll. | Fig. [463].—Doll ready for teeter. |
Take the dollies off the teeter and let them rest for a while and watch you build a church. Place your two hands back to back, with the ends of the fingers of the right loosely crossing those of the left hand; then, bring the palms of the hands together, fingers inside and thumbs outside and lo!
Fig. [464].—Doll on teeter.