Fig. 344. Just think! Elephant and camel for first course, stork and lobster second, and dessert of spiders, wasps, and small birds. What a novel bill of fare! One little girl may eat a couple of elephants, several giraffes, a rhinoceros or two, and still have a good appetite for her regular dinner.
Should you think of some favorite animal not here described, which would be an addition to your collection, put your wits to work and hunt up a peanut suitable for the purpose; then find a photograph or printed picture of the animal, that you may be sure to have it as perfect as the materials will allow. In this way almost
Any Animal, Fish, or Insect Can be Made,
for after working out the given examples you will have gained sufficient knowledge of the governing principles of the work and enough skill to enable you to continue the manufacturing of peanut toys alone or with the help of other girls and boys.
Different Lines of Objects
can also be formed from the nut. Break open one with only a slight indenture at the centre and make the two halves into fairylike little sailing vessels by the addition of a sail and mast cut all in one from white writing-paper, and gummed to the bottom of the boat near the large end. It requires but a moment to make these tiny crafts, and they will sail across a basin of water as if they were in reality large affairs on the salt sea, their white wings gleaming out in the most charming manner. Stir the water slightly with a stick and see how the boats dance; blow gently on the sails and off the two will race for the opposite side of the basin. If you are near any small stream or pond you may launch your tiny boat and watch it bravely breast the little ripples.
CHAPTER XV
A FLOWER FEAST
This dinner party will be great fun, especially as there need be no worry about cooking, for the sun, with the assistance of the rain and air, has attended to that part of the preparation.