Bones
(Fig. 498) and, after cleaning and drying them, hold both in your right hand, one bone between the first and second
Fig. 498. finger, the other between the second and third, so that the convex or outward curved sides lie next each other and the top ends of the bones extend slightly beyond the knuckles. Then double up your hand, holding the first bone securely, the other loosely, and in this position give your hand a quick twist and jerking motion, causing the loose ends of the bones to come together with a click, click, clickity, click. The bones should not be cooked, as too much heat will crack them.
Another home-made instrument of music is the
Crystal Flute,
fashioned of small bottles. Any kind of bottle which sounds well when you blow into it will answer the purpose. Use coarse darning-cotton to sew the bottles in a row on a strip of pasteboard, commencing with the deepest toned and leading up to the highest toned (Fig. 499). Place the flute against your lower lip and blow into the open mouth of the bottle. Continue blowing as you move the instrument along, sounding each bottle in turn. After a few trials you can manage the crystal flute well enough to have all the bottles join in the grand chorus of the musical jubilee you intend to give with the home-made instruments.
The Dance of the Dolls.