Make as many
Blackbirds
as you can place conveniently, without too much crowding, on top of the pie.
Use medium stiff cardboard or smooth water color paper, not too limber, for the birds. Cut them from an enlarged pattern of [Fig. 229], as the birds must be life-size. Paint or ink the bird black on both sides and, when it is dry, bend up the tail in a curve. Bend up the neck at dotted line of [Fig. 229]. Pinch together the beak and bend it downward, bringing the head forward at dotted line of [Fig. 229]. Turn up the wings according to dotted lines on [Fig. 229], and curve them over and outward at the top ([Fig. 230]). Puncture two holes in the back of the bird at the dots A and B ([Fig. 229]).
| Fig. 230.—Blackbird bent in shape. | Fig. 231.—Bend one end of a hairpin into a square hook. | Fig. 232.—Top of hook bent into handle. |
There must be a handle for lifting the blackbirds; make it of a hairpin. Bend one end of a wire hairpin into a square hook ([Fig. 231]) and slide the longer end up through the foremost hole on the underside of the bird; tie the centre of a string, nine inches long, on the horizontal bend of the hooked end of the hairpin; then push the short end of the hook up through the other hole in the bird, bringing the string up close against the bird’s breast. Bend the short end of the hairpin down on the bird’s back and flatten it with a hammer. Curve the top of the hairpin into a handle ([Fig. 232]) and fasten the hooked end of the hairpin more securely to the breast and back of the bird by pasting a piece of paper over the short portion of the hairpin lying over the back ([Fig. 233]). Push the paper up tight around the edge of the wire. Paste another piece of paper over the short length of hairpin on the bird’s breast in the same manner ([Fig. 234]).
| Fig. 233.—Hairpin fastened to back of bird. | Fig. 234.—Hairpin fastened to breast of bird. |
Set the blackbird away until next day, when it will be perfectly dry, and you will find the hairpin secure in its place, standing straight and steady.
Tie the two ends of the string together into a hard knot; then bend one half of another wire hairpin into a hook ([Fig. 235]) and fasten it securely on the string at the end of the loop; twist the long handle of the hairpin hook ([Fig. 235]) around and over the string, as shown in [Fig. 236].