Leave the candles in their moulds until they are hard and almost, but not quite cold, then draw the hat pin from the wicks and, taking one mould, begin at the top and peel off the paper, carrying it around and around spirally, as in [Fig. 462]. Insert the blade of a penknife between the bottom of the candle and the bottom of the mould, and cut around the edge. Remove first one layer of the bottom, then the other layer, after which you can draw the candle from the remainder of the mould.

Cut the bottom end of the wick close to the candle, and also trim off the top of the wick, making it about one inch long above the candle ([Fig. 463]).

CHAPTER XXVIII
WATER TOYS—LITTLE WAX PEOPLE THAT SWIM AND RIDE ON RAFTS

THESE little wax people are very fond of the water; in fact they are more at home and far happier in the water than when on land. Some of the wax girls and boys will be content to sit on the edge of the shore with their feet in the water; others will cling with both hands to the life-rope and dance up and down as the little waves dash upon them, though you will find that the more daring ones are not satisfied with jumping, but will often turn completely over while still grasping the rope.

The Patterns for the Little People

are given in [Figs. 464], [466], [477] and [480]. Cut ten girls from ten pieces of folded white writing-paper after first tracing the lengthwise half of [Fig. 464] on half of the paper ([Fig. 465]). Cut ten boys ([Fig. 466]) from white writing-paper ([Fig. 467]). Paint each girl’s hair a different color, varying from light brown to raven black, from golden blond to dark auburn. Paint their bathing dresses red, blue, pink, orange, brown, green, yellow, purple, striped red and white, and spotted blue and white. Paint the boys’ bathing suits in a similar manner; mark the features of both girls and boys in ink, then color face, hands, arms, legs and feet pink. Use water-colors, and paint the back as well as the front of the dolls. When the paint is dry, take two girls and two boys and bend their arms forward at the shoulders; bend several dolls in a sitting position; take others and bend one leg forward and one backward, as if they were walking, and bend the hands together in front on those you wish to dive into the water from a height.

Fig. 464.—The girl bather. Fig. 465.—This is the way to cut out the girl.