Fig. 549
Fig. 550
Fig. 551
A sea scene looks very effective. Waves can be cut out of cardboard and placed in every groove, as in Fig. 549, and a ship drawn across. A shipwreck forms an exciting scene. Indeed, there is no end to the scenes—soldiers marching past, stories and scenes from history and literature, etc., etc. The ingenious owner of the theatre will think of many, and add many improvements. It must not be forgotten that the stage is large enough to hold small objects—trees, etc.—to make the scenes look more realistic. Also holes or slits can be made in the roof if it is necessary to pull anything up or hang anything. Fig. 549 shows how a fringe of paper, A, can be fastened to the roof and bent over to hide the pole on which the curtain is wound.
Fig. 550 shows how the scenes are worked; as the Witch is pushed on from one side, the weeping Cinderella is pushed off; when she has quite gone and only the Witch remains, a radiant Cinderella comes on, followed by a coach, etc.
Lastly, Fig. 551 shows a proscenium, which may be built up of either cardboard or wood, and fixed to the front of the theatre. The sides should project sufficiently to hide the working of the strips by means of which the actors are moved on the stage.
Here, for the present, we take leave of the reader, having given him or her some insight into a subject both pleasant and profitable. The preceding pages are no more than an introduction to the art of making toys, and of making the most of simple tools and simple materials, and their real purpose is to encourage our young people not only to copy but also to create, or at any rate to copy not only from our book but from the world around them.