Paper Parachute.
Paper Purses.—Paper Purses are somewhat complicated in their manufacture, and when made are not the most serviceable of receptacles for money. As an exercise of ingenuity and care in the making they are worth attempting. Cut a piece of paper, tolerably soft and pliable, into a square, fold it into three equal parts, and when so folded again fold three times (Fig. 1); the paper now should again take the square shape, but much reduced in size. Take the paper when so folded between the forefinger and thumb of each hand, and pinch it into the star-like form shown in Fig. 3. Then open out the paper as at the beginning, being careful not to press it flat, but to retain clearly the marks of all the folds, which should be impressed as shown in Fig. 2. Catch the opposite corners at the points a and b and c and d respectively between the fingers and thumb of each hand, and by gently twisting and screwing the paper, humour it so that the folds will arrange themselves and leave the paper as shown in Fig. 4. Turning now to Fig. 4, fold the point a to the point b, c to d, and e to f, which should then leave the paper as shown in the Fig. 5. Insert the point g of that figure into an opening that will be found between the points h and i, and the purse, properly closed, is complete.
Paper Purses.
The chief of the paper toys made by merely folding the paper have now been described; there are doubtless many other simple ones that need no description, and it has not been considered advisable to enter into the details as to the many simple toys that may be cut out of stiff paper or cardboard. Light-fingeredness, guided by a very small quantity of ingenuity and inventive powers, will suggest the uses to which cardboard may be put as an in-door amusement in the manufacture of sundry toys and other miniature articles. A very nice suite of doll's furniture may be readily cut out of pieces of stiff cardboard.
PARLOUR BOWLS.
This is an interesting game, adapted for any number of persons, and in principle is very similar to the game of Bowls, as described at large among the Lawn Games. The balls are, of course, very different in size to those used out of doors, and are made and adapted for in-door play. Each player is provided with two balls of the same colour, which he bowls towards a jack or die, the jack being placed at the side of the room opposite to that from which the players are stationed. The players decide the order in which they play, and then each one alternately bowls one of the balls towards the jack, and he who succeeds in placing his bowl nearest to the jack wins the game. When the players are more than three they may be divided into opposing sides, and it is then legitimate to play so as to knock an opponent's bowl away from, or a partner's bowl near to, the jack; scores should then be calculated after each round, according to the various distances that the bowls are from the jack. The game described in this book as German Balls is sometimes also known as Parlour Bowls.
PARLOUR CROQUET.
There are three versions of the lawn game of Croquet that are played in-doors, and are known as Carpet Croquet, Parlour Croquet, and Table Croquet respectively. These are all recently introduced games, and are deservedly popular. The mallets, balls, and arches are made of different sizes and shapes according to the game; they are all more or less similar to those used in the out-door game, and may be obtained, with the necessary rules, which are only adaptations of the rules of the out-door game, of the toy-dealers. Each version of the game may be played by eight or any less number of players. The peculiarity of Carpet Croquet is, as its name implies, that it is played on the carpet, and the hoops used are fitted into flat metal stands, so that the balls roll over the stand without hindrance. Parlour Croquet is played on a mahogany board lined with cloth, and which is made level by means of adjusting-screws fitted underneath. Table Croquet is played on an ordinary dining-table, and with the other materials for playing the game are supplied cloth cushions to place round the edge of the table to prevent the balls from rolling off.