Miss Nancy (Fig. 226) is fashioned from a piece of pith taken out of a dried cornstalk. Cut away the stalk until the pith is reached; then take a piece of the pith, about six inches long and whittle out one end to resemble a head as in Fig. 224, draw a face on the head with pen and ink, and glue half of a lead bullet on the lower end of the pith (Fig. 225). Make Miss Nancy’s costume of a skirt, composed of some bright-colored Japanese paper, a shawl made of a piece of soft ribbon or silk, and a cap of white swiss. The peculiarity of the little lady is that she insists upon always standing upright, no matter in what position she is placed. [Illustration: Fig. 224. Fig. 225. Manner of Making Miss Nancy.] [Illustration: Fig. 226.—Miss Nancy.] =A Soft Ball.= A very pretty and safe return ball for the little ones to play with may be made of paper (Fig. 227), which, being soft, precludes all danger of “thumps and bumps.” [Illustration: Fig. 227.—Paper Ball.] Take a piece of newspaper, and, using both hands, roll it and fold it into something of the required shape. Then place it in the centre of a square piece of bright-colored tissue paper; take the four corners of the tissue-paper up to the centre of the top of the ball, fold them over, also fold and smooth down what fulness there may be; next place a small round piece of gold, silver, or some contrasting colored paper on the top of the ball. Secure all by winding a string around the ball, making six or eight divisions; tie a piece of elastic to the string where it crosses on the top of the ball, then paste over this a small artificial flower. In the other end of the elastic, make a loop to fit over the finger, or tie on it a small brass ring. If a tiny sleigh-bell be placed in the centre when the ball is being made, it will give a cheerful little tinkling noise whenever the ball is thrown. [Illustration: Fig. 228.—The Rooster.] [Illustration: Fig. 229 Fig. 230 Fig. 231 Fig. 232. Fig. 233.—The Weight. Pattern of Rooster.] =A Lively Rooster.=