These children made a beautiful picture as they grouped themselves before the tall trees at the right and left of the stage. With them sat the soloists and the orchestra. A reader dressed in the costume of the period told the story. A group of sixteen children, masked and costumed as the characters in the story, presented the pantomime. This mask aimed to impress, through music and the harmony between spoken word and gesture, the deep significance of Christmas. [Illustration: [Mask]] [Illustration: [Masks]] CHAPTER III Making the Mask Anyone who has ever tried to make masks, knows their fascination. A pillowcase with two holes cut in it for eyes may have been your first mask. A paper bag may have been your second mask. What a wonderful chance this gave you to show your originality. You may remember how you labored to express some humorous or grotesque idea. There was the paper nose that you cut, fitted and glued to it, and the ears that you made for it, the mouth that you painted, and the headdress of feathers and quills. Above all, there was the joy of wearing it and of comparing your mask with the masks of your friends. All masks reflect the ideas and feelings of those who make them. Great masks have individuality and character. How does one make a mask that has character? It is done in some such manner as this: First decide whether your mask is to represent an imaginary character or a historical character. If it is to represent an imaginary character you will have a great deal of freedom in working out your idea, for no one can say, exactly, what a goblin or demon or any fanciful creature looks like. But if your mask is to represent a historical character the problem is quite a different one. In that case you are guided by tradition and also by the structure and proportions of the human face. Let us suppose that you wish to make a mask of a noble king. He probably would have a high forehead, a straight brow, a strong, firm chin, and a kindly mouth. Exaggerate the high forehead, the straight brow, the firm chin, and the kindliness of the mouth, and you will find that every one who sees your mask will be conscious of its nobility. Is your king young or old? If he is old, there will be hollows about his eyes, nose, and mouth, and his cheeks may be thin. If he is young, his flesh will be firm and there will be no drawn or sagging muscles. Exaggerate the roundness of youth and the thinness of old age, keeping the proportions and qualities which indicate nobility. The brow indicates mood—surprise and curiosity are shown by arched eyebrows; sadness and grief are shown by drooping eyebrows; perplexity and anger are shown by the drawing together of the eyebrows. The nose is very important and demands careful study. It should be consistent with the character. Can you imagine a noble, generous king with a short, upturned nose?