With the point of your hard pencil, or a darning-needle, punch holes in all these parts, at the points marked by black dots. Next take a small piece of string and make A Neat, Round Knot in one end of it, and thread the other end through the clown’s arm, at the dot in his shoulder; then thread the string through the dot in the clown’s body, near his collar (Fig. 146). Now thread through the hole in the shoulder of the duplicate arm. When this much is done, place the clown upon a table, with the knot underneath, and drawing the string up, while holding the clown’s body down with your other hand, bring the knot snugly against the lower arm and tie another knot tightly against the upper arm. This last knot can be made by making a large loop, and then holding the string in place with one finger until the knot is slid down against the pasteboard arm and drawn tightly in place; a second and third knot, tied over this, will make it large enough for the purpose, and the arms will be found to move freely, up or down (See Fig. 289, Chapter XXIV.). [Illustration: FIGS. 154-157.] Attach the legs in the same manner; if you will now thrust a small stick through both the clown’s fists you can make him take all the positions of a trained circus-man, by twirling the horizontal stick between your fingers. When the water-wheel sets the bar twirling, the donkey, ape, and clown go through their “stunts,” in a most laughable manner. FOOTNOTE: [12] Another plan is described in Chapter XXIV. CHAPTER XVII. GOOD GAMES WITH TOOTHPICKS AND MATCHES. The genuine American lad needs no costly toys with which to amuse himself, for he has inherited from a long line of pioneer ancestors a sturdy self-reliance. When the inclemency of the weather, or some slight illness, confines him to his home, he can pass away the time with toys of his own construction. [Illustration: FIG. 158.--Rainy Day Fun.] A Toy is a Plaything, and a plaything is any old thing which chance throws in our way, with which to play. Wooden Toothpicks offer many opportunities for amusement. I have seen grown men, in the reading-rooms of our great hotels, amuse themselves and companions for hours with only a handful of wooden toothpicks. Suppose that mumps have invaded the household, and the younger members of the family are, consequently, confined indoors, with their youthful jaws tied up in bandages. If they have no ingenuity they will be fretful and annoying to their parents and themselves, but if they have inherited true Yankee grit and invention they will spend their enforced imprisonment in a very jolly manner. Here is A Simple Toothpick Example, Fig. 159. Let us see you take away five toothpicks and leave three perfect squares. [Illustration: FIG. 159.--Toothpick Puzzle.]