Our word _thumb_ signifies literally "thick or big finger," and the same idea occurs in other languages. With not a few primitive peoples this thought takes another turn, and, as in the speech of the Karankawas, an extinct Indian tribe of Texas, "the _biggest_, or _thickest_ finger is called '_father_, _mother_, or _old_'" (456. 68). The Creek Indians of the Southeastern United States term the "thumb" _ingi itchki_, "the hand its mother," and a like meaning attaches to the Chickasaw _ilbak-ishke_, Hichiti _ilb-iki_, while the Muskogees call the "thumb," the "mother of fingers." It is worthy of note, that, in the Bakaïri language of Brazil, the thumb is called "father," and the little finger, "child," or "little one" (536. 406). In Samoa the "thumb" is named _lima-matua_, "forefather of the hand," and the "first finger" _lima-tama_, "child of the hand." In the Tshi language of Western Africa a finger is known as _ensah-tsia-abbah_, "little child of the hand," and in some other tongues of savage or barbaric peoples "fingers" are simply "children of the hand." Professor Culin in his notes of "Palmistry in China and Japan," says: "The thumb, called in Japanese, _oya-ubi_, 'parent-finger,' is for parents. The little finger, called in Japanese, _ko-ubi_, 'child-finger,' is for children; the index-finger is for uncle, aunt, and elder brother and elder sister. The third finger is for younger brother and younger sister" (423a). A short little finger indicates childlessness, and lines on the palm of the hand, below the little finger, children. There are very many nursery-games and rhymes of various sorts based upon the hand and fingers, and in not a few of these the thumb and fingers play the _rôle_ of mother and children. Froebel seized upon this thought to teach the child the idea of the family. His verses are well-known:-- "Das ist die Groszmama, Das ist der Groszpapa, Das ist der Vater, Das ist die Mutter, Das ist's kleine Kindchen ja; Seht die ganze Familie da. Das ist die Mutter lieb und gut, Das ist der Vater mit frohem Muth; Das ist der Bruder lang und grosz; Das ist die Schwester mit Puppchen im Schoosz; Und dies ist das Kindchen, noch klein und zart, Und dies die Familie von guter Art." Referring to Froebel's games, Elizabeth Harrison remarks:-- "In order that this activity, generally first noticed in the use of the hands, might be trained into right and ennobling habits, rather than be allowed to degenerate into wrong and often degrading ones, Froebel arranged his charming set of finger-games for the mother to teach her babe while he is yet in her arms; thus establishing the right activity before the wrong one can assert itself. In such little songs as the following:-- 'This is the mother, good and dear; This the father, with hearty cheer; This is the brother, stout and tall; This is the sister, who plays with her doll; And this is the baby, the pet of all. Behold the good family, great and small,'