548 THE WHEEL OF LIFE. 



of cardboard, open at the top, and covered outside with 

 dark paper. Its width is about 27 cm , its height 20 cm ; 

 at equal distances from one another there are in the 

 side of the drum twelve vertical slits, 6 mm wide, which 



FIG. 299 (| real size). 



reach from the middle to near the upper edge. A strip 

 of paper with twelve figures is placed inside, so as to 

 be everywhere close to the wall, and the drum is then 

 made to rotate while the eye is applied to any of the 

 slits, looking down at the figures inside. 



The ' wheel of life ' and various strips of figures may easily be pur- 

 chased at a toy-dealer's. The motion of the wheel is, however, much 

 better than that of those purchased in shops if it is specially 

 ordered and made so that it can be fixed to the whirling-table. The 

 sets of figures sold for the ' wheel of life ' may be used for constructing 

 a magic disc. Upon a disc of cardboard 23 cm- 5 in diameter, draw 

 a circle with a radius of 13 cm> 6. Divide this circle into twelve 

 equal parts (see page 353), and join the points of division by straight 

 lines, forming a regular polygon of twelve sides. Cut the twelve 

 figures out of the strip for the ' wheel of life,' taking care to do it 

 accurately, so that the separate pieces, may be rectangular and 

 equal to one another, and paste them in their proper succession 

 upon the disc, so that the lower edge of each is exactly in a line 

 with a side of the polygon. Several such discs may be made, and 



