KITE 



3264 



KITE 



shown a picture of this simplest of all kites, 

 but it will be noticed that a variation is intro- 

 duced. A third stick, shorter than either of 

 the others, has been added; any boy can easily 

 show that this will improve not only the wear- 

 ing qualities but the flying power of his kite. 



A Box Kite. The ingenious boy is not going 

 to be satisfied long with anything so simple 

 as a common kite, especially if he has seen 

 some playmate flying a box kite. This form 

 is not at all difficult to make if the directions 

 and the design as shown are carefully ob- 

 served : 



Choose four sticks of straight-grained wood, 

 such as white pine, spruce or basswood, having 

 them about forty-two inches long and three- 

 eighths inch square. Fasten them together as 

 shown in the illustration by means of four 

 braces twenty-six inches long and one-half 

 inch by one-quarter inch in cross section. The 

 joining should be by means of notching, as 

 shown in the illustration, and the joints should 

 be thoroughly wrapped with thread or with 

 fine wire, to prevent slipping. 



Next take two bands of cambric, or some 

 such firm, light-weight cloth, twelve inches wide 

 and seventy-four inches long, and fasten them 



A BOX KITE 



(a) Frame, with (&) crosspiece ; (c,d) details 

 of joints; (e) string joined to bridle; (f,g) 

 bridle; (h,j) knots. 



about the long sticks with small tacks. If the 

 bands are hemmed on their long edges the 

 kite will be stronger. Be sure, in putting on 

 the cloth, that it is drawn so tight that the 

 diagonal braces are curved very slightly, for 

 only so can the cloth be held firm and taut. 

 Next attach the bridle, or guiding ropes, as 



shown in the design, and the kite is ready for 

 flying. If, however, there is a very high wind, 

 it is safer not to use a bridle, but to fasten 

 the string to the center of one of the long 

 sticks. 



The Butterfly Kite. This is an especially 

 pretty kite, and a fairly easy one to make. 

 Take two long, thin sticks of equal length, 

 and bend each into an arc, an shown in the 

 illustration. To one end of each stick tie a 



BUTTERFLY KITE 

 Framework and covering only are shown. 



strong string, fastening the other end of the 

 string to a point about three inches from the 

 other end of the stick. Now tie a string to 

 the free end of each stick, and attach the other 

 end of the string to a point three inches from 

 the opposite arc. Place one stick over the 

 other, to make sure that they are just the 

 same shape and that the strings cross and are 

 tied at just the same points. With strong 

 thread fasten the sticks together in the posi- 

 tion shown in the illustration, taking care 

 that they overlap somewhat. The "feelers," 

 without which it would not seem like a real 

 butterfly, may be made of two pieces of wire 

 or straw, fastened to the sticks not far from 

 their intersection, and crossed. The kite is now 

 ready for the paper, and the brighter the lat- 

 ter is in color, the better. Yellow makes a 

 particularly pretty butterfly. Lay the frame 

 on the paper and cut around it, allowing at 

 least a half-inch margin to be turned over for 

 pasting. It will be necessary to cut this mar- 

 gin edge into slits in pasting around angles and 

 the curved edge. 



Give your butterfly a tail like an ordinary 

 kite, and, if you have an eye for color, mark 

 it with spots and streaks of paint or use gayly 

 colored paper or cloth. 



The Boy Kite. The most interesting form 

 of kite is most assuredly the boy kite, and the 

 boy who has the patience and ingenuity to 

 make one for himself is sure to be the envy 

 of his companions. As the sketch will show, 

 the finished product could be mistaken for 

 nothing else than what it claims to be. Two 

 straight sticks about three and one-half feet 

 long are chosen for the legs and body; one, 



