CH. XV] 



STRING FIGURES 



325 



the loop on that finger and press its tip on the palm. (5) Holding 

 the strings loosely, slip the loops off the thumbs; then still 

 keeping the tips of the index-fingers pressed on the palms, 

 separate the hands, thus causing the loops near the bases of 

 those fingers to slip over the knuckles and so off the fingers. 

 (6) Lastly, put the far little-finger string under one foot, or 

 under a heavy book, release the little-fingers, and pull gently 

 with the index-fingers, after hooking their tips into the string 

 they hold. This makes the man climb the tree. 



A Tent Flap. This figure is due to the Apache Red Indians 

 who once occupied a large tract of land in the Eastern States of 

 America. The tribe is now almost extinct, but the figure is 

 familiar to various natives who say that originally they got it 

 from Apaches living on the Reservation Lands maintained by 

 the United States Government. The result shows a pretty 

 piece of net- work which looks like a hurdle, but is said to have 

 been intended to represent the flap or perhaps the lacing covering 

 the opening to a tent. 



This figure may be made thus : (1) Opening A. (2) Lift 

 the loops off the index-fingers, pass them over their correspond- 

 ing hands on to the wrists, thus making them dorsal strings. 

 (3) Bend each thumb away from you over one string, and with 

 its back pick up from below the next string, and return. (4) 

 Bend each little-finger towards you, and with its back pick up 

 the next string. (5) Grasp with the left hand all the strings in 



Figure iv. A Tent Flap. 



