CH. XV] 



STRING FIGURES 



331 



and with the back of the left thumb, pick up the adjacent loop 

 now nearer the tip of the right index ; extend, thus pulling both 



Figure viii. The Caterpillar. 



loops off the right index. (6) Transfer each thumb loop to the 

 corresponding index-finger, and then transfer it back again by 

 putting the thumb from outside into the loop : the effect of this 

 is to turn the thumb loops over. (7) Bend each thumb from 

 you over one string, and, with its back, pick up the next string. 

 (8) Put each index-finger over the palmar string under the far 

 thumb string, and, with its back, pick up on the far tip of the 

 finger the latter string, hold it against the index-finger by the 

 mid-finger, erect the index-fingers, thus bringing the string con- 

 necting their tips to the top of the figure and rotate the wrists 

 away from you. (9) Lastly, keeping the thumbs and index- 

 fingers close together, bend down the little and ring fingers, and, 

 with their tips, catch and stretch the far string, thus bringing 

 it to the bottom of the figure. Extend flat on the knee, and 

 the caterpillar appears. 



If the wrists are now turned so as to move the palms of the 

 hands upwards, the caterpillar will contract. Then turn them 

 back to their former position, and he elongates. Repeat the 

 action, and he walks down the leg. 



Gat's Cradles. So far I have dealt with figures made by 

 one man. I ought to mention that there is also a class of string 

 figures, familiar in our nurseries, in which two players are con- 

 cerned, each of them in turn taking the figure off the hands of 

 the other. This form originated in Korea, and is not uncommon 

 in the north of Europe. As usually presented the working is 



