1920 .] 
Andersen.—Maori String Games. 
203 
3. Insert the right thumb from below into the right upper index loop, 
to make the loop wider. 
4. Pass the left index from above into this upper loop extended on the 
right thumb and index, and pick up from below on its back the right palmar 
string, draw the loop out, giving it one twist, repeating the actions of the 
right hand in movements 2 and 3. 
5. Close the right middle, ring, and little fingers on to the palm, so as 
to hold the strings on the right hand in place while you gather together, 
close to the left hand, between the right thumb and index, all the loops 
on the left hand by putting the thumb under them close to the left thumb 
and index and closing the right index down on them. This holds them 
firmly in place whilst you withdraw the left thumb and index from the 
loops. With a turn of the right hand turn the loops over, and return them 
to the left thumb and index as they were before, except that now the loops 
that were on the thumb are on the index, and vice versa. Draw the hands 
Fig. 31.—Unnamed figure described on p. 204, after movement 4. 
apart, and repeat the movement on the right hand. Separate the hands 
and draw taut. 
6. A second person now pulls upwards (or it may be done: with the 
teeth) all the crossed strings in the centre, lying between the far thumb 
string and the near index string. Then, joining the thumb and index 
on each hand, turn them inwards and downwards through the space 
between the thumbs and index fingers, and, with the palms downwards, 
spread the thumbs and index fingers. Draw all taut, and the house 
appears. (Fig. 29.) (Here the loops on the thumbs and indexes re¬ 
present the piles of the house, as did the loops on the feet in the figure 
of “ the house.’ 5 ) 
This figure is converted into a beautiful six-pointed star by the person 
who draws up the central strings letting them down again, and releasing 
them when he has secured between thumb and index of each hand the 
two strings running across from thumb to thumb and from index to index. 
These two strings he then draws outwards till the six rays of the star are 
even in size. (Fig. 30.) 
