Uncle Peter’s Comer

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 14

Uncle Peter’s Comer

Fig.—a—An Entertaining Optical Illusion. Hold the drawing an inch or two from your nose, and just gaze at the black line for a few seconds. When you have done so for a moment or so you will observe that the bee ‘flies" on to the terrified boy's nose!

NATURE STUDY CORNER MOTHER NATURE’S AIRPLANES “Children," said Mother Nature to her milkweeds, “soon you must go out and find your place in the world." "How can we go, Mother Nature?" We've not feet nor auto nor train." “Just as all good milkweed children have gone. Long before man had thought of airplanes, I had made them and they shall carry you. When the time comes just let go and trust." The wind came romping by one day, merry helpful wind. “Whew—" he blew as he passed by, and each little seed standing tiptoe with expectancy was caught and wafted delightfully through the air.

“Goodby, Mother Nature," they cried. “We're going to find our place in the world." Milkweed or artichoke seeds are excellent for illustration. We throw them in the air and blow them about and observe how they always come

Fig.—e—Do you know that they had thief-proof locks in ancient Rome? In all probability you have had the notion that thief-proof locks with their intricate comb-keys to match were a rather modern invention, but then look at this drawing. It shows a lock with the key belonging to it, which looks quite as intricate as those special keys we use now-a-days. The lock as well as the key were found while excavating some old ruins which originate from about the time the first Caesars ruled Rome.

Fig —b—A Smart Trick With Paper— The Paper Tree. For this trick you must take a narrow strip of thin paper, as long as possible and 6 to 8 feet wide. Roll the paper strip up as shown on fig 1. Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut a number of slits a little more than half way down into the roll of paper (see fig 2;. Then hold the roll as shown on fig 3 and pull out the paper as far as you can without the roll "falling to bits." If the paper is not too stiff the cut fringe will invariably fall down along side the roll, and finally the prolonged roll will form a “paper tree" as is shown on fig 4. If you use a strip of green crepe paper this little trick can admirably be included in one of your trick performances, but in that case you must be careful to have the paper roll sufficiently long.

down seed first and pointed end first. It is a merry little game to see who can drive his farthest. A friend gave us some maple seed. We threw these about, some from an upper balcony, and watched them boring their way down through the air, seed first. We watched some fall into a stream and float away. For a reading lesson we have “We roll, we ride, we jump, we hide," etc. I recited “Fairy Aeroplanes." Fairy Aeroplanes. Fairy little aeroplanes Sailing up so high Won't you come down again Out of the sky? O, it is joy up here Over the trees Floating light, everywhers Borne by the breeze. But we'll come back to you. Then by and by We'll grow more aeroplanes To play in the sky.