Indoor and Outdoor Recreations for Girls

CHAPTER XXVIII

A FROLIC WITH THE ROSES

SELECT one rose from the many you have gathered and hold the blossom tenderly while you look down into its heart and breathe in its beauty and fragrance; then gently turn the rose over and find how wonderfully all the petals fit in and are held together in their pretty green cup with its long green streamers, which we call the calyx. Is there any flower more beautiful? See how daintily it is formed, how exquisite the coloring and how wonderful the texture! Could a manufacturer furnish you with such enchanting material from which to make your toys?

Boats of Rose Petals

Carefully detach the rose petals one by one, beginning with the outermost and largest. Be cautious not to bruise or injure the fragile little things. Cut the sail and mast all in one piece from tissue-paper (Fig. 538). Fold the mast over twice, according to the dotted lines, that it may be stiff and able to stand erect. Bend the lower portion of the mast as in Fig. 539. Paste the inner sides of the fold together, and it will form a flat piece extending out on each side of the mast (Fig. 540). Over the bottom of this spread the least bit of strong paste or glue and place the mast well forward on one of the largest rose petals. The portion of the petal which grew inside the calyx forms the front part or bow of the boat. Have the mast stand perfectly erect; if it is inclined to bend toward either side, straighten it and keep it upright. Before launching the vessel allow a few moments for the glue to dry, then lift the boat very carefully by the top of the mast with your thumb and first finger and set it down on the water, which must be without even a ripple. When once the boat is well launched the waves may come with slight risk of damage to the craft.

Fig. 538.—Tissue-paper sail and mast cut in one piece.

Fig. 539.—Bend lower portion of mast.

Let the first boat be of a large pink rose petal and have its sail of the same color.

Make Two Vessels

of white rose petals with white sails and join the boats with a strip of white tissue-paper. Paste one end of the paper strip on the inner part of the right-hand side of one boat and fasten the other end of the paper strip on the inner part of the left-hand side of the other boat, allowing sufficient space between the two boats to keep them from touching. The twins will then sail together like two beautiful white sea-gulls floating on the crest of a wave.

Fig. 540.—Form a flat stand.

Fig. 541.—Green tissue-paper sail and mast.

Take one of the green leaves and fasten on it a green sail different in shape from the white (Fig. 541). Place this boat with the other pretty craft on the miniature lake in the large glass dish or basin. Though not so fragile and delicate, the green bark is charming. Agitate and move the water as the boats lie at anchor, and watch the effect. Drifting, floating, and dancing, the fleet of tiny boats will begin to move: the mingling of the different tints and colors, the various beautiful reflections cast in the clear water by the little vessels with their spreading sails, form a delightful fairy-like spectacle. Fig. 542 gives only a faint idea of the actual scene, which is all color, life, fragrance, and beauty.

When you keep the dainty fleet on the water in-doors, it ought to remain in good condition for several days. If you wish to have the

Lake in the Open Air,

dig a hole in the ground sufficiently large and deep to hold the pan you intend to use as a lake. Sink the tin in the hole, fit it in perfectly steady and firm, then pour clear water into the pan, and when it is quiet launch the fleet.

Fig. 542.—Fairy fleet of rose-petal boats.

You will need a little

Fig. 543.—How to make the rose girl.

Rose Girl

like Fig. 544, to help you enjoy the boats, a girl who can stand by the water and watch the sailing-vessels; you can make such a one of a rose turned upside down. Choose the largest and most fully blown rose for the rose girl. Cut the stem off about two inches from the blossom, and push a common wooden toothpick through the stem midway between the rose and the end of the stem. The toothpick forms the girl's two arms (Fig. 543).

Fig. 544.—The wide-awake rose girl.

Fashion the head from an old seed-vessel, which you will probably find still clinging to one of the rose-bushes. First make a small hole quite deep in the top of the seed-vessel; then push the end of the stem of the rose up into the head (Fig. 543). Run each toothpick arm through a green leaf and use a white or pale-pink rose petal for the girl's face (Fig. 544). Pin the petal to the head with four rose thorns, using two for the eyes, one for the nose, and one for the mouth. Pin a rose petal on the top of the head for a hat. Turn backward two petals, without breaking them from the rose, to form the dress waist; pin or gum one petal to the arms and neck in front and the other to the arms and neck at the back. Then stick three wooden toothpicks in the top of the rose (Fig. 544); place the toothpicks so they will form a tripod, two on a line across the front and the third a trifle back of and midway between the front ones. These three toothpicks will enable the rose girl to stand alone; the two foremost serve as legs and the other as a support. You can make feet of two green leaves stuck on the ends of the two front toothpicks (Fig. 544).

Perhaps the little rose girl would like

A Garden

of her own, enclosed by a fence made of green leaves, thorns, short slender sticks and a pliable rose stem. Bend the stem into an arch and pin it down to a board with ordinary pins, each end over a green leaf (Fig. 545). Begin at the bottom and attach the leaves to the arch with thorns, allowing all leaves to point upward. Decorate one side, then begin again at the bottom and fasten leaves on the other side; finish the arch by pinning a leaf upright in the centre. Build the fence of green leaves pinned together at their sides with slender sticks or broom straws; stand the fence upright in a circular form, and fasten one end leaf on each side of the arch (Fig. 546).

Fig. 545.—Bent rose-stem for arch.

Fig. 546.—The rose-girl's garden fence.

Fig. 547.—Peachblow vase of rosebud.

Of course you must

Give the Rose Girl a Party;

you might call it "The Feast of Roses," and decorate the four corners of a wee table with vases which would rival in color and beauty the famous "Peachblow Vase" for which such a fabulous price was paid. Make the little vases of large pink rosebuds; those beginning to unfold are the best. Peel off the outside petals and, grasping each bud, in turn, near its base with the thumb and first two fingers, gently work it back and forth until it is loosened and can be removed entire without damage. Stand each vase on a level surface and gather spears of grass to place in them. Push some of the grass ends down into the vases, but do not crowd them; have only two or three in each vase (Fig. 547). The pink color of the vase will contrast pleasingly with the green of the grass, and the feast will be laden with the delicate perfume of roses. You might candy different colored rose petals by dipping them in hot sugar syrup boiled until it spins like a thread, and then drying the petals separately on oiled paper; they will be appropriate for the party.

In addition to these things the rose girl must have a little

Pet Turtle

to take out walking in her garden. Cut a green leaf of a rose like Fig. 548. Cover the top with a rose petal gummed on around its edges, and the turtle will be ready for a stroll (Fig. 549).

Fig. 548.—Green rose-leaf for part of turtle.

Fig. 549.—Rose petal and green leaf turtle.

Draw a face with ink on your finger, and make a

Rose-petal Cap

for the finger-head by lapping two petals over each other, leaving the outer edges for the sides and bottom of the cap. Gum one petal upon the other and put the cap on your finger (Fig. 550).

Fig. 550.—Rose-petal cap for finger-head.	Fig. 551.—Two cream-colored rose-petals for part of pansy.	Fig. 552.—Pink rose petals partially over light ones.
Fig. 553.—Pansy ready for last rose petal.	Fig. 554.—Pansy ready for green leaves.	Fig. 555.—Pansy green leaf cut from rose leaf.

We have not enough rose petals to serve for a shower, as had a Roman emperor long ago when he made bushels of them rain down upon his guests from the ceiling of his banquet-hall, but we can collect sufficient

Rose Petals to Use in Painting

some pretty designs. You will need neither paints nor brushes, for the roses are the colors and deft little fingers the brushes. You must take the paints as you find them and work this way: Place two cream-colored petals on a smooth blank paper laid over a flat surface (Fig. 551); arrange two pink petals partially over the light ones (Fig. 552); lay down a stem from which you have taken the thorns (Fig. 553); add to the flower a fifth petal, which should be pink, and you will have painted a pansy (Fig. 554). Cut two of the green leaves of the rose according to Fig. 555, and place them as if growing at different distances on opposite sides of the stem (Fig. 556). Glue or strong paste dropped sparingly on the paper where you intend to put the centre of the flower will hold the petals in position, and, if necessary, you may use a trifle more glue as the work proceeds.

Fig. 556.—Painting of pansy made with rose petals.

Fig. 557.—Red rose-petal wings and green rose-leaf body.

Fig. 558.—Body of butterfly.

Rose butterflies do not look exactly like real ones, but they are very pretty, and you can readily paint one. Arrange two large red rose petals for the front wings (Fig. 557); slightly over-lapping the lower edges of these lay two smaller white petals, and make the body of a green leaf cut like Fig. 558. Gum it down over the lengthwise centre of the group of petals.

Conventional Designs

are very easy to paint. Take the rose calyx, cut off its lower half and place the calyx flat down on smooth blank white paper; it resembles a five-pointed star.

Under the tip of each point slide the inner end of a rose petal, any color you choose. Between each two rose petals gum a green leaf (Fig. 559). Now take away the star centre and use rose petals in its place, and you will have a "rose window" design. Try alternating red and dark-red velvet petals, or use all yellow petals. In this way you may form a variety of patterns painted with roses.

Fig. 559.—Conventional design painted with roses.

Fig. 560.—Rose petals pinned together for wreath.

To make

Dainty Wreaths of Rose Petals,

pin them together in a long row with slender sticks or broom straws (Fig. 560). You can weave larger and more substantial wreaths, strong enough to place on your mother's head when crowning her "Queen of Beauty and Kindness." Use the entire blossom mingled with buds and green leaves, all short stemmed, not longer than three or four inches. Bind the stems with string on a circle made of a piece of willow or some other pliable material, and be sure to remove the thorns from all the stems before weaving the wreath (Fig. 561).

Fig. 561.—Wreath of roses.

Try to find some new beauty in every rose you see this summer. Write it all down, and the following June you will discover still other beauties to jot in your rose book.

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