FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 18 February 1915, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

tricks; ILLUSIONS, AND indoor AMUSEMENTS.

(Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.) A Balancing Feat.—Ladies will be interested to hear of an indoor amusement in which they may often triumph over mere man. Standing about four feet f ora . the wall—or more, according to —place a chair between the wall and yourself, with its back to the former. Stoop forward till the crown of your head touches the Avail ; then, with both hands, lift the chair from the floor. A lady, owing to the protection offered by her hair to her head, is often able to stand further from the Avail than can a man, in performing the feat. The Avinner is the person who raises the chair whilst'standing farthest from the wall.

A Competition.—A match-box competition is easily arranged. Everyone Avho competes holds an ordinary wooden box of matches in his left hand. Whoever first succeeds in taking out a match, striking a light, returning the match Avhen extinguished, and closing the box—all to be done Avith the left hand only-wins the competition. ■ Anyone using the right hand is at once disqualified. It is curious to note the difficulty there is in restraining the desire of the right hand to help the left, or in the, case of the left-handed persons, the left hand from helping to light the match.

Pushing a Penny.—This is a trial of arm strength. As many competitors as enter toe a line, together or in turn, and by throwing themselves forward with one hand on the ground, and then straightening the legs and gradually advancing the hand, push a penny Avith the finger-tips as far along the floor as possible. When each has pushed the penny to the utmost distance, in the manner described, he must recover himself Avith a clean spring, made by straightening the arm, and bring himself to the perpendicular without moving his feet from the toe-line, or putting his other hand on the floor.

Burning Paper Trick.—Tell Avhoever you are demonstrating Avith that he will not be able to hold a strip of paper about Gin long with his fingers as soon as you light the upper end of it. Offer him the strip of paper. lie will take it between the thumb ami index finger. Hold a match to the end for a few seconds, and your friend will drop the strip as if somebody had knocked it out of his hand. The strip should bo prepared in this way; Take a piece of paper 12in long and bend it in the middle; curl both sides by pulling them through your thumb and a knife held in the hand in such a Avay that they stand out like tAvo clocks springs. Place the strips together, holding the two ends between the thumb and index finger, and to try it on yourself light the other end. As soon as the paper is burned through the two parts of the strip will spring back over your hand, and you will drop them in a hurry.

Experiments with Camphor. Break some camphor into pieces the size of a pea ; lay these gently on the water in the basin, close together, so as to form a straight line. HoAvever still the water may be, they Avill not retain their position, but the line will .curve in various directions. This arises from the irregular way in which camphor dissolves in water, so that what is called the ‘ surface tension ’ of the Avater becomes weaker on one side than the other. Noav take a someAvhat larger lump of camphor, lay it on the water and set light to it. 1 As it burns it will rotate in a very curious manner.