The American Boy's Handy Book

by Daniel Carter Beard

  The breast-band, or "belly-band," of the man kite should be arranged in the same manner as it is upon the common hexagonal or coffin-shaped kite with which all American boys are familiar; but for fear some of my readers may not quite understand I will try and tell them exactly how to do it. First, punch small holes through the paper, one upon each side of the leg-sticks just above the bottom of the pants, and one upon each side of the arm-stick at the shoulders. Run one end of the breast-band through the holes at the bottom of the left limb and tie it fast to the leg-stick; tie the other end at the right shoulder. Take another string of the same length as the first and fasten one end in the same manner at the bottom of the right leg, pass the string up, crossing the first band, and tie the end at the left shoulder. Attach your kite-string to the breast-band where the two strings intersect in such a manner that you can slide the kite-string up or down until it is properly adjusted. For the tail-band, tie a string (to the leg-sticks) at the bottom of the breast-band and let it hang slack from one leg to the other. Attach the tail to the centre of this string.

  The Woman Kite,

  though differing in form, is made after the same method as the man kite, and with the aid of the diagram any boy can build one if he is careful to keep the proper proportions. Remember that the dotted lines in each of these diagrams represent the strings or thread of the framework (Fig. 6). Use small, smooth twine on large kites, and good strong thread on the smaller ones. A very comical effect can be had by making the feet of the woman kite of stiff paste-board, and fastening them on to the line which forms the bottom of the skirt with a string after the manner here illustrated (Fig. 7), allowing them to dangle loosely from below, to be moved and swayed by each motion of the kite, looking as if it was indeed a live woman or girl of the Kate Green-away style, dancing and kicking in the clouds. Fig. 8 shows a girl kite with feet attached.

  The costume given in the illustration may be varied according to fancy, with the same framework. A Dolly Varden or a Martha Washington costume can be made. A blue overskirt and waist covered with stars, and a red and white striped skirt, give us Columbia or a Goddess of Liberty. Attach the breast-band in the same manner as upon the man kite. Let the tail-band hang loosely below the skirt. By a slight modification of the frame of the man kite you can produce

  A Boy Kite

  that will create an unlimited amount of fun whenever he makes his appearance in his aesthetic Kate Greenaway suit. By carefully following the construction according to the diagram (Fig. 9) the average boy will find little difficulty in building a twin brother to the kite in the illustration (Fig. 10).

  Still another strange looking kite can be made by using a piece of pliable wood bent in a circular form for the body, and allowing the leg-sticks to protrude above the shoulders to form short arms, the spine extending below the trunk some distance to form the tail to a

  Frog Kite.

  It is not worth while to build one less than two feet high. Let us suppose that the particular batrachian we are now about to make is to be just that height; in this case the leg-sticks must be each two feet long, and as you will want to bend them at the knees, these points should be made considerably thinner than the other parts of the sticks. The spine must be about one foot seven inches long, or a little over three-quarters of the length of the leg-sticks. Place the two latter one above the other, lay the spine on top of them, and see that the tops of all three are flush, or perfectly even. Then at a point eight inches from the top, drive a pin through all three sticks, carefully clamping it upon the other side where the point protrudes. For the body, take a piece of thin rattan two feet five or six inches in length, bend it into the form of a circle, allowing the ends to overlap an inch or two that they may be firmly bound together with thread by winding it around the joint. The circle will be about eight inches in diameter. Take the three sticks you pinned together and lay them on the floor, spreading them apart in the form of an irregular star, in such a manner that the top of the spine will be just half-way between the tops of the leg-sticks and about five inches from each; when you have proceeded thus far place the rattan circle over the other sticks; the intersection of the sticks should be the centre of the circle; with pins and thread fasten the frame together in this position. The lower limbs will be spread wide apart; they must be carefully drawn closer together and held in position by a string tied near the termination of each leg-stick. Cross-sticks for hands and feet may now be added, and the strings put on as shown in Fig. 11. This kite should be covered with green tissue paper. A few marks of the paint-brush will give it the appearance of Fig. 12. The breast and tail-band can be put on as described in the man kite.

  The Butter fly Kite.

  Make a thin straight stick of a piece of elastic wood, or split rattan; to the top end of this attach a piece of thread or string; bend the stick as you would a bow until it forms an arc or part of a circle; then holding the stick in this position tie the other end of the string to a point a few inches above the bottom end of the stick. At a point on the stick, about one-quarter the distance from the top, tie another string, draw it taut, and fasten it to the bottom end of the bow. Take another stick of exactly the same length and thickness as the first, and go through the same process, making a frame that mustbe a duplicate of the other. Then fasten the two frames together,as shown by Fig. 13, allowing the arcs to overlap several inches,and bind the joints securelywith thread.

  The head of the insect is made by attaching two broom-straws to the top part of the wings where they join, the straws must be crossed, the projecting ends serving for the antennæ or, as the boys call them, the "smellers" of the butterfly. Now select a piece of yellow or blue tissue paper, place your frame over it, cut and paste as directed in the description of the man kite. When the kite is dry, with black paint make some marking upon the wings similar to those shown in the illustration, Fig. 14; or, better still, cutout some pieces of dark colored paper in the form of these markings and paste them on, of course taking care to have one wing like the other (Fig. 14), as in nature.

  The King Crab Kite.

  The king, or "horse shoe crab," is familiar to all boys who live upon the coast or spend their summer vacation at the sea-side. It is a comparatively simple matter to imitate this crustacean in the form of a kite; in fact, all that is necessary is a slight modification of the old-fashioned bow kite to which a pointed tail must be attached. This tail can be made as shown in the illustration (Fig. 15), or may be cut out of a piece of paste-board and joined to the kite by a paper hinge; this will allow the tail to bend backward when the wind blows against it, giving it a natural appearance; the kite and pointed tail, which is part of the kite, should be covered with yellow paper. If you think that you do not possess sufficient skill with the brush to represent the under side of the crab, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 16), you can, at least, paint two large eye-spots some distance apart near the upper end, and then your kite will represent a back view. Attach the breast and tail bands as on an ordinary bow kite.

  Fish Kite.

  Cut two straight pine sticks; shave them down until they are thin enough to bend readily; see that they are exactly the same length and of about the same weight. Fasten the top ends together by driving a pin through them. Bend each stick in the form of a bow, and hold them in this position until you have secured a third stick across them at right angles about one-third the way down from the top, or ends where they are joined together. The fish should be about half as broad as it is long. Let the lower ends of the side or bow sticks cross each other far enough up to form a tail to the fish, and fasten the sticks together at their intersection. Before stringing the frame see that the cross-stick protrudes an equal distance from each side of the fish. To make the tail, tie a string across the bottom from the end of one cross-stick to the end of the other, and to this string midway between the two side-sticks tie another string, pass it up to the root of the tail, draw it taut and fasten it there at the intersection of the side-sticks; this will make a nat
ural hooking-fork to the caudal fin (Fig. 17).

  The remainder of the strings can be put on by referring to the diagram, care being taken that the dorsal or back-fin is made exactly the same size as the fin on the belly of the fish. Yellow, red, and green are all appropriate colors for the paper covering of this kite. After the paper is pasted and dry you may amuse yourself by painting the outlines of the gills and fins (Fig. 18). The kite will look all the better for not having the scales painted upon it. Tie the strings of the breast-band to the side-sticks near the head and tail, and let them cross each other as in a common kite. Attach the tail-band to the tail of the fish.

  The Turtle Kite

  is so simple in its construction that a lengthy description of how to make it would be out of place. All that is necessary is to place the diagram before you (Fig. 19) and go to work. Suppose you want your kite to measure two feet from tip of nose to end of tail, the spine or centre-stick must then, of course, be two feet long; make the leg-sticks each one and a half foot long, place the stick for the fore-legs at a point on the spine seven inches below the top, put the stick for the hind-legs eight inches below the fore-legs. Adjust the hoop so that it will extend four inches above the fore-leg stick and the same distance below the hind-leg stick. Let the diameter across the centre from side to side be about fifteen inches. Put the cross pieces on for the head and feet, run a thread over the bottom end of the spine for a tail, cover the whole with green tissue paper and your kite is done (Fig. 20).

  The Shield Kite.

  Make the frame of four sticks, two straight cross-sticks and two bent side-sticks (Fig. 21); cover it with red, white, and blue tissue paper. Paste red and white paper together in stripes for the bottom, and use a blue ground with white stars for the top (Fig. 22). The next kite is not original with the author, but is well known in some sections of the country. I have made a diagram of it at the request of a number of boys who did not know how to make

  A Star Kite.

  Build it according to the diagrams (Figs. 23 and 24), making the sticks all of equal length, and cover the kite with any colored paper that may suit your fancy.

  The Chinese Dragon Kite.

  This kite is a most resplendent affair, and glitters in the sunlight as if it were covered with jewels. It is rather complicated to look at, but not very difficult to make. The one I have before me was made in China.

  The top or horizontal stick (Fig. 25, 1-2) is three feet long, half an inch wide, and one-eighth inch thick. The face can be simplified by using a loop, as in the man kite. Two more loops, as shown in the diagram, will serve as frames for the wings. Paper is pasted upon this, and hangs loose like an apron in front below the cross-stick (1-2). Cut the paper long enough to cover the first disk of the tail-piece, as shown in the finished kite, Fig. 27. The head-piece is ornamented with brilliant colors, bits of looking-glass pasted on or attached with strings, so that they dangle loosely, etc.; this makes the top rather heavy, as, in fact, it ought to be, for then it serves to balance the tail, which, in this instance, is a succession of circular kites, ten inches in diameter, and thirteen in number, connected with one another by strings. Attached to each of these paper disks is a slender piece of reed or grass with a tufted head; a similar tuft is fastened by a string to the opposite end to balance it. The breast-band is made like that upon an ordinary kite; the cross-strings, being attached to the face at the top and bottom, intersect each other about opposite a point between the eyes.

  Fig. 26 represents the top view of a single disk, showing where the reeds and string are attached. Fig. 27 shows a side view of two disks, and the way in which they are connected by strings, six and a half inches space being left between each two disks. A (Fig. 27) is a front view of finished kite.

  The Japanese Square Kite

  is not, as its name might imply, perfectly square. It is rectangular in form, and made with a framework of very thin bamboo or cane sticks, bound together as shown in Fig. 28. This frame is covered with Japanese paper, to which all the sticks are tightly glued. The kite is bent backward, making the front slightly convex, and held in this position by strings tied from end to end of the cross-sticks at the back; the breast-band may be attached as on an ordinary six-sided kite. Instead of a tail-band, with a single tail attached, this foreigner carries two tails, one tied at each side to the protruding ends of the diagonal sticks at the bottom of the kite. The illustration on page 4, of two boys making ready to fly one of these kites, is a copy from a picture made by a Japanese artist.

  The Moving Star

  is a paper lantern attached to the tail of any large kite.

  A Chinese lantern will answer this purpose, although it is generally so long and narrow that the motion of the kite is apt to set fire to it.

  To make a more suitable lantern, take a circular piece of light board five inches in diameter, drive three nails in the centre just far enough apart to allow a candle to fit between them firmly. Make of rattan or wire a light hoop of the same diameter as the bottom-piece; fasten these to a strap or handle of wood, or wire, as shown in the diagram (Fig. 29), and cover the body of the lantern with red tissue paper.

  This lantern fastened to the tail of a large kite that is sent up on a dark night will go bobbing around in a most eccentric and apparently unaccountable manner, striking with wonder all observers not in the secret.

  CHAPTER II.

  WAR KITES.

  LIKE all soldiers, war kites should be trim and martial in appearance. Their uniform may be as brilliant and fanciful as the ingenuity and taste of the builder suggests, always remembering that lightness and strength are essential qualities. An appropriate name or emblem, marked, painted, or pasted on, would serve not only to distinguish the combatants from their more peaceful brother aerostats, but would give to each kite an individuality, and thus allow successful veterans to become famous throughout kite dom. There are but two "arms" to this novel "service," or rather two modes of warfare. The first, unarmed, might be compared to the friendly jousts of the knights of old when they met for trials of skill. The second, armed, is more like the mortal combat where but one survives.

  Unarmed War Kite.

  The usual form of the unarmed fighting kite is that of the ordinary bow kite. It should be made about two and one-half feet high. Base of bow, fourteen inches below top of spine or centre-stick, and twenty-seven inches broad. Cover the frame with paper cambric. Make the tail of string, with stripes of colored paper inserted in loops an inch or so apart. A paper tassel at the end will give it a finished look. Ten feet is about the proper length of tail for a kite of this size.

  In fighting with this unarmed soldier the object is to capture your opponent's kite by entangling its tail in your own string. To do this you must make your kite dart under the twine of your enemy. As soon as it darts let out string rapidly enough to keep your fighter under control, and at the same time allow it to fall to the rear of the other kite. Having accomplished this, drop your ball of string and pull in hand over hand, as fast as possible. If your enemy is not very spry and well up in these tactics, this manœuvre will hopelessly entangle his kitetail on your string. Then, although the battle is half won, a great deal depends upon your superior quickness, skill, and also upon the strength of your twine, which may break, or your victim may escape with the loss of part of its tail. If, however, you are successful in capturing your prisoner you can write on your kite the date of the victory, and the name of the vanquished warrior. The captive must, in all cases, be returned to its proper owner after the latter has signed his name to the record of his defeat written upon your kite. Thus is the successful hero soon covered with the records of his victories, while the unsuccessful fighter carries a bare blank face.

  Armed Kites

  are of a more relentless and bloodthirsty order than the strategic unarmed warrior. The peculiar mission of these rampant champions of the air is to cut the enemy off from his base of supplies; then with a satisfied wriggle, and a fiendish wag of the tail, this fero
cious flyer sails serenely on, while his ruined victim falls helplessly to the earth, or ignominiously hangs himself on some uncongenial tree, where his skeleton will struggle and swing until beaten to pieces by the very element that sustained him in his elevation before his thread of life was cut. In this sport, new to most Northern boys, they will find an exciting and healthy pastime, one that will teach them to think and act quickly, a quality that when acquired may be of infinite service to them in after years.

  Armed Kite Fighting.

  These aëro-nautical cutters might be appropriately named the Scorpion, "Stingerree," Wasp, or Hornet, because they fight with their tails, the sting of the insect being represented on the kite-tail by the razor-like cutters.