old-bordered robes can be
made from these useful materials, and look first-rate at a distance.

An old black dress with little gold stars glued or gummed to the
material would make an excellent dress for a queen. The swords or
belts must first be cut out in cardboard, then covered with gold or
silver paper.

To make a good wig, you should shape a piece of calico to fit the
head; then sew fire shavings or tow all over it. If you wish for a
curly wig, it is a good plan to wind the shavings or tow tightly round
a ruler, and tack it along with a back stitch, which will hold the
curl in position after you have slipped it off the ruler. These few
hints will give you some idea of the very many different costumes
which can be made by children out of the simplest materials.

[Illustration: THE CURTAIN CLOSED]

[Illustration: THE CURTAIN OPENED]

* * * * *

THE GAME OF CAT

The person who is to play the part of Cat should stand outside the
door of the room where the company is assembled. The boys and girls,
in turn, come to the other side of the door and call out "miaou." If
the Cat outside recognizes a friend by the cry, and calls out her name
correctly in return, he is allowed to enter the room and embrace her,
and the latter then takes the place of Cat. If, on the contrary, the
Cat cannot recognize the voice, he is hissed, and remains outside
until he does.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

LIVING PICTURES

Living pictures are very amusing if well carried out, and even with
little preparation may be made very pretty or very comical, whichever
may be desired. It is perhaps better to attempt comical ones if you
have not much time in which to arrange them, as the costumes are
generally easier to manage, and if you are obliged to use garments not
quite in keeping with the characters, it does not matter much; indeed,
it will probably only make the audience laugh a little more.

The great thing in living pictures is to remain perfectly still during
the performance. You should select several well-known scenes either
from history or fiction, and then arrange the actors to represent the
scenes as nearly as possible.

Simple home living pictures are a great source of fun, and many a
wet afternoon will pass like magic while arranging scenes and making
dresses to wear. Newspaper masks, newspaper cocked hats, old shawls,
dressing-gowns, and sticks are quite sufficien