build all the different houses and
furniture seen in the accompanying illustrations.

[Illustration: FIG. 156--The little tropical house in Uncle Sam's newly
acquired possessions. Made of old visiting cards.]

For the little

=Tropical House=

in Uncle Sam's newly acquired possessions (Fig. 156), select eight of
your largest and stiffest visiting cards; these are for the four walls
of the first or lower story of the house. If the cards are not alike in
size, make them so by trimming off the edges of the larger cards.

Place two of the cards together and cut two slashes, one on each side of
the centre, through one end of the double layer (Fig. 157). Slide the
two cut ends together, allowing the centre divisions, A (Fig. 157), to
lie, one over and one under the two cards. This will bring under the
side divisions B and B (Fig. 157), on the card whose centre division A
comes on top, while the divisions B and B of the other card will come
over on the outside (Fig. 158). Fasten all of the remaining cards
together in pairs in the same manner; then cut a long slit near the
outer edge of each of the four pairs of cards, C and C (Fig. 159). Slide
the walls together at right angles, and form a square by means of the
long slits. Do this by holding the open end of one long slit in one wall
under, and at right angles to the open end of one long slit in another
wall, and then fitting the two walls into each other so that they will
stand firm and form one corner of the lower story of the house (Fig.
160).

[Illustration: FIG. 157--Place two cards together and cut two slashes.]

[Illustration: FIG. 158--Slide the cards together this way.]

[Illustration: FIG. 159--Slide the two cards together this way to make
the wall.]

[Illustration: FIG. 160--Slide the walls together at right angles by
means of long slits.]

Strengthen the house with an extra inside wall. Cut long slits in each
end of the extra wall, then a long slit near the centre of each side
wall in which to fit the extra wall.

Make the ceiling of the lower story of two more pairs of cards fastened
together like Fig. 158, and on the ends of each pair of cards cut
similar divisions, only have them quite short (Fig. 161). Bend down all
of the end divisions and fit the strips over across the top of the first
story from front to back, bringing the two corner divisions, D and D
(Fig. 161), on the outside of the wall, while you slide the centre part,
E, on the inside (