Chapter XII: The Magic Peep Show

FIND or make a simple pasteboard box, twelve inches long, ten inches wide and nine inches high, or you can have it a little smaller if you like, for your Magic Peep Show.

Cut a large square opening in the end of the box, leaving a margin one-half inch wide at the top and sides (Fig. 147). Make a small round hole in the centre of the front of the box, only large enough for one eye to look through, and cut a slit a quarter of an inch wide on each side of the box half an inch from the open end and half an inch from the top; extend the slit to the bottom of the box (Fig. 148). Fig. 149 shows the box with the front, sides, and back cut.

If the bent-down edges of the box-lid are wide, cut them off within half an inch of the top; then put the lid on the box and it will be ready for the slides (Fig. 150).

=The Slides=

must be stiff and perfectly opaque, so they will appear black when held up to the light. Make them of pieces of pasteboard boxes cut to fit in the side slits and long enough to extend a trifle beyond on each side of the box (Fig. 151).

Draw the different designs given here on separate slides, and with a sharp penknife cut them out, leaving holes in the slides exactly the shape of the designs. The holes should appear with clean-cut edges.

Of course, the complete designs on the slides must be drawn much larger than in these printed diagrams, but you can enlarge the drawings by the system of squares. Explained in Chapter XIV.

After the designs are cut out, paste colored tissue paper over the openings, and when you look through the little hole you will see wonderfully bright and gay scenes all in transparent colors. An ambitious red cow will be found jumping over a yellow moon, and instead of being accompanied by the usual dish running away with a spoon, you will find an energetic wood sprite dressed all in Lincoln-green. The sprite has tied a rope of wild grape-vine to the cow, and, clinging to the rope, is sailing through the air and over the moon with his queer steed. Fig. 152 shows

=“The Cow Jumped Over the Moon”=

Cut out the group and paste a piece of dark-red tissue paper over the entire cow with the exception of the horns. Across these paste white tissue paper. Cover the moon with one piece of yellow tissue paper and the sprite with green, all except his face; have that pink. Cut out a thin line for the rope and paste a bit of brown tissue paper over it. Fig. 153 shows the wrong side of the slide and explains how the work is done; dotted lines designate the openings, which are covered with tissue paper, in the manner described.

The tissue-paper coverings may be cut in any shape, but each piece must cover well the opening of the figure or portion of figure intended to be the color of the paper. Have the white paper across the horns lap less than one-eighth inch over the red paper of the cow (Fig. 154), and manage the pink paper of the sprite’s face in the same way where it meets the green of his cap and clothing.

In making the other slides, follow this method throughout whenever two pieces of tissue paper come in contact on the figure, and when pasting paper over designs on the remaining slides always use one large piece of paper in preference to several small pieces for covering different parts of the design, which are the same in color. Figs. 155, 156 and 157 give the cow, sprite and moon for you to copy or trace.

=Life in Fairy Waters=

Fig. 158 shows how dark the slides appear when seen in the peep show and gives an idea of the decided contrast of the light design against the dark background, only the black and white print cannot give the charm of the clear, bright, transparent coloring of the mermaid feeding her many-hued pets as she rides her sea-horse in the fairy waters.

The different parts of the composition are Figs. 159, 160, 161 and 162, and the food merely little oval-shaped holes covered with white tissue paper. Make the mermaid’s hair and ribbon brown; her face, arms and body to the waist line, pink; the remaining portion of the mermaid’s figure orange-color. The fish, scarlet, purple and white. Paste wee round pieces of black paper on the fish for the eyes.

As soon as you finish the slide, fit it in the peep show box, turn your face to the light, then peep through the hole and find how pretty the bright group looks with all the eager fish gathering around the little mermaid as she calls them to breakfast.

Next comes Fig. 163, the

=Easter Chicks=

Make Fig. 164 light yellow; Fig. 165, blue; Fig. 166, orange chick, white shell; Fig. 167 A, green, B, purple; Fig. 168, white chick, scarlet shell; the broken shells (Fig. 169) red, blue and white. The poor little chicks are glad to escape from the shells even though the shells have been gayly painted.

=In the Three Blind Mice=

(Fig. 170), which are pursued by the knife belonging to the farmer’s wife, the first mouse can be orange-color; the second, white, and last one brown. The blade of the knife, scarlet, and its handle green, or any other colors which may please your fancy. Remember, this is a magic peep show, and often the natural color of animals is changed to more brilliant hues in order to secure a more vivid effect.

You can make all three mice from one outline (Fig. 171) and the knife from Fig. 172. Set the slide of mice in place in the box, peep through the hole and “see how they run!”

The next illustration will undoubtedly prove to be the most amusing of all, and will bring forth gales of laughter from your little brothers, sisters or friends. It is the

=Dance of the Dolls (Fig. 173)=

On Fig. 174 paste orange-colored hair, a scarlet dress and green shoes; then over all paste one large piece of white tissue paper which will make the doll’s face, neck, arms and stockings white. The layer of white paper placed over these colors does not affect them in the least.

Cut a circular hole for the ball and cover it with brown tissue paper. Dress Fig. 175 in the same manner as the doll just described, but in other colors. For instance, make her hair brown, her dress light purple, her shoes yellow, and her face, arms and stockings white. If you want features on the faces, use a very soft lead-pencil and draw eyes, nose and mouth, though features are not really necessary, and, as a matter of fact, the dolls look very well without.

Let Jumping Jack (Fig. 176) be all in blue, except his face—make that white. Joints on all the toys, as seen in the illustrations, are indicated by pasting thread lines of black paper and pin-head dots of black paper over the places where joints should be, according to the outlines and dots at the elbows of the girl dolls and the shoulders and hips of dancing Jack.

=The Bouquet=

(Fig. 177) consists of a red tulip (Fig. 178); a deep-yellow ox-eye daisy with a brown centre pasted over the yellow—in this case it can be done (Fig. 179)—a bluebell (Fig. 180); and a white daisy with yellow centre (Fig. 181). You will find that this piece, with all its bright colors, will be one of the prettiest of your designs. Fig. 182 is a branch of green leaves.

Cover each blossom with its respective color, and then paste one piece of green tissue paper over all the leaves and stems and the effect will be very natural.

=The Little Sun-bonnet Girl=

(Fig. 183), playing with a lot of bright-colored balloons, forms the last slide. Make the little girl’s dress blue, her sun-bonnet white and her hands, feet and ankles pink (Fig. 184). Let the strings of the balloons be of white tissue paper and each balloon of a different color from all the others; one may be dark red, the others green, pink, purple, light yellow, blue, scarlet, orange, brown, light green, white and vivid yellow. The slide will be very brilliant.

Invent other designs yourself. Think of something you would like to see and try it on a new slide; when you succeed with one, you will want to make another and another. The more slides you have for your magic peep show the longer the fun will last, and you will be able to give no end of pleasure to your little friends.

When exhibiting the peep show set the box on top of a table where the light will shine through the slides and let the party take turns facing the window and peeping through the little hole at the novel, brilliant scenes beyond.