Chapter XVIII: Outdoor Fun with Home-Made Tether-Ball

WITH an outlay of a few cents you can make this entire tether-ball game and make it well. The common hollow rubber ball should be two and a half inches in diameter—about the size of a tennis ball. You will not need any money for the two rackets, which are cut from old boxes or shingles.

=The Pole=

may be a stationary clothesline post, a small, unused flagstaff, an extra long clothesline pole, a long curtain pole, or a very long, straight bean pole, and for smaller children the handle of an old long-handled broom will answer.

Use strong, soft twine to make

=The Cover for Your Ball=

Cut twelve pieces, each twenty-four inches in length; place all the lengths straight and evenly together; then tie a string around the entire bunch, an inch and one-half from the centre (Fig. 270). In this figure and several other diagrams the single strands of twine are not drawn in detail, because, should every separate thread be outlined, much confusion might ensue.

After tying the lengths of twine together, separate the longest part into three divisions of four strands each (Fig. 271). Braid these strands together in one braid, beginning close to the string tied around the bunch; continue braiding firmly and tightly for the distance of two and a half or three inches (Fig. 272), then untie and remove the string from around the bunch (Fig. 273); bring the two ends of the braid together, and joining all the loose strands into three bunches of eight strands each, braid all into one braid (Fig. 274). When this larger braid is one inch long, with another string tie the loose ends of it firmly together close up to the braid. You will then have a braided ring on a braided stem. Wind the stem with an extra string; then tie a hard knot and cut away the ends of the string (Fig. 275).

Divide the loose strands into bunches of three strands each, making eight bunches (Fig. 275). Pin the stem down to something stationary and firm; then take three strands, or one bunch, in each hand, and pass the first finger of your left hand between the two bunches; hold it there while you carry the bunch in your right hand across the bunch in your left hand; this forms a loop. Do not take your finger out of the loop until the entire double knot is made. Bring the bunch from your right hand under and through the loop formed by the crossing of the bunches; this will give Fig. 276. Pull the strings until the tie is a short distance from the stem; then tie the same strands again to form a firm knot. Fig. 277 shows the method.

Tie together two more bunches, and two more, until all the bunches have been used and you have made four knots (Fig. 278).

Fit the network over your ball (Fig. 279), allowing the covering to remain on the ball while you tie the bunches of strands into another row of four knots below the first row. Look at Fig. 278. The bunches are all numbered, showing how they are to be united. Corresponding numbers must be tied together: 1 with 1, 2 with 2, and so on. The result will be like Fig. 280.

Keep the ball in the net and make another lower row of knots, which will give you Fig. 281.

Now turn the ball over and tie two opposite bunches of strands up tight and firm against the bottom of the ball (Fig. 282 A). Bring together the remaining two bunches, B and C, and tie them over the knot A. Again tie in a hard, firm knot; then bind all the strands together by winding with a separate piece of string. Fasten securely.

It is necessary for the ball to be covered, so that it may have a strong yet harmless ring at the top, for no metal may be used on the ball.

Before erecting the pole you must mark out

=A Court on the Grounds.=

Drive a stick in the earth where you want your pole to stand. On this stick tie a piece of string close to the ground; then sharpen the end of another short stick and tie the other end of the string on the second stick near its top; let the string measure two and one-half feet from one stick to the other stick. Pressing the point of the second stick slantingly against the earth, run it around and around in a circle until a circular line is distinctly marked (Fig. 283), then you can pull out the stake and dig a hole where it stood at the centre, and plant your pole. Mark a straight line across the centre of the circle and extend this straight line beyond the edge of the circle six feet on each side. On opposite sides of each of the straight lines running out from the circle mark a cross about two and one-half feet from the circle and two and one-half feet from the line, F and F (Fig. 284). The cross designates the spot where the player on either side must stand to serve the ball when the game begins. The crosses are called service crosses.

The length of the tether pole you are to use depends upon your height and that of your young friends. Make the pole long enough to allow being planted sufficiently deep to be firm and steady and extend up above the surface of the ground, vertically, to the height of about three feet above your head. Cut a notch near the top of the pole before erecting it (Fig. 285). Tie one end of a long string fast around the notch. The string must be well waxed, twisted and doubled and waxed again, and it must reach within two feet of the ground. Tie the ball on the loose end of the string and erect your pole so firmly that it will not even tremble when you bat the attached ball ever so vigorously (Fig. 286). Fig. 287 gives the first step in tying the ball on the pole string. D is the end attached to the pole, E is the loose end. Pass E under D, then around back again over D and through the loop (Fig. 288); repeat this stitch over and over, drawing the string very tight each time. Finish by tying the E end of the string on the D end in several knots. Examine Fig. 289. It will give you the process of tying, but the knots are drawn loose that you may see how each is made. Paint a red ring around the pole just above the height of your head. Make

=A Pattern for the Rackets=

of a piece of paper twelve inches long and five and one-half inches wide; fold the paper lengthwise through the centre and cut according to curved line in Fig. 290. Open the pattern and lay it over a shingle, the handle at the thickest part; draw a pencil line around it and carefully whittle out the racket. Smooth down the rough edges with sandpaper (Fig. 291). Make a second racket in the same way. Now let us thoroughly understand the meaning of the divisions of the court before attempting the game. Inside the ground circle no one shall go, for it is not allowable at any time during the game to step on, or within, or reach over the circle line on the ground surrounding the tether pole. The straight line is used to divide the ground into two courts, one on each side of the line, making a separate court for each player.

The cross in each court is intended to mark the spot where a player must stand to “serve” or strike the ball when the game first begins. The player must stand on the cross of the chosen court while serving; at other times during the game she may go any place within her court, but she must stay in her own court on her own side of the line.

=The Object of the Game=

is for each player to strike the ball on the end of the string in such a way as to cause the string with ball attached to wind completely around the pole above the red band.

The game is intended for two players, and it begins by each one, in turn, tossing a small stone or piece of wood as near as possible to the tether pole while standing at a spot, previously marked, ten feet from the pole. The girl landing a stone nearest the pole has first turn and choice of courts; the other player must go in the court on the opposite side and beyond the circle.

The server holds the ball in her hand and, striking it with her racket, endeavors to send the ball winding around the pole, but as the ball approaches the other player or opponent, the opponent tries to stop the progress of the ball with her racket and send the ball back to wind around the pole in the opposite direction. As the ball returns toward the first player, a second time she endeavors to strike it and wind the string her way around the pole. In this manner the ball is kept going back and forth between the two players until one player succeeds in winding the entire string and ball above the red band; this wins the game, and the girl winning the greatest number of games out of eleven wins the set.

While playing the game the ball may be struck but once at a time, no player being allowed to have two or more trials during one turn.

The turns shall alternate between the two players.

If a player fails to send the ball into her opponent’s court on its way around the pole, the failure is called a fault, and the player making the fault loses her turn. The lost turn goes to the opponent, who then stands on the cross in her own court and has a free strike at the ball.

If a player strikes the ball more than once during one turn, she is guilty of a fault, and loses her next turn. If a player over-steps the boundary of her own court in any way, she is guilty of a fault and loses a turn. When the string winds around the handle of the racket, or winds about the tether pole below the red band, the player so winding the string commits a fault and loses a turn.

All faults give the opponent a free hit from the cross on her own court.

When grown-up girls and boys play tether-ball, the pole must stand nine feet high when erected. The red band on the pole must be six feet above the ground. The circle on the ground around the pole must be three feet in diameter. The straight line dividing the courts must extend ten feet outward from each side of the pole, making the entire length twenty feet. The ball must hang, when at rest, two and one-half feet from the ground.

This game may be played by sides, of equal numbers.

PART II

MINIATURE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD