Year: 1870




AMONG the various kinds the "three.
stick kite is probably the surest for the
beginner. Get three light, thin, straight
sticks, of cedar, pine Or similar wood
| smooth them, and let them be about hall
an inch wide by an eighth thick; per-
haps little more. Make two of them 90
inches long, and the third 90 inches
Mark roirt 10 inches from the end ot
each of the long sticks, and in the middle
Of the short one; cross the three sticks at
these points, and tie them firmly with
twine. Cut notches engthwise across the
ends Of the sticks, and tie strong twine
from end to end. making the outline Of
an irregular six-sided figure, of which the
bottom may be is inches long; the sides
about 1S1I the shoulders II, and she top
s inches. These numbers may vary it is
necessary only that the corresponding
sides should be exactly alike or the kite
will not be well balanced. This finishes
the frame.


Now lay down p sheet of strong, light
paper, place the frame upon it, and cut
the paper about two inches larger than
the frame, all round. Fold the outside
over the strings, and paste down with
good boiled -four paste, cutting out the
COrncTS Wlere Lney overlap.


The next thing is to hang the kite.
Measure from each lower corner five
inches along the sticks; make small
hole on each side of the stick through the
paper, and tie in the ends of string,
which shall measure, when tied, about IA
inches from stick TO stick. This is the
lower loop. In like manner tie an upper
loop, about inches long, to points about
3 inches from the upper end of the same
stick. Remember to have the loops on
the face side or The Kite; tnat is, the side
on which the sticks are not seen. Join
the middles Of the two loops by string
about 90 inches long; this is the belly
band. Hang the kite by the belly band
over your finger, and hold it so that when
other may be about foot above it; there
is the place to tie the line, making it fast
80 that it will not slip. When the kite
floats in the air, it should lie at an angle
Of about IS degrees; if it stands too
straight the string is fastened too low on
the belly band if too fiat, the string is
not low7enough.


The kite must have a tail to balance it.
If the tail is too heavy, the kite will not
raise it; If too light, as is usually the case,
the kite will not "stand" steadily, but will
dive from side to side. Whenever it does
that, it should be taken in, and more
weight added to the tail Cut pieces of
writing paper, inches wide and 6 or s
long; fold back and forth fan-like and tie
3 inches apart, on string until you have
made 3 or yards. Then cut quantity
Of strips half an inch wide, and II or IA
inches long; tie the bunch of them by the
middle, fold the ends together and tie
again, making tassel, which you may tie
to the end of the tail. If the strips are Of
colored tissue paper, all the gayer. Tie
string about 90 inches long to the two
lower corners of the kite, and fasten the
tail to the middle of it. Choose smooth,
close, well spun string, linen is best-and
costs most-not too large, or its weight
will make it "sag," nor too small, or the
kite will fly away with it. Finally, don't
try to fly kite when the wind don't blow.


Now, just as each OF your good moth
ers think, she has a recipe for making
cookies, which she thinks is little better
than any other, so every boy who has
experience in kite making thinks his way
is rather the best, and, quite likely, he
may find fault with some of our proper
tions. If so he has perfect liberty to
change them TO his likeing. The impor-
tant items are: the kite must be truly
made SO that one side may just balance
the other; it must hang at the proper an
gle to the wind; and the tail must be
rightly proportioned in weight TO the
size of the kite.


If the kite don't behave well at first,
think which of these items has not been
carefully attended to, and correct. Don't
give up at the first trial.-fae Bright
kiJs