Monday, December 7, 2009

Could it be any simpler?


Anyone can produce a hand-made toy!  Don't believe me?  Believe the fine folks who wrote the Foxfire books.  These are stories of work and play before television, electricity and the wheel.  Not the last one. The intrepid authors went to Appalachia to record 'folkways' before the folks who practiced them were gone. Florence Brooks and Hattie Kenny explained the mysteries of the 'Button on a String'.  You put a string crossway through the eyes of a button.  Then tie the ends of the string together to form a loop.  Now put your hands at each end of the loop and twirl the button to twist the string.  When done twisting, pull  the string and the button will whirl.  "Makes the funniest noise!", exclaimed Hattie.  Florence did mention that she and her sisters would get them tangled in each other's hair out of sheer orneriness.  Of course if you are determined, any toy can be used to torture your siblings.  That's why they're called toys.

Source:  Foxfire 6  p.166
Graphic source:  Button On a String

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