Page:String Figures and How to Make Them.djvu/311

272 Two persons are required for this figure, which is formed from the completed figure of either the Caroline Islands "Turtle" or the "Bagobo Small Diamonds," preferably from the "Turtle," as the strings are not so much twisted about the fingers.

First: The first person holds the completed figure of the "Turtle" in front of him, vertically of course, and the second person faces him. The figure consists of a central row of three lozenges and two side rows of four triangles each. These triangles may be numbered first, second, third and fourth from below upward, and the rows are right and left as seen by the second person.

The second person directs his left little finger away from him through the first (lower) left triangle, and his right little finger away from him through the first right triangle. Keeping the little fingers in these triangles, he now directs the thumbs away from him through the second side triangles, the right thumb of course through the right triangle, the left thumb through the left triangle. Turning each thumb up he directs it toward him through the third triangle (Fig. 626). The first person now places his right little finger loop, untwisted, on the left little finger of the second person, and his right index loop, untwisted, on the right little finger of the second person (Fig. 627), and withdraws his hands entirely from the figure. The second person now puts his hands in the usual position and draws the strings tight. He has two loops on each thumb and two loops on each little finger.

Second: The first person now puts his right thumb from below into the left thumb loops of the second person, and his left thumb from below into the left little finger loops of the second person, and takes these loops away from the second person on his thumbs. The second person puts his left thumb from below into the loops which are on his right thumb, and removes the right thumb, and puts his right thumb from below into the loops which are on his right little finger, and removes the right little finger. The figure is now drawn