CHAPTER V

Making Your Marionette

In your adventures with marionettes, probably nothing will give you more pleasure than the actual making of them. This is equally true of the Burattini, of the doll puppet, and of the real marionette.

The Burattini, Guignol, or Mitten puppet is the simplest kind of marionette. It is usually nothing more than a head, two arms, and an empty sack. The most important part of a Guignol is its head. This can be made from unbleached muslin, from a hollow doll’s head, it can be carved out of a block of soft wood, or it can be made from papier-mâché.

_Muslin Head._ Here is a pattern for the unbleached muslin head. Sew the two halves together and then stuff firmly with cotton. If you dampen the cheeks, the muslin will stretch and then you can round them out with more cotton. Into the neck insert a cuff of stiff paper, ⅞ of an inch in diameter. It should be fastened either by sewing or glueing. This cuff gives you space for the finger which manipulates the head. Water colors or crayons may be used for painting the face. Before you begin, experiment on scraps of muslin.

[Illustration: [Head]]

_Doll’s Head._ If you wish to use the hollow head of a doll, you will probably find it necessary to remodel its features. This is done by taking papier-mâché, a mixture of bits of paper mixed with flour paste, and building out the nose, the cheeks, and the chin, in order to give them more character. The building out must be done gradually, a bit at a time, after you have made the surface rough by the use of sandpaper or a file. When you are sure that you have finished the head, stand twenty or thirty feet away from it and see if it is still interesting to you. This is an excellent test. Those in the last rows of your audience will be even farther away and your Burattini must hold their interest.

_Wooden Head._ Boys who like to whittle will enjoy carving out wooden heads. If you decide to carve the head from wood, use a soft wood, such as pine. Start with a piece about 5 inches long by 3½ inches wide by 3½ inches high. It is well to keep in mind that the head is egg shaped. The chin is the small end of the egg. Observe that the eyes are placed halfway between the top of the head and the chin, and that the nose is placed halfway between the eyes and the chin. Notice, also, that the mouth is placed halfway between the nose and the chin. The illustration will show you how to go about the carving. Cut the big planes first, then the smaller planes. Curve the cheeks and chin if the character requires it. You will then be ready to drill the ⅞ inch hole up into the neck. Into this hole is thrust the forefinger of the puppeteer.

[Illustration: [Head]]

_Papier-mâché Head._ If you wish to make a papier-mâché head for your Burattini, follow the directions for making the head of the true marionette which you will find on page 67.

_Hair._ For hair, use yarn, lamb’s wool, or frayed hemp, as is best suited to the character. The toe of a stocking makes an excellent foundation for the wig, since it so perfectly fits the head. When the material for the hair has been sewed to this foundation, glue it to the head. When the glue has set, you can arrange the hair.

[Illustration: [Hands]]

_Hands._ Burattini hands should be cut out of wood and shaped as in the illustration. Sandpapering makes them smooth. Little cuffs of cardboard should be glued or tacked onto the wrists in order to make a place for the thumb and second finger of the puppeteer.

_Painting._ When you have finished carving both the head and hands you are ready to paint them. You will need red, yellow, blue, and white oil paints. Use a piece of smooth wood or glass for a palette. Squeeze onto your palette a small amount of each color. As you know, people do not have pure-white skins. There is a tinge of yellow-orange in the white man’s skin, deep red and orange in that of the red man, brown in that of the Negro, and yellow in that of the Oriental. Begin by squeezing out onto your palette a small quantity of white paint. Only clowns’ faces, however, are painted a pure white. You must add a bit of yellow and red to the white paint if you are painting a white man’s face. If you are painting a red man’s face, you must add more red and a bit of blue. For the face of an Oriental, add yellow to your white paint and the least bit of red and blue. For the black man’s face, use black paint instead of white paint and into it mix a very small amount of orange and blue. Use a palette knife for mixing oil paints and turpentine for thinning them. Do not be timid when you begin to paint. Strong and vigorous painting is as important and necessary as strong and vigorous modeling in bringing out the features and expression. When the painting is finished, the face should fully express your idea of the character.

[Illustration: [Body]]

_The Body._ Now we come to the mantle or cloak which gives a kind of body to the Burattini. The illustration shows patterns for the front, back, and sleeves. To this foundation you can sew any costume that your character may require. The hands are fastened into the ends of the sleeves. When the cloak is fastened securely about the neck, it becomes a kind of sack, open only at the bottom. Now slip your hand inside this sack or mantle, your forefinger into the head, your thumb and second finger into the arms. The head will bow, the arms will move, and the little figure comes to life.

ANIMAL BURATTINI

[Illustration:

_A After completing papier-mâché head, cut out lower jaw as shown by dotted line. Then replace and paste a piece of thin muslin over lower cut, as shown by light line. This will not be seen when the head is painted._

_B Dotted lines show the narrow elastic glued to upper and lower jaw. One piece on each side. The forefinger of the puppeteer pulls down the lower jaw, when it is released the elastic snaps the mouth shut._ ]

Burattini animals can be made for such stories as _The Three Pigs_, _The Three Bears_, and _Little Red Riding Hood_. There are several ways of making them. The first way is to use the head of an old toy animal. Into the center of this head cut a hole for the forefinger. Then attach this head to a suitable sack or coat. The forepaws of the animal can be fastened into the sleeves.

Another way is to carve the heads and paws out of soft wood. A third way is to cut them out of suitable cloth. A fourth way is to make them out of papier-mâché in the same way as the papier-mâché heads described on page 67. This illustration will show you how the lower jaw is cut out and then attached in such a way that the puppeteer can open and close the mouth.

_Scale._ Before you begin to make your marionette, you must decide upon the kind of stage you intend to use, for the size of the stage determines the size of the marionette. It is the right relation of the marionette to the stage that creates an illusion and makes your audience feel that the little figures are life-size. For the semi-professional stage, use a scale of 2½ inches or 3 inches to the foot. If you use a scale of 2½ inches to a foot, it would make a 15-inch marionette represent a 6-foot man. If you use a scale of 3 inches to a foot, your 6-foot hero would be represented by a marionette 18 inches high. Never forget your scale of measurements. All properties and stage settings must be worked out to the same scale you have fixed for your marionettes.

TURNING DOLLS INTO MARIONETTES

A very simple kind of marionette can be made from a ten- or fifteen-cent doll. Change the face as you did the Burattini face. Then take off the arms and legs and separate the arms at the elbows and the legs at the knees. Fasten the upper and lower arms together with tape. Do the same thing with the upper and lower legs. Then fasten the arms and legs to the body as in the illustration. The tape gives free movement at the joints.

[Illustration: [Marionette]]

_Strings._ This type of marionette requires not more than seven strings: two for the shoulders, two for the hands, two for the knees, and one for the back. The shoulder string should be about 42 inches long. The other strings are longer as you can see in the illustration. Waxed black linen thread can be used for the strings.

_Controllers._ For this kind of marionette you can use either a horizontal-bar controller or a cross-bar controller. The illustration gives measurements and construction, and indicates the place for attaching the strings.

[Illustration: [Controller]]

A _Horizontal-bar controller_

1. _Back string_

2. _Shoulder strings_

3. _Hand strings_

B _Cross-bar controller_

1. _Hand strings_

2. _Head strings_

3. _Shoulder strings_

4. _Back strings_

5. _Leather strap under which the hand slips_

C _Foot controller_

1. _Foot strings_

2. _Hole to slip over nail in controller B when not in use._

STOCKING MARIONETTE

Another kind of marionette is made from old stockings or any soft material. The head and body are in one piece. Each arm is in one piece. Each leg is in two pieces. Cut and sew according to directions. Stuff the head very firmly with cotton. At the base of the neck leave a quarter of an inch between the two rows of stitching. This will permit the head to move. The body should be stuffed less firmly than the head, especially at the waistline, so that the figure can bend easily.

[Illustration: [Pattern]]

A _Body pattern. Dotted line indicates stitching. Do not stitch across the bottom until after the stuffing has been inserted._

B _Arm pattern. Dotted line indicates stitching._

C _Front view of the leg stuffed, showing upper leg extending over lower leg. This is to prevent a forward swing at the knee._

D _Side view of C showing the fastening; the upper leg is sewed to the lower leg at the back of the knee. Note the downward slant of the foot._

E _A dancer’s leg showing the downward drop of the toe._

F _Lower leg showing round piece of wood to insure stiffness._

G _Back view of upper leg. Dotted line indicates the piece of light-weight cardboard inserted to insure stiffness._

_Note: Pieces of lead or small shot are used to weight the feet and hands. A lead dress weight may be sewed in the torso to give the body weight. Cotton or soft rags are used for the stuffing._

_Staples._ Into each side of the head, where the ears would naturally come, insert a staple. It requires a great deal of patience to insert these staples into this kind of head but it can be done. Just where you place these staples is very important. If you place them too far forward the head will be drawn too far back when the strings are attached to the staples. On the contrary, if the staples are inserted too far back, the head will fall forward when suspended from the strings. If you wish to make a pompous, strutting character, then place the staples forward. If you wish to show a hunchback or bowed old age, then place the staples quite far back. Between these two extremes is the normal place for your staples.

_Modeling._ When the staples have been inserted, dip your fingers into water and dampen the head and then cover it with some kind of modeling clay that hardens when exposed to the air. The features of your character can be modeled with your fingers and the help of an orange stick or a toothpick. Do not cover the staples, for the head-strings must be attached to them later. This kind of marionette head should be painted with tempera colors or with oil paints. Paint the hands the same color as the face. When the paint is dry, cover the head with glue and attach the hair, which may be made from yarn, mercerized cotton, silk, or lamb’s wool.

A marionette of this kind could be used on the semi-professional stage if it is carefully constructed, made to scale, and appropriately costumed. The strings are attached to the head staples, to the shoulders, the hands, the back, and to the knees. For this type of marionette use the cross-bar controller.

THE REAL MARIONETTE

The third type of marionette, which might be called the real marionette, is somewhat more complicated, but it is better suited to the larger stage and to more exacting plays. There is scarcely a thing that this type of marionette cannot be made to do if skilfully constructed. Its greater flexibility of neck, waist, wrist, and ankle makes it possible for it to bow, kneel, sit down, turn its head, dance, play a musical instrument, climb a wall, or perform any number of lively tricks.

CHARACTER

A marionette should be as individual as a human being, both in its appearance and in its character. Before you make your marionette, you must have clearly in mind the character you wish to portray. You should aim to make its appearance indicate its character. Let us suppose that you are about to make a marionette of Myles in _Men of Iron_. Let us make a list of his characteristics: brave, strong, loyal, daring, courageous. Now choose one of these traits which you think most fully sums up the character of Myles. Probably you will choose the word “courageous.” The problem now is to create a marionette whose appearance will suggest the Myles who is brave, strong, loyal, daring, but, above all things, courageous. Can you not see him, tall, broad of shoulder, fearless of eye, as he stands before Sir James Lee? Strong of limb and strong of will, he reflects the spirit of his time. You now have the problem of creating out of a few bits of wood and cloth this daring, headstrong young squire.

[Illustration: [Drawing]]

Begin by making a working drawing somewhat like the illustration. Now make drawings of the face of Myles just as you imagine it, front view and side view. Always consider the age of the character you wish to model. Faces of the young are smooth and round, the brow unwrinkled; those of the middle aged less smooth and round, with the jaw, chin, and nose more clearly defined. In old age, sagging muscles produce lines and hollows around the eyes, nose, and mouth. You must also consider the structure of a face. This means giving attention to the shape of the jaw, chin, nose, lips, and the eye sockets. In modeling the face of Myles in _Men of Iron_, you would naturally give him a forceful chin and nose, and a large, firm mouth. If you were modeling Lady Alice in the same play, you would express her daintiness and lightness by giving her a delicate nose, smiling lips, rounded cheeks and chin. Lastly, you should study the expression of the face. Have you ever noticed what happens to the muscles around the mouth when a person smiles or is sad or angry? When we smile the muscles lift the corners of the mouth upward; when we are sad the mouth droops at the corners; when we are angry our lips become straight and firmly set. The brow is very tell-tale and can show different moods. In surprise, the brows are arched. Curiosity draws the brows together, anger draws them together and downward. Sadness is shown by the drooping of both brows and mouth.

[Illustration: [Heads]]

If you are to become a successful puppet maker, keep a small sketch book in your pocket and make numerous sketches of many different types of faces and of human figures.

_Modeling._ With your drawings before you, take a lump of clay or plasticine and model it into the general egg shape of the head. The small end will represent the chin. The large end will represent the crown of the head. Add the clay for the neck. Draw a light line on the clay to locate the brow, the length of the nose, and the position of the mouth. Now while you hold this egg-shaped head in your hands, place your thumbs just below the line of the brow, and gently and firmly press the clay down and out and up to form the eye sockets. Then build up the nose and lips. It is unnecessary to model the ears. In the first stages of your modeling, you cannot expect the head to resemble your ideal character, because you will be striving for the general proportions of the face. When once you have attained these proportions you can then begin to work for a likeness. Besides your ten fingers, you may find an orange stick or a sharpened match a valuable tool.

_Making a Mold._ After you have finished the head it is necessary to make a plaster of Paris mold of it. One way to do this is to take a small cardboard box that will hold the head and allow an inch of space on all six sides. Grease the box on the inside with vaseline. At the same time grease thoroughly and evenly with a brush the clay or plasticine head. Now mix about one half pint of plaster of Paris with enough water to give it the consistency of thick cream. This must be done with quickness, for the hardening process cannot be stopped once it has set in. Pour this mixture into the greased box until it is half full. Then place the head, back down, into the plaster. Allow fifteen to thirty minutes for the plaster of Paris to harden. Now grease the exposed surface of the clay or plasticine head. Mix more plaster with water and cover the face thoroughly. Allow this to stand overnight. The next day, when you remove the box, the two halves of the plaster cast can be separated. Out will fall the clay or plasticine head, which you will no longer need because you now have the two molds for making the papier-mâché head.

A simpler way to make the mold is this: Mark the clay as in the illustration. Then insert pieces of tin or stiff paper, such as oak tag. When the clay is dry, apply a coat of vaseline to it and to the tin or paper. Then apply the plaster of Paris and keep applying it until you think it is fully an inch thick. After the plaster hardens, proceed in the same manner with the other side of the head. When both sides are hard, separate them from the clay and you will have two molds.

[Illustration: [Heads]]

_Papier-mâché._ You are now ready to make the papier-mâché heads. Begin by making a small quantity of flour paste. Take two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour and mix with cold water to the consistency of cream, add two cups of hot water, place over fire and stir constantly until it comes to the boiling point and boil for two minutes. A few drops of oil of cloves will keep the paste fresh in hot weather.

Now tear wrapping paper into small strips about five inches long. Soak them in water for a few minutes, then wring out and dip into the flour paste. Take a piece and rub it gently between the fingers until the paper feels like wet chamois skin. Then press it into the back of the mold for the head. Continue to cover the surface with piece after piece. If necessary, you may tear the paper into smaller pieces. There must not be a wrinkle, but the pieces should overlap slightly. In this way you cover the entire surface with paper of one color. For the second layer use paper of another color. For the third layer use the first color, and so on, alternately, through the fifth layer. This alternation of colors will help you to keep account of the layers, and insures uniform thickness. Allow the edges of the paper to extend over the edges of the mold.

Do the same thing with the mold for the face, but use much more care to see that every depression is smoothly and evenly filled in order to bring out the features properly. The paper should stay in the mold until dry. The two halves of the head and neck can then easily be removed. The edges should be trimmed off. The two halves can be held together and fastened with strips of papier-mâché.

[Illustration: [Heads]]

When you have finished making the head, cut out the crown as you see in the illustration. A round stick is now pushed down into the neck with its lower end extending through the neck as you can see. This stick should fit very closely. If it does not fit closely, a few tacks will keep it from slipping. Now, take glue and rags, and fill them into the small spaces between this stick and the upper part of the neck. Do not spare the glue. The crown can now be fitted back onto the head and fastened with a few strips of papier-mâché. The following day, when the glue is thoroughly set, you can insert a screw eye into the base of the neck. The head is then complete.

[Illustration: [Heads]]

A _Piece of wood to which the papier-mâché chin is glued_

B _Small blocks of wood to be glued to inside of cheeks_

C _Lead weight_

D _Lead weight_

E _String for operating the lower jaw_

F _Metal pivot_

It is possible to make marionettes which can open their mouths. This is done by cutting out the lower lip and chin in one piece and then fastening it to a rounded piece of wood, and inserting it through the crown of the head. The illustration is a working drawing of the Duchess in the _Adventures of Alice_ and shows the way the piece was weighted and then fastened inside the head. This same principle can be used in various ways in constructing the heads of marionette animals.

[Illustration: [Body]]

A _Top view of shoulder piece_

B _Side view of hip piece_

The body consists of the trunk, arms, and legs. For the trunk, you will need two pieces of wood shaped as you see in the illustration. Here is a table for approximate measurements for the shoulder and hip pieces for the 15- and 18-inch marionette:

18-inch marionette man—shoulders 4 inches wide, hips 3 inches wide

16-inch marionette woman—shoulders 3 inches wide, hips 3 inches wide

15-inch marionette man—shoulders 3 inches wide, hips 2½ inches wide

13½-inch marionette woman—shoulders 2½ inches wide, hips 2½ inches wide

Keep your character in mind. A warrior will have broad, heavy shoulders and be deep of chest. A slender young woman will have a light frame. Take the shoulders and hip piece, and place them on your working drawing as in the illustration and then fasten them together with a strip of cloth, tacked as indicated.

[Illustration: [Hands]]

A _Wire construction_

B _Finished hand sewed into lower arm, which is weighted with small shot_

_Hands._ Arms, hands, legs, and feet are yet to be constructed. Let us begin with the hand. Its length is that of the face from the chin to the line of the hair. Into a piece of wood drive seven brads as in the illustration. Take a piece of light-weight copper wire, such as a strand of aërial wire, about thirty inches long, and attach one end to the lower wrist brad. You then loop the wire around the brads loosely, in the order indicated, beginning and ending with “A.” When you return to “A,” lift the wire loops from the brads carefully, holding the wrist loop. Now thread the loose end of the wire through these wrist loops in order to fasten them together. With the loose end, you now begin the tying of the two wires of the thumb together by going under and over as the illustration indicates. From the thumb, go to the fingers, taking each in turn. After tying the little finger, return to the wrist and wrap it three or four times before cutting off the last bit of wire. This wire frame corresponds to the bony structure of the hand. Small pieces of plasticine or modeling wax are now applied, long narrow strips to the fingers, heavier strips for the palm of the hand. A hand should show character. Keep this in mind as you are shaping it. The last thing to be done is the wrapping of the hand with quarter-inch white tape. Begin at the wrist, then wrap the thumb, carry the tape back to the wrist, then wrap the palm of the hand. When the hand has been carefully wrapped, then take a needle and thread and close any openings, such as those at the ends of the fingers or in the palms of the hands. The hand can now be pressed into any number of lifelike positions.

_Arms._ The upper and lower arm are made in one piece from white stockings or any other soft white material. The illustration indicates fairly wide seams. Begin your sewing at the wrist and follow the arrow around and back to the wrist. Now stuff the upper arm rather lightly with cotton. When you reach the elbow, stop and sew twice across, leaving one-fourth inch between the rows. This will make the arm flexible at the elbow. Then stuff the lower arm until it is quite firm. Into the open wrist insert and sew the hand. Attach a small piece of tape to the top of the upper arm and then tack it to the shoulder piece as in the illustration.

[Illustration: [Legs]]

A _Wire construction for foot._

B _Stocking leg and foot. Shows upright piece of wood and piece of lead shaped to the bottom of the foot. This gives the necessary weight for the lower leg._

C _Stocking barefoot leg. Use wire foot construction, lead to weight the foot and upright piece of wood. Fill out foot and leg with cotton and soft rags._

D _Wooden leg and foot. Strip of leather at the knee hinge._

_Legs and Feet._ The leg consists of an upper and lower part and a foot. These three parts may be made of cloth or of wood. If made of cloth, cut and sew and stuff according to the illustration. For a dancer a long silk stocking should be drawn over the entire leg to conceal the mechanics of the knee. This was done with the marionette dancers in the ballet _Petrouchka_. It is sometimes necessary to have a barefoot character, as in the play of _Tom Sawyer_. In that case the foot is made in much the same way as the wire and tape hand was made, as you can see in the illustration. If you prefer to carve the leg and foot out of wood, there are several ways of doing this. A very simple way is shown in the illustration. When forming the upper and lower leg, keep in mind the fact that the marionette’s lower leg works just like your own, which goes backward but never forward or sidewise. The attaching of the cloth legs to the hip piece requires thought and judgment. Two tacks should be used to fasten each leg securely. If these tacks are well placed, the legs will hang evenly and the feet will point forward.

[Illustration: [Head]]

_Attaching the Head._ When the arms and legs are attached to the body, take the head and place the screw eye in the hole that is in the center of the shoulder piece. A brad driven through from front to back will secure the head and allow free movement in any direction.

_Painting._ For this type of marionette you will have better results if you paint the face and hands with oil paints, rather than with water colors or tempera. Remember that there is a tinge of yellow-orange in the white man’s skin, deep red and orange in the red man’s skin, brown in that of the Negro, and yellow in that of the Oriental.

You might think that you were now ready to costume your marionette. Not so. The reason for this is that if you costumed your marionette without consulting the group, you might find that your marionette would not fit into the stage picture at all. Therefore the next step is group discussion of the background, and of the colors of the costumes seen on the stage together.

_Backgrounds._ A background may be either light, medium, or dark. If the background is light, the costumes which appear against it should be somewhat darker. Likewise if the background is dark, the costumes which appear against it should be lighter. You might think that a costume could be seen quite easily if it were of a color unlike the background. This is not true, if the costume and background are of the same color value. If you experiment and observe your stage picture from a distance, you will discover that you must use light-colored costumes against a dark-colored background, or dark-colored costumes against a light-colored background. This contrast between light and dark need not be a strong one. However, there must be some contrast if the figures are to be seen from a distance. Stage compositions build themselves about the most important characters of the play. Therefore, the costumes of these important characters must be outstanding. They must be in contrast to the background and to the other costumes. The costumes of the less important characters should not rival those of the principal characters. With these suggestions in mind, you are ready to begin the costuming of your marionette.

_Costuming._ In the family scrap bag you will probably find all the materials you need: cotton, wool, silk, satin, velvet, ribbons, laces, and braids. Your marionette may represent a character of a particular period and country. If so, it must have a costume similar to the costume worn in that country at that time. In your library, you can probably find books of historic costumes from which you can make sketches or tracings. It is well to sketch several of the costumes that seem best suited to your character. In this way, you acquire, not only a knowledge of the costumes, but of details such as headdresses, shoes, and ornaments. Also make careful color notes. On the tree of the marionette, you will find a gay company of little figures in historic costumes of many lands. They are worth studying.

Suppose your character is an imaginary one, such as an elf, fairy, or gnome. Then turn to the books illustrated by such artists as Dulac, Rackham, Nielson, and Bilibin. They will inspire you to create and costume your own elves, fairies, and gnomes. Remember to choose suitable materials and appropriate colors. For example, thin, gauzy materials would be appropriate for fairies, while coarse, dark materials would be appropriate for gnomes. Try to express your conception of a character in the colors you choose for its costume.

[Illustration: [Marionette]]

A _Body of controller: 9½ in. long; 1⅝ in. wide_

B _Cross bar: 7½ in. long; 1⅛ in. wide at center_

C _Shoulder controller: 6 in. long_

D _Foot controller: 8½ in. long; ⅞ in. wide_

E _Screw and nut for fastening cross bar to body of controller_

F _Post for holding foot controller when latter is not in use_

G _Pivot (nail)_

1 _Back string_

2 _Head strings_

3 _Shoulder strings_

4 _Hand strings_

5 _Sword strings_

6 _Knee strings_

With your sketches and materials before you, cut out the costume in the same way that you would cut out doll clothes. It might be wise to experiment with paper patterns before you cut into your materials. Avoid wide seams, as they make a garment clumsy. Both your mother and your sewing teacher can give you valuable suggestions for both cutting and making. When your marionette is costumed, drive a staple into each shoulder for the shoulder strings. It is a fine art to costume a marionette. It requires not only research and thought but it also requires skill, taste, and subtle character appreciations.

_Controller._ Here is a sketch of a controller suitable for the true marionette. The frame is made from wood, the loop is of leather. Follow the measurements and directions as indicated.

_Strings._ Black and white woven fish line makes the very best strings for your marionettes. It is strong, it does not tangle, and it is almost invisible. Unfortunately it is expensive. A fifty-cent spool will string but two marionettes. Strong gray linen thread may be used instead. If you cannot get gray linen thread, then use white linen thread and gray it by rubbing with a cloth that has been dipped in black paint or in India ink. If you use black thread, gray it by rubbing with white chalk. Strings should be made as nearly invisible as possible. If the linen thread is rubbed with a little beeswax, it is less liable to break and to become tangled.

_Cutting the Strings._ It is an exciting moment when you begin to cut the strings, for the strings bring the puppet to life. The first to be cut are the head strings. They should be at least forty-two inches long and should be tied securely to the head staples. Next, measure and cut the hand strings. These will be longer, since they are measured from the palm of the hand as it hangs down. Allow three extra inches for arm movements. The back string is measured from the small of the back. The knee strings are measured from the knees. The shoulder string is not cut at this time.

_Attaching the Strings._ The head strings are the first to be attached to the controller. Next in order, attach the back string. Now you are ready to measure and attach the shoulder string. It goes from one shoulder up through the screw eyes in the swinging bar, and then down again to the other shoulder. When the knee strings have been attached to the separate horizontal bars, your marionette is complete.

ANIMAL MARIONETTES

It is possible to make a surprising number of different kinds of animal marionettes. There are many plays in which they are indispensable. For instance, in _Men of Iron_, the horses are indispensable, as there could be no tournament scene without them. The bear and the doves are not indispensable but they add a touch of humor and lively interest. When we gave the play the making of these animals presented an interesting problem. Two boys asked to be responsible for the horses in _Men of Iron_. They went downtown and looked about in the toy departments of the largest stores until they found two wooden toy horses exactly in scale with the 15-inch marionettes which were to be used in this play. They began by taking the horses off their wheeled platforms. These toy horses were very stiff. In order to enable them to move their heads, necks, and legs, it was first necessary to saw off the heads, necks, upper and lower legs. The drawing shows the way these parts were again attached so that great freedom of movement was possible.

[Illustration: [Marionette]]

For the bear marionette, a teddy bear was used. Since a teddy bear is very stiff, it was necessary to remove all the stuffing from the head, body, and legs. In order to make the head drop forward, the snout was weighted with a small three-cornered sack of shot. The paws were also weighted in order to make the bear stand naturally. The bear was very lightly restuffed. The strings were attached to each side of the head, to the shoulders, lower part of the back, and to each of the four paws. The marionette was reweighted no less than four times, in order to get the right balance to make its movements seem natural and bearlike.

A girl was responsible for the three doves used in the second scene of _Men of Iron_. She decided upon the proper scale and then cut a pattern for the body and another for the wings. The body she made from soft gray silk and weighted it near the tail. The wings were wired along their upper edges and then attached to the body. Each dove required three strings, one for the center of the back and one for the tip of each wing.

In the _Adventures of Alice_, it was necessary to have a caterpillar, a frog footman, a Cheshire cat, a pig baby, a dormouse, and a March hare. The Tenniel illustrations for _Alice in Wonderland_ and _Through the Looking Glass_ were closely followed. The students who made these animals tried to give to each one the character which it had in the story. The heads of the caterpillar, the frog footman, and the March hare were first modeled in clay. Molds were then made from these modeled heads. Then papier-mâché heads were made in just the same way as the papier-mâché heads of the true marionettes. To the papier-mâché head of the caterpillar was attached a body. Nile-green silk was used for the upper part and yellow-green silk for the under part. Half hoops of dress cord were stitched to the under side of the back, in order to indicate the segments. A rubber tube for smoke passed through the body from mouth to tail. Because the caterpillar was almost human, he was given hands and arms. The frog footman had a frog’s head, throat, and webbed hands, and the body of a footman.

The March hare had the head and forepaws of a hare and the body of a country gentleman. He was made to appear rather simple, credulous and bland. He had great ears, side burns, and an engaging air, which belied his occasional impatience. The white rabbit was brisk and dapper. He was conscious of his shell-pink ears, fetching whiskers, and the large elegant watch which he drew from his pocket with a flourish.

Marionette animals such as dogs, cats, and pigs may be made from cloth. Even dragons may be made from cloth. Every animal marionette presents a new problem for your ingenuity to solve.

The directions and suggestions which are given in this chapter are meant to guide and to help you. However, it will be your own experiments and inventions which will give you the greatest satisfaction and lead you on to new achievements in the art of puppet-making.

[Illustration: [Scenery]]