Boy's Own Book; a Complete Encyclopedia of Athletic, Scientific, Outdoor and Indoor Sports

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 edition. Excerpt: ... TO TAKE A CHAIR FROM UNDER YOU WITHOUT FALLING. The figure represents a youth with the back part of his head resting on one stout chair, and his heels upon another, and a third chair, which ought to be of rather a lighter make, is placed under him. He must stiffen his body and limbs, throw up the chest, keep the - shoulders down, and disengage the middle chair, which he must carry round over his body until he deposits it again under him on the opposite side. This is another of those feats which seem very difficult, but which are, in fact, easy of execution. Bo assured that if you do not succeed in it, provided the middle chair be not too heavy for your strength, it is because you have not sufficiently attended to the instructions. BREAST TO MOUTH. Many persons find much difficulty in performing this feat. Measure the distance between the outside of the elbow and the extremity of the longest finger; mark that distance on a walking-stick or ruler, as shown by Fig. 2. This stick must be held horizontally before you, as in the annexed sketch, Fig. 1; the middle finger being placed exactly over the mark; the fingers must be kept at 12 right angles with the stick, and the thumb placed over them, as shown by the fist grasping the stick (Fig. 2.) Holding the stick in this position yon must, without changing the place of your fingers, lowering your head, or removing your elbow from your side, endeavor to raise the left end of the stick from your breast to your mouth. THE POKER PUZZLE. This feat is to be performed with a common fire-poker, which you must hold near the top, between the fingers and thumb. You must then, by the mere motion of tho fingers and thumb, work or screw the poker upward, until the slender part is moved up to the hand, ...