MOROCCO Princess Lalla Hasna
Is a passionate environmentalist 1967
MOROCCO Princess Lalla Asma
Is an advocate for protecting animals 1965
MOROCCO Princess Lalla Meryem
Went through a divorce in 1999 1962
NEPAL Princess Kritika
Her country borders Tibet, China, and India 2003
NEPAL Princess Purnika
Attends Roopy’s International School in Kathmandu 2000
NEPAL Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah
Holds title “Grand Master of All Orders of the Kingdom of Nepal” 1976
NORWAY Princess Ingrid Alexandra
Second in line to her country’s throne 2004
NORWAY Princess Mette-Marit
A rebel who met her prince at a rock concert 1973
NORWAY Princess Märtha Louise
Opened a school for clairvoyancy 1971
NORWAY Princess Astrid
Grew up with, and now helps other children with, dyslexia 1932
NORWAY Princess Ragnhild
Has lived in Brazil since the 1950s 1930
SPAIN Letizia, Princess of Asturias
Has faced a divorce and the death of her sister 1972
SWEDEN Princess Madeleine
Moved to New York City to work for UNICEF 1982
SWEDEN Crown Princess Victoria
Recovered from anorexia in the late 1990s 1977
THAILAND Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Has a doctorate and never married 1955
TONGA Princess Pilolevu
Her home country is a remote archipelago 1952
How To Whistle With Two Fingers
MAKE A TRIANGLE with your pinkies by putting your pinkie fingertips together, palms and fingers facing towards you. Stick out your tongue and put your pinkie-tips right on the center of it, pushing your tongue strongly against your fingers where they meet. Push your tongue back into your mouth with your fingers, so that your pinkie fingers are inside your mouth up to the first knuckles. Angle your pinkie-tips slightly down, just behind your bottom teeth, and keep your tongue pressing into your fingers. Purse your lips and blow. You may have to adjust the angle of your fingers to get that sound right, but just practice and before you know it you’ll be hailing cabs with your piercing two-finger whistle!
Chinese Jump Rope
CHINESE JUMP ROPE—which is known in other countries by the names “American Jump Rope,” “Japanese Jump Rope,” “Norwegian Jump Rope,” “German Jump Rope,” and “Elastics”—isn’t a jumping rope game in the traditional sense, with a rope that is turned for someone to jump through. Instead, the rope is static, an elastic band looped around two players’ legs, while a third player jumps around it and on it in a series of moves.
To play, you’ll need two people to control the rope and a third to jump. (If you’re by yourself and have a pair of sturdy chairs handy, those can fill in in a pinch.) The rope-holders should stand several feet apart from one another with the rope stretched around their ankles to form a rectangular frame. The jumper begins by standing on the left side of the frame, and then jumping in, out, over, on:
♦ On in, the jumper jumps both feet inside the rope frame.
♦ On out, the jumper jumps up and lands straddling the rope, each foot to the outside.
♦ On over, the jumper jumps both feet to the left side outside the rope, then both feet to the right side outside the rope.
♦ On on, the jumper lands on the rope with her left foot on the left side and her right foot on the right side.
Once the jumper has successfully completed this sequence, the rope-holders raise the level of the rope to the knees. The in, out, over, on jumps are repeated, and if the jumper makes it through, the rope is raised to waist level. If the jumper is successful performing the sequence at that level, the rope is raised to armpit level.
Some variations:
Washies Drysies
Start standing to the left of the rope frame, which is at ankle level. With your right foot, lift the left side of the rope (the side closest to you) and, with that rope still against your right ankle, step across the other side of the rope. Then put your left foot inside the rope to make a diamond around your feet and jump left foot in front of right, feet side by side, right foot in front of left, then feet side by side. The rope is raised by the rope holders just as in in, out, over, on.
Diamonds
Begin as in Washies Drysies, standing outside to the left of the rope with your feet together, and lifting the elastic with your right foot, bringing it over, and stepping your left foot in to create a diamond shape. Jump up, freeing your feet from the diamond-shaped rope, and land in the middle of the ropes. Jump to right side (the side opposite from where you started) and repeat the steps on that side. Once you complete both sides, the rope can be raised.
Mississippi
This uses some of the in, out, over, on pattern, to the chant of M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. “M” stands for jumping inside the ropes; “I” stands for jumping outside the ropes (either side); “S” stands for straddling one side of the rope (jumper alternates sides for every “S”); “P” stands for stepping on the ropes. For each letter the rope-holders chant, the jumper must perform the right jump. If she completes it successfully, the rope can be raised.
Double Dutch Jump Rope
DOUBLE DUTCH is a type of rope-skipping that uses two ropes. There are two rope-turners and usually one rope-jumper (though for added difficulty, there can be two jumpers). Each rope-turner holds the end of a rope in each hand. The ropes should be the same length, but they don’t have to be the same color—in fact, having two different colored ropes can help a jumper keep track of which rope is going where. The left-hand rope is turned clockwise, and the righthand rope is turned counter-clockwise, in an eggbeater motion. The jumper must clear both ropes as they hit the ground, jumping quickly so that it appears she is running in place.
What does this rope game have to do with the Dutch? Jump rope lore has it that the game may have evolved from the twisting motions made by Dutch ropemakers as they wound ropes from hemp. With hemp around their waists and two strands attached to a wheel, ropemakers walked backward, twisting the length of hemp into rope. The runners supplying hemp to the spinners had to jump quickly over the ever-twisting ropes as the ropemakers plied their craft, turning the hemp strand over strand. It is easy to imagine how this work might have evolved into a leisure-time game for the ropemakers and their families. When Dutch settlers arrived in New Amsterdam (today’s New York City), they brought the double-rope game with them, earning it the nickname “double Dutch.” The game grew in popularity, especially in urban areas, but sometime after the 1950s it fell out of practice. Then, in 1973, a New York City detective and his partner revived the jump rope game by turning it into a competitive sport for city kids in fifth to eighth grades. Now double Dutch is not just a sidewalk game, but a competitive team sport played all over the world.
How To Tie a Sari
(And a Chiton)
WE DON’T KNOW when the first sari was made, but stories and artistic renderings of saris have been around for roughly 5,000 years. Saris are still worn today all over India and around the world, and the design, fabric, patterns, and wrapping styles vary depending on the region and status of the wearer.
The contemporary sari is actually a three-piece garment: the sari itself (unstitched fabric 42-49 inches in width and 5½ to 9 yards in length, usually with ornamental borders and an end piece called the pallu, which is the part draped over the shoulder); the petticoat, or underskirt; and the choli, a tight-fitting cropped shirt, also known as a sari blouse or sari jacket.
The underskirt is a fairly recent development in sari wear. It’s not absolutely required, though it has practical applications: in addition to acting as a slip beneath sheer fabrics, the petticoat also provides the wearer with a waistband to tuck the cloth’s edges and pleats into. Some modern sariwearers use capri leg
gings instead. Most saris come with a matching piece of fabric for the choli, but a pre-made cropped top or tank top can be worn instead.
The most popular modern style of tying a sari is nivi, which is created most basically by wrapping the sari around the waist, tucking one end of it into the underskirt, and then draping the pallu diagonally across the chest and over the shoulder. Here are some step-by-step instructions for wrapping a sari in the nivi style.
Choose your 9-yard length of fabric for the sari, and put on the choli (a cropped top or tank top) and petticoat (full-length slip, or capri pants).
Tuck the inner top edge of the sari into the petticoat just to the left of where your bellybutton is. Wrap the sari from left to right so that it goes completely around you one time, making sure that the bottom edge of the sari hangs evenly and touches the ground. Tuck that first wraparound into the same left-of-belly-button place where you made the first tuck.
Hold the tucked part of the fabric at your waist tightly and begin to make pleats. You’ll be using about a yard of material for about seven to ten pleats of 4-5 inches in depth. The first pleat should lie the center of your body, and as you continue to fold, take care to keep the pleats even and straight.
Hold the pleats together and make sure they line up evenly. Tuck the pleats into your waist to the left of your belly-button, making sure the folds are turned toward the left. You can use a safety pin to fasten the pleats for more security.
Wrap the remaining material around your waist again from left to right. Pull the sari up diagonally with your right hand so that it fits just beneath your right armpit, then drape the material over your left shoulder so that it hangs down your back. You can pleat the material and secure it with a safety pin if you wish by pinning from inside the choli along the shoulder seam. Or you can wrap the pallu over your left shoulder, bringing it behind your back and over your right shoulder to rest in front.
Now you have a beautiful nivi-style sari. It might take some getting used to to walk around in. But if you can’t be bothered to master the art of wearing a sari as a dress, did you know that a sari can be tied as pants?
Kachha Style
THIS SARI requires 6 yards of cloth. Starting from your left hip, wrap the sari toward the right so that it goes around your waist. Tie a knot just under your belly button using the sari edge (held with your right hand) and bunched-up fabric (from the wrapping side, held with your left hand). Once you make the knot snug, make a series of seven to ten pleats to the right of the knot. Wrap the pallu around yourself so that the end is centered on your back. Tuck it in all the way across your back to hold it in place. Pleat the rest of the fabric between the first pleats and the part of the sari tucked on your left hip. Tuck in the pleats at the waist, grab the bottom of your fabric and bring it back between your legs. Tuck that into your back, with or without securing it in a knot, and voila—sari pants!
The Chiton
THE SARI may remind you of another ancient style of dress involving what is essentially a large sheet—the toga. Togas were actually semicircular pieces of cotton or wool fabric measuring about 15 feet in diameter and worn wrapped around the body and draped over the shoulder. But togas were never worn by women—instead, women wore a similar but more flattering draped fabric called the chiton (KEE-ton).
The Doric chiton was a simple but elegant garment, the fabric of which depended on the season and the sensibility of the wearer. It could be worn as a dress or as an undergarment, and was constructed by drawing a rectangular-shaped cloth around the body, pinning it at the shoulders, and tying it about the waist. The most popular shade of fabric for the chiton was white, the better to display the elaborate embroidery or brightly colored woven patterns often used to decorate the borders. Yellow was also a favorite color, so common that the tunics were nicknamed “saffrons.”
The chiton isn’t complicated in terms of design—no sewing, no cutting—but it could be a little tricky to put on by yourself. So to assemble your own chiton, you’ll need a length of fabric, a tie or sash to belt it, two safety pins, and a friend to help you dress.
The piece of cloth used for a Doric chiton should be about a foot longer than the wearer is tall and as wide as the span of her outstretched hands. A twin-sized flat sheet will most likely do, or a nice gauzy curtain.
Place the fabric on the floor and fold the top over about two-thirds of the way down. Lift up the cloth, holding it so that the folded side is facing you, and fold the fabric in half length-wise, keeping that first fold on the outside. Lay the fabric back on the floor so that the closed side of the fold is on the right, and the open side of the fabric is on the left. Use a safety pin to pin the back and front sides together along the top of the fabric about one-third of the way in. Use a second safety pin to fasten the front and back together about two-thirds of the way in. This creates two shoulder straps.
Here’s where you might need a little help from your friend. Have her lift the cloth up and help you put your right hand all the way through the top, beneath the safety pins and out through the other side. Your right arm should be in the hole between the edge of the folded fabric and that first safety pin. Then put your head through the hole created between the two safety pins. The safety pins should now be resting on your shoulders. If you have a fair amount of cloth hanging open on your left side, you can wrap the back part against the left side of your body and put the front part on top of that. Then use your sash, rope, or belt to tie around your waist for the girded chiton look.
Hopscotch, Tetherball, Jump Rope
Hopscotch
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, hopscotch got its start not as a schoolyard game, but as a military exercise. During the early Roman Empire in ancient Britain, Roman soldiers ran through 100-foot long rectangular courses wearing full armor to help improve their footwork. Roman children drew up their own version of these courses, shortening the length and adding a scoring system, and the game of hopscotch was born.
The word hopscotch comes from hop, of course, meaning to jump, and escocher, an Old French word that means “to cut.” The game as we know it dates back to at least 1801, and now hopscotch is played all over the world. In France, the game is called Marelles. Germans play Templehupfen, and kids in the Netherlands play Hinkelbaan. In Malaysia hopscotch is called Ting-ting or Ketengteng, and in India it’s called Ekaria Dukaria. In Vietnam it’s known as Pico, in Chile it’s Luche, and in Argentina and many Spanish-speaking countries, it’s called Rayuela.
COURTS
Make your own court using chalk on a sidewalk or driveway, or by using masking tape on a floor or carpet indoors.
Traditional American hopscotch courts look something like this:
Super-old-fashioned courts had 6 boxes in a stack from 1 to 6, or 3 sets of 2 boxes:
Fancier versions include the Monte Carlo and the Italian:
Or, you can always make up your own style of hopscotch court!
RULES
Nearly every girl knows the basic rules for hopscotch, but there are some interesting variations to liven things up.
In the most basic game, the first player stands behind the starting line to toss a marker (a rock, a penny, a beanbag, a button) in the first square. The marker must land in the correct square without bouncing out or touching a line. The player should hop over the first square to the second on one foot, then continue hopping all the way to the end of the court. Side-by-side squares can be straddled, with each foot on a square, but single squares must be hopped on with just one foot. A square with a marker in it must be hopped over, and any neutral, or safe, squares may be jumped through in any manner a player wishes.
When a player gets to the end of the court, she turns around and hops back through to the beginning, stopping to pick up her marker on the way back. If she makes it to the end without jumping on a line or putting two feet down in a square, she can continue her turn by throwing the marker into square number 2 and trying again. If a player steps on a line, misses a square, falls, or puts two fee
t down, her turn is over. When it’s her turn again, she starts where she left off. The winner is the first player to complete one course of hopping up and back for every numbered square.
VARIATIONS
A French version of hopscotch is played on a spiral court and called, because of its shape, Escargot (snail) or La Marelle Ronde (round hopscotch). The court is drawn as a big snail or shell-like spiral and then sectioned into squares, the number of which is limited only by the size of the spiral itself. In this version, each player hops on one foot to the center of the spiral and back out again. When a player is able to complete the full circuit, she can mark one square with her initials, and from then on she is allowed to have two feet in that square. The other players must hop over it. The game is over when all squares are marked (or if no one can reach the center), and the girl who wins is the one who has her initials in the most squares.
Escargot (snail) or La Marelle Ronde (round hopscotch)
Toss-and-Reach Hopscotch
This variation, allowing the player to initial a square, can also be adapted for the traditional version of the game. After a player has completed one hopscotch sequence successfully, jumping all the way up and all the way back, she can throw her marker onto the court, and wherever the marker lands she can place her initials. Then that square is hers, and she is allowed to have two feet in it when hopping, while the other players must hop over it. In this version, each player is only allowed to initial one square per game.
A British variation, which can be used with traditional straight courts as well as with spiral courts, involves the player holding her marker between her feet and hopping from square to square on two feet without letting go of the marker or stepping on the lines.
The Daring Book for Girls Page 4
