Three Stars

First: Opening A.

Second: Put each thumb from below into the index loop, and draw the thumb away from the index to make the loop wider. Turn the middle, ring and little fingers, of each hand away from you, down over both strings of the little finger loop, then, keeping, the strings drawn tight, turn the hands with the palms facing each other and then facing upward, in order to bring these three fingers toward you and up through the loop passing around both thumb and index; let the far index string slip over the knuckles of the middle, ring and little fingers to the back of the hand; straighten these fingers to release the little finger strings held under them, the little finger loop itself remaining on that finger. Let the former index loop slip down on the wrist and draw the strings tight.

Third: Bend each index down into the thumb loop, and draw away from you the far thumb string; then put the index, still holding the thumb string, down into the little finger loop (Fig. 373, Right hand), and pick up on its tip the near little finger string, by curving the finger toward you and up to its usual position (Fig. 373, Left hand, and Fig. 374).

Fourth: Turn the right hand with the palm facing you, and with the thumb and index of the left hand pick up together the right near index string and the right far thumb string, just where they cross on the right palm (Fig. 375). Withdraw the right hand from all the loops except the wrist loop (Fig. 376). The left thumb and index are now holding two loops—a long near one (the former right thumb loop) and a smaller far one (the former right index loop). Put the right little finger away from you, and from the near side, through the long loop only (Fig. 377), and put the right thumb above and to the right side of the near string of the loop now on the right little finger, and then toward you, and from the far side, through the smaller loop only (Fig. 378).

Keeping the strings securely on the right hand, turn the left hand with the palm toward you, and with the thumb and index of the right hand pick up together the left near index string and the left far thumb string, just where they cross on the left palm (Fig. 379). Withdraw the left hand from all its loops except the wrist loop. The right thumb and index are now holding two loops: a long near loop (the former left thumb loop) and a smaller far loop (the former left index loop) (Fig. 380).

Put the left little finger, from the near side, through the long loop (Fig. 381), and put the left thumb above and to the left side of the near string of the loop now on the left little finger, and then, toward you and from the far side, through the smaller loop (Fig. 382). Separate the hands (Fig. 383).

Fifth: Repeat the Third and Fourth movements and the figure assumes the appearance shown in Fig. 384.

Sixth: Repeat the Third and Fourth movements and the central figure becomes more complicated (Fig. 385).

Seventh: Repeat the Third movement. Turn the hands perfectly flat with the palms facing upward. You now have a loop on each index, a loop on each thumb and a loop on each wrist. If the movements have been properly performed, you should have a central figure formed of two straight strings (the upper, the common far index string, the lower, the common near thumb string), with three other strings on each side (the two strings of the wrist loop and the far little finger string) looped loosely around them (Fig. 386). Unless care be observed this pattern will slip easily and become merely a twisted rope. If this pattern should not appear after the Seventh movement, you have made some mistake.

Eighth: Keeping the left hand with the palm facing you, with the right thumb and index pick up the left near wrist string close to the left wrist (Fig. 387), and lift it over the left thumb, and lay it over the cross formed on the left palm by the left near index string and the left far thumb string; and then pick up at this cross all three strings with the right thumb and index (Fig. 388), and withdraw the left hand entirely from the figure (Fig. 389).

The right thumb and index are now holding three hanging loops, a near loop (the former left thumb loop), a middle loop (the former left wrist loop) and a far loop (the former left index loop). Put the left little finger, from the near side, through the near loop only (Fig. 390), and put the left thumb, from the near side, through the near loop and the far loop, but not through the middle loop (Fig. 391). Turn the left hand up to hold the loops on the fingers. Turn the right hand with the palm toward you, and with the left thumb and index pick up the right near wrist string (Fig. 392), close to the right wrist, and lift it over the right thumb and lay it over the cross formed on the right palm by the right far thumb string and the right near index string, and pick up at this cross all three strings with the left thumb and index (Fig. 393), and withdraw the right hand entirely from the figure (Fig. 394). The left thumb and index are now holding three hanging loops: a near loop (the former right thumb loop), a middle loop (the former right wrist loop) and a far loop (the former right index loop). Put the right little finger through the near loop, from the near side (Fig. 395), and put the right thumb, from the near side, through the near loop and the far loop, but not through the middle loop (Fig. 396). Turn the hands with their palms facing you, but do not draw the strings very tight (Fig. 397).

Ninth: Bend each index down, and take up on the back of the index the far thumb string (not the palmar string) (Fig. 398), and, pressing the thumb against the index to hold the string in place, straighten the index, turn the palm away from you, and press down with the middle, ring and little fingers the far little finger string in order to extend the figure (Fig. 399).

If the "Three Stars" be not at once distinct, they can be worked into shape by alternately turning the palms toward you and away from you, keeping the positions of the strings on the fingers unchanged.