be decorated, so as to add to its effect when spinning.

Tough rags, or leather thongs fastened to a handle about a foot in
length, will make an effective lash, but the best whips are made from
pliant leather thongs, or still better, from a dried eelskin.

To spin the top, put your whip under your left arm--I have seen boys
grasp it between their teeth--then with the flat of the fingers of
both hands on either side of the top, give a smart twirl. As soon as
the top is in motion, ply your whip along the sides, drawing the lash
quickly away at each stroke.

Playing whip-top alone soon gets to be monotonous, but where there are
two a "fight" can be arranged for. At the word "go," two boys spin
their tops, and then lash them till they crash together. The tops must
be kept within a described ring, and the one that knocks the other out
is regarded as the King top. If a boy strikes his opponent's top, it
is a "foul," and he loses the game. Another contest is where, after
the lashing, one calls "stop." The one that "dies" first, is naturally
out.

Racing is done by drawing a taw line, from which the whip tops start
for a designated goal, the first one in winning. This is an exciting
game and not so easy as at first appears.

The tin or wooden humming top is but an interesting toy. The Japanese
make them with a slit in the point which fits into a string or a thin
wire, and on such supports they can be made to do remarkable feats.

THE PEG TOP