The Magic Hair
Image courtesy of Boosinka via Shutterstock
Activity 16 / Find Plants in Odd Places
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In Gino’s search for Nici, he looks at several trees growing in the crevices of the granite bluff that could have given his daughter a way to scale the cliff.
Many plants have an amazing ability to grow in strange or harsh conditions. Grass growing in pavement cracks is a perfect example. In fact, when you start paying attention, you’ll see plants growing in odd places all around you.
What You’ll Need
• Camera
STEP 1
Be on the lookout for plants growing in places where you wouldn’t expect they could survive.
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STEP 2
Take a picture of these plants as you find them.
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STEP 3
Create a slideshow or photo collage of your plant pictures.
It’s a great way to remind yourself that flourishing against the odds is possible.
Activity 17 / Create an Oil Lamp
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Reese lights an oil lamp so Lars can see inside the dark cave as he exits the knights’ hideaway.
You can easily create your own oil lamp with materials you probably have around the house. While you may not want it for your everyday light source, it could come in handy if you’re ever caught in a blackout without candles or a working flashlight.
What You’ll Need
ADULT SUPERVISION
• Small glass jar with metal lid (baby food jars work well)
• Olive or other cooking oil
• Old sock or T-shirt (all cotton)
• Scissors
• Wine cork
• Sharp knife
• Nail
• Matches
STEP 1
Cut a thin strip of material from the sock or T-shirt. It should be about ¼” wide and 4” long. Roll or twist it to make it as thin as possible. This is your wick.
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STEP 2
Fill the jar half full with oil.
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STEP 3
Cut off a ½” piece of the cork.
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STEP 4
Use the nail to create a hole through the middle of the cork piece. Wiggle the nail around to make the hole wider. Make sure it’s wide enough for the wick to pass through, but not so wide that it will fall out.
STEP 5
Thread the wick through the hole, using the nail to push it along. Pull through a ½” piece to the opposite side.
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STEP 6
Float the cork in the oil with the short side of the wick on top. Let the long length of material sit in the oil for half an hour or more.
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STEP 7
Once the wick is completely saturated with oil, light your lamp.
To “turn off” the lamp, blow out the flame and place the metal lid on top.
DO NOT TOUCH THE GLASS—IT MAY BE HOT.
Hints
Flame-safe Materials
• Make sure the material for your wick is all cotton, not a synthetic fiber or a blend.
• Make sure the cork is real cork, not synthetic or plastic material.
• You can use a vessel other than a small jar to hold the oil as long as it’s made from something that won’t melt or burn. Glass and clay are two good choices. A screw-top metal bottle also works well. If the vessel is deep (like a bottle), fill it with water before adding two inches of oil. Make sure the wick is short enough that it doesn’t touch the water.
Threading the Wick
• Dipping the tip of the wick material in melted candle wax will help keep it from shredding while you’re pushing it through the cork. Snip off the waxed tip before lighting.
• Try to use a nail with a small head (called a finishing nail). You can use the point to create the hole, then use the head to push the wick through that hole.
Extra
Create your own oil lamp out of clay. You can go online to find instructions and some interesting shapes you may want to make.
Activity 18 / Make Apple Jam
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Nici enjoys some of Parmalee’s homemade apple jam on the bread she’s eating for breakfast.
Here’s a really simple recipe for apple jam that you can make in a microwave.
What You’ll Need
• 2 medium apples
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Sharp knife or apple slicer
• Microwave-safe bowl
• Potato masher or electric mixer
• Microwave oven
• Sealable jars
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STEP 1
Wash, peel and core the apples before cutting them into ½” slices.
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STEP 2
Combine the apple slices and sugar in a microwavable bowl.
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STEP 3
Cook on high for 3-5 minutes.
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STEP 4
Use the potato masher or electric mixer to blend the softened apples.
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STEP 5
Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring once, until the mixture is slightly thickened.
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STEP 6
Stir in the lemon juice.
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STEP 7
Pour the jam into sealable jars and refrigerate. Let the mixture cool completely before eating.
Makes 1–1 ½ cups.
Activity 19 / Design Pahduan Money
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Mayor Glump of Cronald puts some money in front of Renetta trying to bribe her into giving his town more food.
What did the bills he put on the desk look like? Here’s your opportunity to become a currency designer by illustrating the money of Pahdu.
What You’ll Need
• Colored pens, pencils, markers, etc.
• Paper
STEP 1
Research the currency from different countries. Pay attention to the types of subjects—symbols, landmarks, leaders, etc.—that are usually found on money.
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STEP 2
Create a design for Pahduan money. Remember to draw both sides of the bill.
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Extra
If you’re feeling ambitious, draw several designs for different denominations.
Activity 20 / Make Your Own Rope
Nici uses her hair to create rope for all sorts of things from tying up Parmalee’s goats to creating a braid that spans the river from bank to bank.
You probably don’t have enough hair to create rope like Nici’s. But you can create your own with some pretty simple materials. There are several ways to create rope by hand, but here is one of the simplest.
What You’ll Need
• String, yarn or long pieces of grass
STEP 1
If you’re using string or yarn, cut three pieces of equal length.
Note that your finished rope will be about half as long as the starting length of your materials. So if you want a one-foot rope, you’ll need two-foot strands.
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STEP 2
If you’re using string or yarn, tie a knot at the top of your strands.
If you’re using grasses, tie a knot at the top of your clump, then divide it into three equal parts.
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STEP 3
Take the strand on the far left and twist it two times toward the left.
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STEP 4
Pull the far left string to the right, over the other two strands.
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STEP 5
Now the strand that was originally in the middle is on the far left. Twist this two times to the left, before pulling it to the right over the other two strands.
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STEP 6
Take the third strand, which is now in the far left position and twist it twice to the left. Pull it to the right over the other two pieces.
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STEP 7
Keep repeating this pattern of two left twists of the far left strand before crossing it over to the right until you have a rope the length you want.
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STEP 8
Tie a knot in the loose ends to finish your rope.
Hint
Pieces of different colored-yarn make a pretty rope.
Extra
If you want to make your rope longer, you can splice in new strands. To do this, overlap a few inches of the new strand with the last few inches of your original strand. Do this for all three strands. As you twist, the old and new strands become one.
You can splice in as many new strands as you want to make your rope as long as you want. When you’re done, trim off any of the excess string, yarn or grass that sticks out from the splices.
Activity 21 / Save Water with a Cistern
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Nici and Parmalee walk into the middle of Cronald past a stone cistern that holds the town’s water supply.
Humans have been building cisterns for millennia to store water. A cistern can be as simple as a barrel for collecting rainwater. Or it can be as elaborate as an underground vault the size of a football field.
Here’s how easy it is to create your own water-saving cistern.
What You’ll Need
• Plastic bucket or pitcher
• Fine-mesh screen
• Wire cutters
STEP 1
Cut the screen into a square that’s large enough to fit over your bucket or pitcher. Leave an extra 2 inches to spare on all sides. The screen will keep out bugs, leaves and other debris.
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STEP 2
Carefully bend down the corners of the screen over the top of the container. This will keep it from blowing off easily.
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STEP 3
Place your bucket in an area outside where it can collect the most amount of rainwater.
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STEP 4
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DO NOT DRINK OR COOK WITH THE COLLECTED WATER. IT MAY BE POLLUTED AND COULD MAKE YOU SICK.
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See how many clever uses you can find for the water. That might include cleaning muddy shoes, watering plants or a garden, washing a car, etc.
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Hints
Cistern Placement
If it’s possible, put your container under the downspout of a rain gutter. The edge of a roof that doesn’t have a rain gutter can also work well. Otherwise, look for open areas that don’t have trees, plants or other things that can block the water from reaching the bucket.
Multiple Containers
It can take a lot of rain to fill your bucket unless you live some place where it rains often. To collect more water faster, create multiple cisterns.
Activity 22 / Grow Lichen
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The innkeeper directs Selma and Gino to turn west at the lichen-covered rocks to find the waterfall.
Lichens can grow on hard surfaces such as rocks. In fact, you can get it to grow on most any surface if the conditions are right.
What You’ll Need
• 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
• 1/4—1/2 cup of lichens
• 16 oz. jar with lid
• Spatula (optional)
STEP 1
Place the yogurt or buttermilk into the jar.
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STEP 2
Break up the lichens into very tiny pieces and add these to the jar.
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STEP 3
Put the lid on the jar and shake it until you have a thick, soupy mixture.
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STEP 4
Use a spatula or your hands to spread the mixture over the rocks, pots, bricks or other surfaces where you want lichens to grow. Remember that these should be in a sunny place.
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Hint
Lichens take a very long time to grow. You may have better luck growing moss instead. To do this, follow all the steps using moss instead of lichens.
The only difference is that moss needs cool, shady, moist conditions to succeed. So place your rocks, pots or other materials somewhere away from the sun. Make sure the moss mixture doesn’t become too dry as it grows. You can mist it every day or so to keep it moist.
If mold starts to grow at first, don’t worry. The moss will grow through it.
Activity 23 / Tie Basic Knots
Tem ties Nici to the wagon with her own hair. The knots keep her from moving when she wakes up.
Basic knot-tying skills are fun to learn and smart to know. Here are two simple knots that you can easily master.
What You’ll Need
• Rope or string
SQUARE KNOT
Often used to tie two ropes together
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STEP 1
Overlap the ends of your two ropes.
STEP 2
Wrap the top end (the black part in the photo) over the bottom end (the white one).
STEP 3
Cross the top of the white end over the black and thread it through the loop.
STEP 4
Pull the two ends until the knot is tight.
BOWLINE KNOT
Often called the rescue knot, it makes a secure loop at the end.
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STEP 1
Create a loop at one end of your rope.
STEP 2
Pull the free end up under the loop.
STEP 3
Wrap the free end around the main part of the rope.
STEP 4
Insert the free end into the small loop you just created.
STEP 5
Pull tight to secure the knot.
Hint
You can find plenty of videos online that show you how to tie these and many other types of knots. It may be helpful to watch someone create these knots and follow along with them.
Activity 24 / Build a Stick and Mud Hut
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To protect Thena from the rain while she heals, Gino and Selma make a shelter from materials they find in the forest.
You can quickly built your own miniature shelter using just sticks and mud.
What You’ll Need
• Sticks
• Dirt
• Water
• Bucket
• String or twine
• Saw (optional)
• Dried grass or straw (optional)
STEP 1
Collect a large pile of sticks about the width of a finger.
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STEP 2
Break or saw most sticks so that they’re about 12-18 inches long.
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STEP 3
Lean the sticks against each other to form a teepee. Remember to leave a small area open for the doorway.
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STEP 4
Tie a piece of string or twine around the top of the sticks to keep them together.
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STEP 5
Mix dirt and a little water in the bucket until you get a thick, mud mixture.
If you have some dry grass or straw, add it to the mixture to make your mud hold together better.
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STEP 6
Spread mud in between the gaps in the sticks. Let the mud dry.
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Extra
Research survival shelters and try out different designs with your materials.
Activity 25 / Design the Clothes of Pahdu
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This chapter contains a description of the clothes worn by the people of Pahdu. Most countries have different types of clothes for men and women. But in Pahdu, the clothes are unisex.
What You’ll Need
• Colored pens, pencils or markers
• Drawing paper
STEP 1
Re-read the description of the typical clothes of Pahdu in Chapter 25.
STEP 2
Design these garments, including sketches for the shirts, britches, shoes, vests, cloaks and more.
Extra
Draw the uniforms of the agricultural workers. Besides the maroon color, you may also want to add some extras that make the workers’ clothes fancier than those worn by the common people.
Activity 26 / Track Animals in the Forest
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As Selma flees the angry mob behind her, she is afraid she’ll be followed because her horse is leaving hoof prints in the mud.
Animals leave distinctive tracks on the ground where they walk. Observing and understanding animal tracks has helped humans hunt and survive for millennia. You can discover the wildlife that lives around you just by paying close attention.
What You’ll Need
• Digital camera
• Computer with Internet access
• Ruler (optional)
STEP 1
Take a walk someplace where the ground is soft to look for animal tracks.
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STEP 2
Take pictures of the tracks you find.
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STEP 3
Research the tracks made by wild animals that live in your area. This might include squirrels, raccoons, possums, rats, moles, rabbits, deer and many other types of wildlife.
Compare this with your pictures to see what animals you tracked.
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Hint
When the ground is soft, even small animals leave indentations in the ground. The more the animal weighs, the deeper the print will be.
Some places to find soft ground for tracking is in the woods or a large park after it’s rained. Beaches and riverbanks also help you find animal tracks.