How A Top Climbed A String

The Japanese top-.spinner walked to tbe side of stage and untied a string, which as sood as it was loosed swung quickly to the niiddle of' tbe stage, and then bung perpendicularly. Af'ier untyine thia 8tring the Japanese took a top from his assistant, and, twirling it in his hand u rit il it revolved quickly enough, he took hold of the end of' the string, and, placing the stem of the top at rigbt angles to it, left things to take care of' themselves. The top spun a frhort time at the end of' the stiing, but it soqn began to move slowly upward, still pjiinning at right angles witli the striDg. It coutinued in this way to move steadily upward until, at length, it bad traversed tbe entire distance, and was lost to view behind the flies over tlie string. It oontinued in this way to move steadily upward until, at lenght, it had traversed the entire distance, and was lost to view behind the " flies" over the stage. Wben the applause that greeted this trick had subsided, the Japanese moved the doll house to the center of the stage and placed it beside the table. He then set !-ix tops, exactly alike in size and appparance, spinning upon the table, and, taking a seventh in bis hand, indicated to the spectators, by signe, that he would send it on a journey tbrough tbe dollbouse. He then sat down on the floor, and curling up his legfl, Turk fashion, starled the seventh top spinning. It ran along tbe floor until it reacheu a sort of inclined draw-bridge leadiug to tbe entrame of the liltle house, and then went up slowly to, and through, the open door. Thejuggler waited a moment, as ifexpecting j-ome sijüial ïruru the now invisible top. His suspense was relieved a instant later by the striking of a silver bell, which indi eated that tbe top had entend one of tbe tiny rooms. Tbe Japanese held up one Bnger and waited, in a listening attitude, for a second ïignal. It came, as before, in the tinkling of a bell, upon hearing which the man held up two fingers. Finally, when ten rooms had been visited, and ten bell.", rung in this way, had been counted on the performer' fingere, he aróse and pointed toward the house, and toward the table, upon which tbe six tops were yet spinning. After a few moments, during which he silently watched the door of the house, the top that had been ringing the bells came quickly out of the entrance, ran down the draw-bridge and dropped motionlr.-s ut the feet of the Japanese. That -(.int: moment tbe tops on the table stopped, and dropped over on their sides. - ' ' J apampe Top-Spinning, ' ' in St. Nicholas.