day 10 of 365

I love vintage toys -- this one sits on the hearth in the living room. It's got a funny name, and is an example of old-time amusements -- a little one-note, a little politically incorrect by today's standards. People visiting our house can't resist playing with it and testing their strength (all it takes is a good jab with your index finger). The little mallet that originally came with it disappeared -- I scour thrift shops to see if I can find another one. This was made by the Royal Tot Manufacturing Company of Brooklyn, NY, whose other claim to fame seems to have been a series of little percussion cap miniature atomic bomb toys, which "allowed children to pretend they had the power to drop the mighty atomic bomb on the targets of their choice." Wow!