,whitchurch-,stouffville ,library1 as part of the ,art ,latcham ,memorial collection on ,magic7 ,this book was loaned by the ,whitchurch-,stouffville ,library1 as part of the ,art ,latcham ,memorial collection on ,magic4 ,,bretma ,,manufacturing ,,co4 ,,incorporating ,,munro',s ,,magical ,,mart 7,ornum's74 7,established #ahhi47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,why ,,not ,,be ,a ,,conjurer8 ,now is the time to prepare to entertain your friends at ,christmas4 ,we supply a neat attache case containing a compact ,magical ,entertainment for a performance lasting from twenty to forty minutes1 which we guarantee will entertain and mystify both old and young4 ,this case does not contain tin covers1 or so-called tricks that are useless1 but it is a case consisting of several first-class ,magical ,problems in portable form4 ,easy to perform4 ,no sleight-of-hand required4 ,price1 post free1 #bas4 ,particulars of cheaper boxes on application4 ,there is nothing so entertaining as ,magic for festive gatherings4 ,sleight-of-hand taught by experts4 ,why not take lessons8 ,if you require a ,conjurer for ,banquets1 ,concerts1 or ,children's ,parties--,call1 write1 or 'phone for further information4 ,we make ,children's ,entertainments a ,speciality4 ,,we ,,are ,,manufacturers ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,latest ,,ideas ,,in ,,magic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,bretma ,,manufacturing ,,co41 #f ,union ,court1 ,old ,broad ,st41 ,telephone ,no4 #gcfc ,london ,wall4 ,,london1 ,e4,o4 #b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,wilford ,,hutchinson #ajd ,whiteacre ,road4 ,,ashton-,,under-,,lyne4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,publisher ,,of ,,the ,,conjurer',s ,,chronicle4 ,issued ,monthly4 ,price #c_/- yearly4 #d;d4 monthly4 ,,list ,,of ,,books ,,apparatus ,,post ,,free4 ,,sole ,,agent ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,for ,,new ,,and ,,original ,,magic4 ,by ,ed4 ,m4 ,massey4 ,price #ac_/f1 postage #i;d4 ,,descriptive ,,list ,,of ,,this ,,excellent ,,book ,,post ,,free4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,known ,,for ,,high-,,class ,,conjuring ,,apparatus ,,and ,,books ,,on ,,the 3 3 3 3 ,,art ,,of ,,magic4 3 3 3 3 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,standard ,,book ,,on ,,conjuring ,the ,modern ,conjurer ,,and ,,drawing ,,room ,,entertainer ,by ,c4 ,,lang ,,neil4 ,tricks by ,j4 ,n4 ,maskelyne1 ,frank ,kennard ,trewey1 ,paul ,valadon1 ,charles ,bertram1 ,h4 de ,manche1 ,t4 ,nelson ,downs1 ,mdlle4 ,patrice1 ,ellis ,stanyon4 are explained and illustrated by #eab ,photographs showing the exact working of the various ,illusions1 reproduced directly from the conjurers whose tricks are given4 ,third ,edition4--,demy #hvo1 cloth4 ,price #g_/f net4 ,a thorough manual of the ,conjurer's ,art4--,spectator4 ,c4 ,,arthur ,,pearson ,ltd41 #ag ,henrietta ,st41 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 #b4 ,,book ,,list ,,free ,magical ,catalogue ,magazine #a_/- #e_/f ,postage #e;d4 ,numerous ,halftone and ,line ,diagrams4 3 3 ,illustration ,,magical ,,rope ,,ties ,,and ,,escapes ,,by ,,houdini4 ,the publishers announce no expense has been spared in the production of ,magical ,rope ,ties and ,escapes4 ,never has such a valuable collection of ,escape ,secrets been offered to ,magicians ,,will ,,goldston ,,ltd4 ,aladdin ,house1 #ad ,green ,street1 ,,leicester ,,square1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 #b4 #e_/f ,postage #e;d4 ,this ,book is on sale at all ,magical ,depots and ,booksellers4 3 3 ,,principal ,,contents4 ,a ,simple ,release4 ,the ,kellar ,tie4 ,the ,knotted ,rope ,tie4 ,another ,knotted ,rope4 ,the ,twin-,rope ,tie4 ,the ,jacobi ,tie4 ,three ,effects with the ,handcuff ,tie4 ,an ,added ,effect for the ,handcuff ,tie4 ,the ,tom ,fool ,knot4 ,the ,double ,header4 ,the ,volunteer ,release4 ,a ,good ,chair ,tie4 ,the ,revenge ,tie4 ,the ,comedy ,tie4 ,the ,thumb ,tie3 ,another ,method4 ,the ,handkerchief ,release4 ,simplex ,tie4 ,the ,clothes ,line ,tie4 ,under ,water ,escape4 ,spectacular ,escape4 ,the ,big ,wheel ,release4 ,the ,north ,american ,indian ,tie4 ,the ,russian ,transport ,tie4 ,slade's ,knots4 ,the ,cotton ,bandage ,test4 ,houdini's ,full ,view of ,audience ,release4 ,the ,turned ,vest4 ,the ,broomstick ,escapes4 ,lock and ,chain ,sash ,escapes4 ,the ,spirit ,sack4 ,double ,sack ,challenge ,escape4 ,sack ,escapes4 ,valuable ,information4 ,,water ,,wizardry ,illustration3 ,,hamley',s ,,conjuring ,,tricks ,,write ,,for ,,complete ,,illustrated ,,catalogue1 ,,price #f;d41 ,,post ,,free4 ,,shippers and ,,trade ,,supplied4 ,illustration3 ,,hamley',s ,,card ,,tricks ,these ,cabinets contain a selection of up-to-date ,card ,tricks1 complete with full instructions4 ,all cards are the same pattern4 ,no4 #a ,cabinet4 ,price #e_/-4 ,post free #e_/i4 ,no4 #b ,cabinet4 ,price #h_/f4 ,post free #i_/e4 ,no4 #c ,cabinet4 ,price #ab_/f4 ,no4 #d ,cabinet4 ,price #bb_/h4 ,post free4 ,superb ,cabinet4 ,price #de_/-4 ,illustration ,,cabinets ,,of ,,magic4 ,no4 #a ,cabinet4 ,price #b_/f4 ,post free #c_/-4 ,no4 #b ,cabinet4 ,price #h_/-4 ,post free #f_/i4 ,no4 #c ,cabinet4 ,price #aj_/f4 ,no4 #d ,cabinet4 ,price #ah_/-4 ,no4 #e ,cabinet4 ,price #ba_/-4 ,post free ,no4 #f ,cabinet4 ,price #cj_/-4 ,advanced ,cabinets4 ,prices #db_/-1 #fc_/- and #aje_/-4 ,carriage extra4 ,illustration ,,boxes ,,of ,,puzzles4 ,a ,splendid ,assortment of the ,best ,puzzles1 mostly made of ,boxwood4 ,full directions are given with each ,puzzle4 ,no4 #a ,box1 #d_/-4 ,post free #d_/c4 ,no4 #b ,box1 #e_/f4 ,post free #f_/c4 ,no4 #c ,box1 #aj_/f4 ,no4 #d ,box1 #ba_/-4 ,,cabinet ,,of ,,coin ,,tricks4 ,illustration ,this little ,cabinet contains ,eight ,capital ,coin ,tricks4 ,each ,coin is in a ,separate ,division4 ,price #g_/f4 ,post free #h_/c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hamley ,,bros41 ,,ltd41 #hf #hg ,,high ,,holborn1 ,w4,c4 #a4 ,,branches3 ,,london and ,,suburbs-- 7,wholesale and ,retail47 #bi #bi;a ,ludgate ,hill4 ,e4,c4 #d2 #eaj;a1 #eab #ead ,oxford ,street1 ,w4 #a2 #bjj #bjb ,regent ,street1 ,w4 #a2 #ei ,knightsbridge1 ,s4,w4 #c2 #bc ,george ,street1 ,croydon4 ,,water ,,wizardry ,a ,,collection ,,of ,,tricks ,,in ,,which ,,water ,,is ,,the ,,chief ,,agent ,,by ,,arthur ,,ainslie ,,illustrated ,,by #bj ,,diagrams ,london ,c4 ,arthur ,pearson1 ,limited ,henrietta ,street1 ,w4,c4 #aibb ,printed in ,great ,britain at ,the ,mayflower ,press1 ,plymouth4 ,william ,brendon ,son1 ,ltd4 ,,contents ,,page ,i4 ,little ,tricks #aa ,the ,impossible--,an old ,one--,a ,quaint ,mixture--,the ,shower ,bath--,a ,steady ,hand--,in the ,soup--,on the ,edge ,,ii4 ,little ,tricks--7continued7 #bf ,topsy ,turvy--,a ,sporting ,offer--,a ,feat of ,dexterity--,more than ,full--,the ,obedient ,corks--,a ,peculiar ,egg--,the ,suspended ,mug--,the ,sticky ,glass--,the ,floating ,pin--,washing a ,card ,,iii4 ,the ,hydrostatic ,tube 7,david ,devant's ,trick7 #dc ,,iv4 ,the ,passe-,passe ,trick #ej ,v4 ,the ,rice ,bowls #fj ,,vi4 ,the ,indian ,sands #ge ,,vii4 ,the ,dissolved ,card #hc ,,viii4 ,miscellaneous ,water ,tricks #if ,the ,wine and ,water ,trick 7,david ,devant's method7--,the ,vanishing ,glass of ,water--,the ,vanishing ,water--,the ,aquarius ,tube--,links--,the ,milk ,cans--,water from ,waste ,paper--,cotton ,wool to ,water--,silk from ,water ,,water ,,wizardry ,,chapter ,i ,,little ,,tricks ,the following tricks are suitable for informal performances4 ,these tricks are easy1 but ,i advise the amateur conjurer to try them over privately a few times before showing them to an audience4 ,the first trick ,i call ,the ,impossible ,three tumblers1 a jug of water1 and a piece of stiff paper about eight inches by four are required4 ,pour the water into the tumblers until each is about half full4 ,be very anxious--before an audience--to see that there is the same quantity of water in each glass1 not that this little detail has anything to do with the actual working of the trick1 but it may lead people to think that it has--until they see you do the trick4 ,now1 place the paper on the edges of two of the glasses1 forming a kind of bridge between them4 ,pick up the third glass and let it rest1 while the hand still holds it1 on the paper bridge4 ,naturally1 the paper will sink down under the weight4 ,then you move the two glasses a little nearer to each other and try again1 and again the paper bends under the weight of the glass you place on it4 ,illustration3 #c half-full glasses and piece of paper ,,the ,,apparatus half-full glass supported by pleated paper on top of #b half-full glasses ,,the ,,trick ,fig4 #a ,you pretend to be in difficulties and encourage the knowing ones in your audience to jeer at you as you try the trick again and again4 ,you explain that there is a way of resting the glass on the paper in such a way that the paper shall not sink down4 ,some brainy person will then say1 ,impossible6--or it is to be hoped that they will--because that will give you the opportunity of saying3 ,thank you4 ,i remember it now4 ',impossible' happens to be the name of the trick2 thanks for giving me the clue4 ,it won't be such a bad trick--will it8--if ,i make a bridge between these two glasses with this piece of paper and then place the other glass on the bridge4 4 4 4 ,with the water still in the glass1 says one of your victims4 ,of course--with the water still in the glass4 ,some members of your audience will be sure to say that it cannot be done2 others will beg to be allowed to think it out4 ,you will probably hear whispering3 ,the water in the glasses has something to do with it4 ,why was he so jolly careful to get the same quantity of water in each glass8 ,now1 wait a minute4 4 4 4 ,this is where you chuckle secretly4 ,you invite anyone to come and try the experiment4 ,your audience will suggest putting something under the paper--a strip of cardboard or something of that kind4 ,you work up the excitement as you say3 ,no cardboard is used in the trick4 ,your audience will jump to the conclusion that something besides the articles they see is used1 but they are wrong4 ,the trick can be done when you know how to do it4 ,when everyone has given it up fold the paper in pleats lengthwise1 open out the pleats a little1 and rest the paper on the tops of two of the glasses4 ,the paper is then in corrugated form and it will bear the weight of the third glass1 half full of water1 upon it4 ,you have achieved the impossible4 ,of course you could do the trick in about half the time by merely asking3 ,can you do this8 and then proceeding to do it1 but by working up the trick in the way ,i have suggested you make it more effective4 ,you will now see the necessity of a little private rehearsal with the glasses and the paper that you are going to use4 ,you have to make sure that the paper is sufficiently thick1 that the pleats are folded properly 7they must not be too wide7 and that the glass is not too heavy4 ,the trick is quite simple with a pony glass1 but as the base of the glass is small the pleats of the paper must also be small2 otherwise you will have difficulty in balancing the glass on the paper4 ,an ,old ,one ,if you have a small boy in your audience when you start to do your next trick you will be sure to hear him say that he has seen it before and that it is an old trick1 but you need not let a little thing like that worry you4 ,the trick is old1 but ,i have given it a little twist which1 ,i think1 will leave the small boy guessing as to how it is done4 ,you have a glass of water4 ,you borrow a penny1 throw a handkerchief over it and ask someone to hold it over the glass2 the penny is held by the edges4 ,you instruct the person helping you to drop the penny into the glass of water when you say ,go6 ,they obey your instructions and the penny is heard to drop into the water4 7,you will understand1 of course1 that the handkerchief is draped round the glass1 and so the penny is not seen to fall47 ,you pull the handkerchief away and hold the glass up to the light4 ,the penny has vanished4 ,the old way of doing this trick was with an eyeglass1 which was concealed in your hand4 ,in throwing the handkerchief over the penny you brought the eyeglass up and under the handkerchief while you kept the penny concealed in your hand4 ,the eyeglass was therefore dropped into the glass and it sank to the bottom4 ,by using a glass of the right size it is possible to pour out the water without giving the trick away2 the eyeglass adheres to the bottom of the little tumbler4 ,in all probability1 therefore1 at the conclusion of the trick the small boy in your audience will say3 ,now let's look at the tumbler4 ,you pass it to him at once2 he thinks he has got you1 but he hasn't4 ,the glass is empty4 ,the little twist ,i have mentioned consists in using an eyeglass with a hole in it4 ,the hole enables you to attach the eyeglass by a short piece of cotton to one corner of the handkerchief4 ,the trick is doubly effective when done in this way because at the beginning you can show that you have only the penny in your hand4 ,arrange the handkerchief in your pocket before commencing the trick2 you will find it convenient to have it either in your right trousers pocket or the left-hand inside pocket of your coat2 then you will be able to get at it easily4 ,the prepared corner1 with the eyeglass resting on it1 should be at the top4 ,when you take the handkerchief by the prepared corner from your pocket the eyeglass will hang down behind the handkerchief and be hidden there4 ,then take the handkerchief by the prepared corner in your left hand and apparently place the penny under the handkerchief1 but of course you conceal the penny in your hand and bring up the eyeglass4 ,someone grasps the eyeglass by the edge 7through the handkerchief7 and lets it fall into the tumbler4 ,you then take the handkerchief by the prepared corner and pull it upwards quickly and then away from the glass4 ,put the handkerchief into your pocket as you pour the water out of the glass to show that the penny has vanished4 ,the small boy may ask to see the handkerchief again1 and so you have taken the precaution to have another handkerchief1 bunched up in your pocket1 in readiness4 ,and this is the handkerchief that you produce for inspection--if someone insists on seeing the handkerchief but not otherwise4 ,a ,quaint ,mixture ,a soda-water tumbler1 a jug containing from a quarter to half a pint of water1 and a cup of coffee with a little milk in it are needed for this experiment4 ,the trick is to pour both the coffee and the water into the big tumbler and then separate them again4 ,possibly somebody will attempt this feat by first placing a small tumbler in the large one1 pouring the coffee into the small tumbler and the water around it4 ,but can it be said that you pour both the coffee and the water into the tumbler when you really pour the coffee into another glass placed inside the tumbler8 ,no1 that solution does not work4 ,here is the way in which you carry out your intentions4 ,pour the coffee into the big tumbler and place on it a disc of thin cardboard2 the disc should reach nearly to the edge of the tumbler4 ,then pour the water very slowly1 a few drops at a time1 on to the top of the cardboard1 which breaks the fall of the water4 ,the water runs off to the edge1 and as the coffee is heavier than the water the latter remains on the top4 ,the cardboard disc floats upwards with the water1 and so the first half of the trick is accomplished4 ,the separation of the liquids can be brought about in two or three ways4 ,for example1 you can offer to drink the coffee without drinking the water1 and you achieve this apparent miracle by merely putting in a straw and sucking up the coffee2 in that way you have separated the two liquids4 ,with the help of a scent spray you can pump the water into the jug again1 taking great care1 of course1 not to disturb the surface of the coffee4 ,you can also take out nearly all the water with a small sponge and the remainder with a piece of blotting paper4 ,the ,shower ,bath ,this is not really the title of the next trick1 but it is sometimes suitable for it when the trick is performed by a man who has never had a rehearsal4 ,it is quite a good trick to play on to somebody at a ,christmas party4 ,just tell your audience that instead of doing the next trick yourself you will show somebody else how to do it4 ,then pour out a glass of water1 put a small plate on the top of it and1 pressing the plate with the left hand on to the glass and holding the glass with the right hand1 turn the lot over4 ,thus you have a glass of water inverted on a plate4 ,the trick is to drink the water1 but in order to get the glass to your mouth you must use only one hand4 ,to do it--lift the plate with the glass upon it and place it on your head4 ,balance it there for a second4 ,then1 pressing the glass against the plate with the right hand1 bend down to the table until you can put the glass on the table and leave the plate on the top of it4 ,then all you have to do is to lift the plate and drink the water4 ,there is another way of doing this trick1 and if the first does not result in a shower bath for the man who is trying it for the first time the second way is almost sure to have that effect4 ,after the glass of water is inverted on the plate1 bend down until the top of the head touches the bottom of the glass4 ,then1 pressing the plate against the glass slowly raise the head and stand erect4 ,stand quite still1 remove the plate1 and then remove the glass and drink the contents--if you like4 ,illustration3 forehead placed on inverted glass on plate1 then invert head so glass is upright ,fig4 #b ,there is a kind of first cousin to this trick4 ,take two claret glasses4 ,half fill one of them with water and place the empty glass on the top of it4 ,the trick is to pour the water into the empty glass and drink it1 but you must use only one hand and you are not to touch the top glass with it4 ,pick up the two glasses together by taking the bottom one by the stem 7it is just as well to practise this with your own glasses and to stand over a bed during the rehearsal7 and then pull off the top one with your mouth and hold it firmly between the teeth4 ,then you can pour the water into it4 ,still holding the other glass in your hand place the glass with the water on the top of it1 and then1 holding the two together1 you can drink the water4 ,a ,steady ,hand ,you can use one of the glasses for this trick4 ,half fill it with water and then1 tilting the glass1 try to balance it on the edge of the foot4 ,with care and a little practice you can accomplish this feat by sheer skill1 but you simplify it considerably if you take the precaution to slip a match under the table-cloth before you begin4 ,if you are doing the trick at a dinner table it is just possible that some evil-disposed person may notice the little bump in the tablecloth caused by the match1 and so you prepare for that charge by tying a piece of cotton to the match4 ,the end of the cotton hangs down below the table-cloth close to your hand1 and directly you have done the trick you quietly pull the match away1 and then you can challenge ,mr4 ,know-all to do the trick himself4 ,in the ,soup ,the soup in this case is represented with water1 and you can use the same glass2 it should be about half full of water4 ,lay a piece of nice shiny cardboard on the top of it--a piece about eight inches square is large enough--and on the cardboard and exactly over the glass stand a cork4 ,on the top of the cork balance a tangerine orange4 ,now1 if you give a sharp knock to the cardboard with your right hand the cardboard should go skimming away1 taking the cork off the premises with it1 and the tangerine should drop into the water4 ,this feat appears to be very difficult1 but it is not2 the weight of the tangerine helps you4 ,when you can do the trick every time with one glass you can try it with two glasses--using a larger piece of cardboard1 of course--and then three glasses1 and1 finally1 four4 ,it is not so easy then4 ,this feat is often performed on the stage1 but eggs--or1 rather1 imitation eggs--are used in place of the tangerines1 and the trick in that form is difficult because the eggs are light4 ,don't follow up your stroke when you are hitting the cardboard away4 ,just give it a sharp knock and bring the hand to a standstill with a jerk4 ,look around you before you do the trick2 otherwise1 you may hurt somebody with the flying piece of cardboard4 ,to avoid any accident of this kind get a friend to stand a little to the side of your table so that he may catch the cardboard4 ,when the trick is performed on the stage a tea-tray is generally used1 and the raised edge of the tray adds considerably to the difficulty of the trick4 ,on the ,edge ,hold a card by the sides between the fingers and thumb of the right hand1 the face of the card being towards the audience4 ,now1 can you balance a glass half full of water on the top of the card8 ,illustration3 ,,plan from front it looks like glass is balanced on edge of card1 from side you see index finger is helping to balance glass ,,front ,,side ,fig4 #c ,i know of four ways of doing this trick1 but we need not take any notice of the first because you are not likely to trouble to learn it2 it consists in actually doing what you profess to do--balance the glass4 ,it can be done1 but you need a very steady hand and long practice4 ,the second way is by the aid of a specially prepared card4 ,this is made of two cards1 fastened together4 ,fold a card lengthways in half4 ,stick one-half to the back of another card and then fold back the half which is not stuck so that the back of the prepared card may appear to be the back of an ordinary card4 ,now1 if you hold up this card by the sides you can easily fold the loose half back a little when you are putting the glass on the edge of the card1 and thus you get a firm standing place for the glass4 ,if you wish to be able to throw this card down on the table without giving away the secret 7because there will naturally be a little curve in the part which you folded back7 you must make a little spring hinge by means of a strip of india-rubber down the card4 ,a card prepared in this way can be bought at a conjuring shop4 ,the trick is quite a good one when done in this way1 but1 of course1 it has this drawback4 ,if you are performing at a friend's house and you are using borrowed cards it is more than probable that the backs of the borrowed cards will not match the back of the trick card4 ,well1 you can do the trick without the use of a specially prepared card1 and this brings us to the third method4 ,take any card and fold it in halves lengthways4 ,then fold it back again and put it on the top of the pack4 ,of course1 if you are performing with a borrowed pack of cards you will have to seize your opportunity to do this when the attention of the audience is directed to another trick1 or you can do it before your performance begins4 ,now1 pick up the two top cards together and hold them in the right hand in the way described1 with the face of the lower card towards the audience4 ,you will understand1 of course1 that to the audience these two cards must appear to be one card4 ,when you take the glass with your left hand and try to balance it on the top of the card the back of the left hand is towards the audience and the hand nearly covers the whole of the card4 ,this gives you the chance of bending back the top card to make a firm resting-place for the glass4 ,the bending is done with the right first finger4 ,to assist you in keeping the cards nicely squared up while you are bending back the top one place the right little finger under the lower edge of the cards and the left middle finger and thumb at the sides1 the left thumb being just above the right thumb4 ,of course1 the left hand is held in this position for only a few moments while you are balancing the glass4 ,after you have done the trick in this way casually return the two cards to the pack and shuffle the cards1 thus getting the bent card out of sight4 ,the fourth method is1 to my mind1 the best of the lot1 because you use only one card4 ,hold it in the way described and bend it slightly1 the convex side being towards the audience4 ,now1 in the act of balancing the glass on the edge with your left hand just stick your right first finger straight up behind the card and rest the glass partly on the edge of the card and partly on the tip of your finger which1 of course1 is hidden by the card4 ,it will be necessary to hold the card up fairly high so that no one can get a glimpse over the top of it4 ,the trick is over so quickly that no one notices that the first finger is concealed behind the card4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,little ,,tricks--7continued7 ,i have often thought that many conjurers--amateur and professional--take themselves and their conjuring far too seriously4 ,it is just as well to unbend occasionally1 and as a little change from tricks to spring a simple catch on your audience4 ,here is one4 ,pour some water into a glass and cover it with an opera hat4 ,throw a large cloth over the hat4 ,now then1 you say to your audience1 do you think that ,i can drink the water without lifting the hat8 ,the answer is in the negative1 as they say in the ,house of ,commons when they mean ,no4 ,hold up the cloth so that it hides your face4 ,the audience see both hands on the top edge of the cloth and therefore are convinced that you are not removing the hat4 ,make the sound of a man drinking from a glass4 7,i confess that this part of the experiment is not all it ought to be67 ,then announce that you have performed the feat and drop the cloth4 ,somebody will be sure to pick up the hat to see if the water is in the glass2 then you drink the water4 ,you have performed the feat of drinking the water without lifting the hat4 ,topsy ,turvy ,a more difficult experiment--until you know the secret4 ,ask someone to put water into a glass when the glass is held upside down4 ,naturally1 they give it up4 ,then3 ,pour some water on a plate4 ,crumple up a small piece of paper1 light it and drop it into a tumbler2 let it burn for a second or two and then invert the glass over the plate4 ,you will see the water rush into the glass4 ,you have kept your word and have put water into the glass when the glass has been upside down4 ,a ,sporting ,offer ,bend a wooden match into the form of a capital ,v1 taking care not to break the match4 ,lay the match on the top of a bottle and just at the angle of the ,v place a threepenny bit4 ,tell someone that they may have the coin if they can get it into the bottle1 but they must not touch the match1 or the coin1 or the bottle1 or the table on which the bottle is standing1 and they must not blow the coin into the bottle4 ,you have probably guessed--since this book has to do with water tricks--that water must be used in this trick in some way4 ,in that case you are right4 ,drop a little water on the angle of the match2 the wood will expand1 the ,v will open and the threepenny bit will drop into the bottle4 ,a ,feat of ,dexterity ,pour some water into a tumbler and balance two pennies on the edge of the tumbler2 the coins should be opposite to each other4 ,the trick is to remove the coins together1 using only a thumb and one finger4 ,to do this place the thumb on one coin and the first finger on the other4 ,quickly slide the coins down the sides of the glass and bring the first finger and thumb together1 taking the coins with them4 ,this is a feat of dexterity2 it is not difficult1 but you will not do it at the first attempt4 ,the water helps to steady the glass4 ,more ,than ,full ,if a glass is full of water it will not hold anything else2 that is obvious4 ,but---- ,fill a glass with water4 ,stand it on a level surface4 ,wipe the edge of the glass very carefully1 because for the purpose of this experiment it must be quite dry4 ,then1 with a steady hand bring the edge of a sixpence to the surface of the water and let the coin go4 ,if you are careful you can put a dozen sixpences into the glass without causing the water to run over the brim4 ,the ,obedient ,corks ,for this little experiment you want a nice large rose bowl1 full of water1 and seven corks4 ,the trick is to put the corks into the water and to cause them to float in a perpendicular position4 ,this is how you do it4 ,grasp all the corks in one hand1 and hold them under the water until they are thoroughly soaked4 ,then hold them in the position you wish them to assume and let them go2 they will remain close together and in an upright position4 ,a ,peculiar ,egg ,the peculiarity of the egg used in this experiment is that it neither floats on the top of a large glass of water nor sinks to the bottom1 but merely remains an inch or two under water all the time4 ,make a saturated solution of salt and half fill a big tumbler with it4 ,then1 with a spoon fill up the tumbler with ordinary water1 putting it in very steadily so that it does not mingle with the brine at the bottom of the glass4 ,now if you drop an egg gently into the liquid--which looks like ordinary water--the egg will sink down through the water1 but will come to a standstill on to the top of the brine4 ,the ,suspended ,mug ,this is an easy catch--more suitable for the garden than for the drawing-room4 ,tie a piece of string to the handle of a mug4 ,hold the other end of the string1 so that the mug is suspended1 and pour in all the water it will hold in that position4 ,stand on a chair and ask for the services of an assistant4 ,you tell your assistant that you are going to cut the string1 and it is his job to catch the mug without spilling a drop of the water4 ,the first assistant naturally fails because you cut the string when he is not expecting the mug to fall4 ,another assistant tries his luck2 he probably holds his hands just under the mug4 ,you protest that that is not fair1 but you will try the trick1 nevertheless4 ,while talking you quietly move the string until the mug is just over your victim's head1 and then you cut the string quickly4 7,note4 ,don't try this trick with a bad-tempered person1 or you may spoil the party1 and1 obviously1 the man must be wearing a hard hat or the mug will hurt him badly47 ,you can keep the game going for quite a little time if you can induce enough brave spirits to take a hand1 but sooner or later someone is sure to suggest that you try the trick yourself4 ,you at once consent1 and you tell your audience that if they will cut the string you will most certainly catch the mug directly it falls4 ,while making this apparently rash promise you quietly tie a little loop in the string and keep it hidden with your hand for a moment4 ,when your assistant is holding one end of the string and everyone is prepared to see you get a ducking you take your hand away from the loop1 tell your assistant to cut the string just there pointing to the loop1 and you will catch the mug directly it falls2 of course1 it will not fall4 ,all this is only a catch1 something to amuse people at a juvenile garden party4 ,to go to the opposite extreme1 here is a little trick which will want doing if it is to be done well4 ,the ,sticky ,glass ,pick up a wineglass and fill it with water2 while doing so say something about the state of the glass2 you can say that the stem feels a little sticky1 but perhaps it will do for the trick4 ,dip a small square piece of paper into the glass of water and take it out again4 ,this action naturally spills a little of the water1 so you fill up the glass once more4 ,then you place the piece of wet paper on the top of the glass and turn the glass over1 and take the hand away4 ,the paper remains over the glass1 and the water does not run out4 ,if there is a schoolboy present he will be sure to tell you that there is nothing in that2 anybody can do it4 ,it is even probable that the boy will explain to you that the pressure of the air on the under surface of the paper is greater than the pressure of the water in the glass4 ,hence the apparent miracle4 ,let the dear boy prattle on4 ,then tell him that you have not done the trick yet4 ,slowly take the paper away from the glass4 ,the water remains4 ,put the paper back again2 turn the glass right end uppermost1 remove the paper1 and show that you have nothing in your hands except the paper and the wineglass of water4 ,this is a capital little trick1 but it needs practice4 ,the edge of the top of the glass should be ground perfectly flat1 and the base should be rather larger than the top4 ,you also need a disc of celluloid with the edge slightly sunk so that when the disc is placed on the glass it fits there and cannot easily slip off sideways4 ,illustration3 ,paper disc ,paper ,celluloid ,fake ,fake ,,paper ,,placed ,,on ,,bottom ,,of ,,glass ,,paper ,,fake ,,cover ,,glass ,,together ,fig4 #d ,before commencing the trick dip this celluloid disc into some water and place it under the base of the glass1 the sunk edge being against the glass4 ,the water will cause the disc to adhere to the glass1 and therefore when you show the glass you have nothing concealed in your hands4 ,fill the glass with the water and dip in the piece of paper4 ,this causes some of the water to overflow and you naturally want to pick up the jug to fill it up again1 but you are holding the glass in the left hand and the wet paper in your right4 ,to get the right hand free you place the paper under the base of the glass and therefore under the celluloid disc while you fill up the glass with water4 ,then1 in putting on the paper again you take the disc away with it and the disc goes quietly on the top of the glass4 ,it is advisable to make the water overflow in the first place because you want to get the edge of the glass wet4 ,press down on the paper and shape the paper round the glass and you need not worry about the rest2 the celluloid disc will adhere tightly and you can wave the glass about after you have taken the paper away4 ,you have said something in the first part of the trick about the glass being sticky1 and you now mention that it must be very sticky1 since all the water has stuck to it4 ,in replacing the paper on the top of your glass get your thumb nail under the disc and lift it up4 ,then remove the paper with the disc under it1 place both under the glass1 take away the paper1 leaving the disc stuck to the base of the glass and the trick is over4 ,a similar trick is done with a tumbler1 but as the base of an ordinary tumbler is smaller than the top the disc of celluloid cannot be hidden under the tumbler2 it is usual to have it on a tray1 and after wetting the paper to place the paper over the disc and pick up both together4 ,the tumbler used for this trick usually has a small hole made in one side 7if there can be any side to a round tumbler74 ,at the beginning of the trick the hole is closed with wax1 and to conclude the trick the conjurer holds the inverted glass with the paper on it over a glass bowl1 scrapes away the wax1 thus admitting air1 and the water rushes out1 carrying the paper and disc with it into the bowl4 ,for a very much finer trick of this kind the reader is referred to ,chapter ,,iii1 ,the ,hydrostatic ,tube4 ,we now return1 for a moment1 to our wineglass which was left at the conclusion of the trick1 with a celluloid disc adhering to its base4 ,the conjurer will naturally want to get rid of this disc at the earliest opportunity1 and so he provides his own opportunity by performing this ,feat of ,dexterity ,first of all1 the conjurer says that the base of the glass is wet4 ,he takes out a clean handkerchief to dry it and in so doing wipes away the celluloid disc and puts it into his pocket4 ,he pours a little of the water out of the glass1 which should not be more than about half full1 especially during the first rehearsals6 ,the feat consists in looping the loop with the glass1 by swinging it right round with the hand1 without spilling the water4 ,it is as well to rehearse the feat in the garden6 ,pick up the glass by holding the back of the hand towards the table and getting the stem of the glass between the second and third fingers4 ,extend the arm and then1 with a quick semicircular sweep of the arm1 which should be held stiffly1 bring the glass right round and deposit it on the other side of the table4 ,you want a little nerve1 and the feat is not difficult1 but it appears to be4 ,illustration3 glass of water with stem held between index and middle finger1 inverted in arc1 and placed back on table without spilling water ,fig4 #e ,japanese performers present a very spectacular feat of this kind in which they use two large buckets tied to the ends of a rope4 ,the buckets are swung about at an alarming pace and in impossible positions without a drop of water being spilled2 centrifugal force explains the mystery4 ,the ,floating ,pin ,this is a quieter trick4 ,give someone a bowl of water and ask them to lay a pin on the surface of the water and leave it there4 ,the pin naturally sinks to the bottom of the bowl1 whereupon you complain that your directions have not been carried out properly2 they are not likely to be unless the person to whom you hand the pin happens to know the secret of the trick4 ,lay a cigarette paper gently on the top of the water and put the pin on the paper4 ,in a few moments the paper will sink1 leaving the pin floating on the surface of the water4 ,washing a ,card ,you can begin this trick by asking someone if they have ever tried to wash a playing card with water2 if so1 have they noticed the effect4 ,you ask for a pack of cards and begin the experiment by holding the pack in the left hand1 with the fingers on the lower side and the thumb on the other4 ,there is no harm in saying that the experiment is most successful with a five-spot card1 and you put1 say1 the five of clubs on the bottom of the pack and therefore hold the pack with that card facing the audience4 ,then1 this is what you apparently do4 ,dip a finger into some water and rub on the pip at the lower corner nearest to you4 ,to dry the card you take your handkerchief from your pocket and dab the corner4 ,the audience see that you have apparently washed away one of the pips4 ,turn the cards over in your hand1 so that the blank corner is now at the top and repeat the experiment with the pip which is now in the position occupied by the first4 ,this action reduces the number of pips on the card to three1 arranged diagonally across the face of the card4 ,repeat the experiment1 but this time wash away the two corner pips at once1 leaving only one pip in the centre of the card4 ,then wash away this pip and you have a blank card1 which you hand out for examination4 ,illustration3 ,,washing ,,off ,,the ,,spots hold five of clubs1 then wash off one club at a time until all gone ,,special ,,cards ,,required ,fig4 #f ,to begin with1 the request for the loan of a pack of cards is not quite what it seems4 ,you arrange with a kind friend in the audience to find a pack of cards when you ask for one1 and that person has no difficulty in finding the pack which you have prepared for the trick and placed in some convenient hiding-place in the house4 ,the disappearance of the first pip is easily managed3 ,you dip a finger into the water1 shake it1 and rub the corner with a dry finger4 ,then shake the pack as though you were trying to dry the card2 this action enables you to turn the pack1 in a natural way1 with its face towards the floor and thus the audience do not see that the pip is still on the card4 ,then you take your handkerchief from your pocket1 and in so doing secretly take out a five of clubs with one spot missing behind the handkerchief4 ,it is not a difficult matter1 under cover of the handkerchief and while pretending to dab the corner of the card1 to slip the prepared card on the face of the pack4 ,having done that1 show your hands and the handkerchief to your audience1 to let them see that you have not merely slipped the pip off the card1 but have apparently dissolved it in water and removed all trace of it4 ,directly after you have shown this card on the bottom of the pack turn the pack over in the hand1 so that the blank corner is now at the top4 ,now if you bend the third and little fingers of the left hand slightly they will conceal the pip at that corner1 but before you bend the fingers let the audience see the card4 ,now you have to exchange that card for another with only three pips on it1 the pips being diagonally across the card4 ,this prepared card is at the back of the pack4 ,while you are talking bring the right hand to the front of the pack1 push up the back card with the first finger of the left hand1 extend the fingers of the right hand and push the card to the tips of the fingers of the right hand1 at the same time slide the card down on to the face of the pack4 ,this movement takes a long time to explain in print1 but it is done in the fraction of a second4 ,all you apparently do is to bring the right hand up to the pack to square up the cards4 ,directly you have the three card at the face of the pack1 bend the third and little fingers slightly and thus hide the place where the missing pip ought to be4 ,the card is now apparently the same card which the audience saw before--a five spot with one spot missing4 ,this time1 when you dip a finger into the water and pretend to wash away a spot you must work rather quickly1 and as you take away the tips of the third and little fingers to enable you to wash away the pip which is supposed to be there1 you must bring the right hand over the spot at once1 otherwise the audience will see that the spot is not there6 ,this time you have the advantage of being able to show the blank corner directly you take away your right hand4 ,take out your handkerchief1 dab the corner with it and return it to your pocket4 ,now tell your audience that if you wish to rub away two spots at once you have to use both hands4 ,take the cards in the right hand for a moment while you dip a finger of the left hand into the water4 ,in the act of passing the cards from one hand to the other you slide the next card from the back to the front2 this card has one pip in the centre4 7,if your cards have no index corners you can use the ace for this card47 ,while you dip the finger of the left hand into the water you must hold the pack with the face card downwards2 take it1 in the same position1 in the left hand1 while you dip a finger of the right hand into the water4 ,then rub first one corner with the left hand and then the other corner with the right hand and bring up the pack with the card facing the audience1 but hold the pack in both hands with the hands at the corners 7top and bottom7 as though you were merely hiding the pips there4 ,someone is sure to tell you to take away your hands1 and1 apparently reluctantly1 you do so1 disclosing the card with the single pip in the centre4 ,the laugh will then be in your favour1 and you take advantage of this temporary diversion to slip the next card from the back to the front of the pack4 ,then hold the pack by the sides in the right hand with the fingers right over the centre1 and the audience will think that the single pip is still there1 being hidden by the fingers4 ,to conclude the trick you can say that your fingers are damp enough to manage one pip and you pretend to rub it off the face of the card1 which is thus blank4 ,take this card away in your right hand1 and offer it to someone on your left hand for examination1 taking care to turn the pack down with its face to the floor as you remove the blank card1 otherwise the audience will see the next card1 which is the one-pip card4 ,the object of handing the blank card to someone on your left is to enable you to turn in that direction in a natural way1 because directly you have turned you drop the pack you are holding in the left-hand pocket of your coat 7or dinner jacket7 and take from it another pack1 from which the five of clubs has been abstracted4 ,this is important because a juvenile audience is merciless to an amateur conjurer as a rule and someone is sure to say3 ,let us have a look at the cards4 ,don't be in too great a hurry to hand them out for examination2 always play with the younger members of your audience when you get the chance to do so4 ,of course1 if the children are so exceedingly well behaved that they do not ask to see the cards you must suggest that perhaps you would like to have a look at the cards1 but ,i hope for your sake that the children are not of that kind4 ,an audience of very prim and proper children may be easy to a conjurer1 because they do not attempt to catch him out1 but in another sense they are very difficult because it is by no means easy to engage and hold their attention4 ,i much prefer an audience of children who are quite natural and who are therefore always eager to pounce upon any little weak point--or point which they think is weak--in a trick4 ,the preparation of the trick cards required for this trick is not a difficult matter4 ,if expense is no object the best plan is to buy several packs of cards1 with the backs all alike4 ,a blank card usually goes with each pack4 ,if the cards have no index corners you need prepare only two trick cards--one with four spots on it and one with three4 ,to get the spots1 put a ten-spot card in cold water and let it soak until you can peel away the face of it4 ,dry it on clean blotting paper4 ,then cut out the spots very neatly and paste them on two of the blank cards1 taking care to get the pips at the corners in the right positions4 ,the other method of preparing the cards 7presuming that you do not wish to invest in several packs7 is to float off the backs of a couple of cards1 dry them1 paste white paper on them and then stick pips on the paper4 ,the drawback to this method is that the paper will probably not match the paper on the faces of the other cards in the pack4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,hydrostatic ,,tube ,this trick is one of the many masterpieces of ,mr4 ,david ,devant1 and ,i am greatly indebted to him for his permission to include a full description of it in this book and to give his method of working the trick4 ,it was ,mr4 ,devant's custom to follow this trick with the ,wine and ,water1 and he had an object in doing so1 for the preparations for the second trick assisted him in performing the first4 ,on a tray on the table were four tumblers1 the second and fourth of which 7counting from the performer's left hand7 were inverted4 ,behind the glasses there was a large glass lamp chimney with a piece of paper tucked into one end1 and a finger bowl1 with two spouts1 filled with water1 and a long hat pin4 ,the effect of the trick--to the audience--was as follows4 ,the performer1 having shown that the tube was not prepared in any way1 closed one end with a piece of paper 7half the piece which had been tucked into the tube at the commencement of the trick74 ,he then filled the tube with water and placed the other piece of paper on the top4 ,he then removed his hand from the lower piece and the water remained in the tube4 ,he explained that there was no trick about that1 the pressure of the air kept the paper in its place and so prevented the water from rushing out4 ,he then removed the paper from the lower end of the tube and still the water remained inside it4 ,then he took the paper from the top of the tube1 and still the water remained in the tube4 ,having replaced the papers he picked up the large hat pin and held the tube over the bowl4 ,he pierced the upper paper with the pin and held it there for a moment4 ,directly he withdrew the pin with the paper impaled on it the water fell out of the tube into the bowl1 carrying the lower paper with it4 ,the performer then showed once more that the tube was free from preparation by rattling the pin inside it1 and he at once went on with the ,wine and ,water trick1 using the water in the finger-bowl for that trick4 ,and now for the explanation4 ,two small discs of glass which fitted over the ends of the tube were required4 ,the ends of the tube were ground perfectly level and the glass discs were made with a shoulder 7or sunk edge71 so that when once they were placed on the ends of the tube they could not be moved laterally4 ,the edges of these glass discs were also ground perfectly flat and were made to fit exactly on the ends of the tube4 ,one of the glass discs had a hole in the centre1 and this hole was filled up1 just before the commencement of the trick1 with a little piece of moistened soap4 ,if the soap were prepared too long beforehand it would become crumbly and dry2 it has to be soft and damp4 ,the other glass disc was not prepared in any way4 ,before the commencement of the trick the disc with the hole in it was placed on the top of the fourth tumbler--and therefore to the performer's right4 ,the other disc was laid on the top of the second tumbler in the row of four4 ,the piece of paper tucked into the glass chimney was half of a double sheet of note-paper4 7,tear a double sheet from side to side47 ,and now for the actual performance4 ,begin by taking up the glass chimney1 removing the paper1 picking up the hat pin and rattling it inside the chimney--thus showing that it is not prepared in any way for the trick4 ,put the chimney down1 pick up the paper and tear it in halves4 7,the object of having half a double sheet is to enable the conjurer to tear it easily2 the crease is ready for him47 ,the action of tearing the paper is proof that there is no trickery in the paper4 ,place one piece of paper on the top of the fourth tumbler 7and therefore over the disc with the hole in it74 ,dip the other piece of paper into the glass bowl1 shake it a little1 and lay it on the top of the second tumbler4 ,take the piece from the fourth tumbler1 wet it in the same way1 and replace it on the top of the fourth tumbler4 ,thus both pieces of paper are now wet and are over the two glass discs4 ,pick up the piece of paper on the second tumbler1 secretly taking with it the glass disc 7which1 of course1 is under the paper7 and place it on the top of the tube1 taking great care not to let the glass disc talk against the top of the chimney2 the audience must not hear the slightest chink of glass knocking against glass4 ,now turn the tube over1 holding the disc and paper in place1 with the second1 third and little fingers underneath the paper1 which should be moulded round the end of the chimney4 ,fill the chimney with water1 and see that it is really full4 ,put the bowl down and pick up the other paper1 secretly getting the disc under it1 and place the disc with the paper over it on the top of the chimney4 ,mould the paper round the top of the chimney and turn the chimney over1 thus bringing the glass disc with the hole in it at the bottom of the chimney4 ,press on the disc and then slightly relax the pressure2 if it is firmly in place you will feel that it is sucking and you can go on to the first part of the mystery4 ,take your hand away from the lower end and the paper will naturally remain in position4 ,then1 holding the tube by the middle with the right hand1 peel the paper away slowly from the bottom of the tube and put the paper between the lips for a moment while you take the top paper away4 ,in doing this you make use of an excellent little piece of showmanship2 you pretend to be very nervous4 ,the tube is now held perfectly still for a second or two1 and as the audience know that it is full of water and cannot see that there is anything either at the top or bottom of the tube1 the effect is very mysterious4 ,put the paper which was on the top under the lower end1 pressing it well round that end1 and take the other piece from the lips and mould it firmly round the top4 ,then invert the chimney1 thus bringing the disc with the hole in it to the top again4 ,again press the papers well round both ends of the chimney4 ,remove the lower paper once more1 and still the water remains in the chimney4 ,at this point in the trick ,mr4 ,devant had an excellent line of patter which ,i hope he will forgive me for giving away2 it always brought a round of laughter4 ,supported entirely by voluntary contributions4 ,replace the paper on the lower end of the chimney1 and pick up the hat pin4 ,place the pin in the top paper2 of course1 the pin passes through the little plug of soap in the glass disc4 ,as you take the pin out again the air naturally gets in and the water begins to fall4 7,it will be understood1 of course1 that at this stage of the trick you hold the chimney over the bowl47 ,directly you feel the water is moving put the pin back into its place2 this is a very important move4 ,the water rushes out1 naturally taking the disc and paper at the lower end with it4 ,the pin is sticking through the top paper and therefore through the top disc4 ,remove the pin1 taking the disc and paper impaled on it1 and push the paper off into the bowl2 while you do this you can lift the first paper slightly out of the bowl1 so that the top disc sinks to the bottom on the top of the one already there4 ,then remove both papers and hold up the bowl of water4 ,all trace of the method you employed for bringing about this very mysterious effect is now concealed1 for the glass discs cannot be seen at the bottom of the bowl4 ,you pick up the pin and once more rattle it in the glass chimney to show that you have nothing inside it1 and then you go on to the next trick4 ,i have heard conjurers say that if they get one good trick out of a book they have received excellent value for their money4 ,if that be true--and ,i1 for one1 certainly think it is--then1 thanks to ,mr4 ,devant1 purchasers of this book have no cause for complaint1 for ,i know of no finer trick with water than ,the ,hydrostatic ,tube4 ,one little helpful hint4 ,when the conjurer is about to put the pin through the top paper he may have a slight difficulty in finding the exact place for it4 ,a little stain on the plug of soap will help him to find the right place at once4 ,the trick needs a steady hand1 and the conjurer must not know the meaning of nerves1 but if he will see that the discs fit the ends of the glass chimney perfectly and will carry out these directions he need have no fear of any mishap4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,passe-,,passe ,,trick ,this is a very old trick1 but one which is seldom performed in its original and proper form4 ,after being out of fashion for a number of years the trick has been recently revived1 and there are now several versions of the trick4 ,to the best of my knowledge1 however1 all the modern versions of the passe-passe trick omit one important detail--some water or other liquid4 ,in the original version of the trick the performer comes forward with a bottle and a glass--if these things are not already on the table4 7,as a matter of fact1 it is a good plan to have two small tables on either side of the stage for the presentation of this trick47 ,two cardboard cylinders1 one fitting inside the other1 are also required1 together with a small tin funnel4 ,the bottle may be of the champagne kind1 or a wine bottle1 or a beer bottle2 the latter is generally the most convenient2 a ,bass's label on the bottle serves as a kind of guarantee that the bottle is genuine4 ,the performer pours water from the bottle into the glass2 in fact1 he fills the glass with water4 ,finding that he has a little too much water for his purpose he pours a little back into the bottle1 using the funnel to aid him in the task of getting the water into the bottle4 ,he then places the bottle on the table on his right and the glass on the table on his left4 ,the next thing to do is to show the cardboard covers to the audience1 and in doing this some little amusement may be caused by pretending that you have something concealed in one of the covers4 ,thus1 you lead off by nursing the smaller cover carefully under one arm and showing the larger cover4 ,when this is returned to you slip it over the smaller cover1 withdraw the smaller1 and hand that out for examination4 ,the audience will at once jump to the conclusion that you have concealed something in the larger cover and will demand to be allowed to look at the other4 ,then the argument begins4 ,but you have already seen that one1 you say4 ,ah1 comes the quick reply1 but you've slipped something from the other one into that since we saw it4 ,take back the smaller cover1 pass it through the larger one1 and hand that out for examination4 ,the audience1 being now convinced that there is some trick in the covers1 will demand to see both of them at once1 and with a show of reluctance you hand out both covers at once and the audience laugh at themselves for being had4 ,possibly1 however1 some of the more knowing ones will still think that the covers have something to do with the trick2 if so1 all the better for you1 because in that case those persons are on the wrong scent altogether4 ,having received the covers again you can assure your audience that the covers are made in that way to save space in packing--a remark that is sure not to be believed--and you go on to demonstrate the real use of the covers4 ,one covers the glass1 the other the bottle4 ,the trick is1 of course1 to make the glass of water and the bottle change places4 ,you pronounce the magical word1 lift the covers1 and show that your command has been obeyed4 ,having done that it is as well to raise the glass to let the audience see that there is water in it4 ,then you cover the glass and the bottle again and cause them to return to their original places1 and once more you show that the two covers are empty4 ,unknown to the audience the conjurer uses two bottles for this trick and two glasses4 ,the bottles are made of tin and are painted black to resemble dark glass bottles4 ,neither bottle is quite ordinary4 ,one of them has no bottom to it1 and is therefore a mere shell4 ,the other has the bottom fixed in about half-way down1 leaving room for a small glass to be hidden in the bottle under the bottom4 ,close up against the neck of this bottle there is fixed a tiny tin tube which passes down the neck and then through the centre of the bottom4 ,therefore1 if you merely pour water into the neck of the bottle it remains in the bottle1 but if you insert a funnel into the top of the little tube and pour water into the funnel you are really pouring the water into the glass hidden under the bottom of the bottle4 ,illustration3 ,hole in back of bottle ,,bottle ,,no #b4 special bottle with straw to glass inside1 and hole in side so finger can hold glass against edge of bottle ,finger thro' hole ,,front4 ,,lifting ,,bottle ,,and ,,glass4 ,fig4 #g ,of course1 both bottles must be exactly alike and the label on one must match the label on the other2 it is a good plan to have a little piece accidentally torn off the label4 ,at the outset of the trick a glass1 similar to the visible one1 is placed in the small bottle 7the one holding the water72 the shell bottle is placed over that bottle4 ,to enable the conjurer to pick up the bottles and glass together two small holes are made in the backs of the bottles2 the tip of the middle finger passes through both holes and holds the glass against the interior of the bottle4 ,in order to prevent the glass from talking 7making any sound by knocking against the inside of the bottle7 it is a good plan to line the lower half of the bottle with cloth4 ,the working of the trick will now be clear4 ,hold the bottle in the right hand and the glass in the left4 ,pour out the water and stand the bottle down1 taking care to keep the side with the hole away from the audience4 ,then apparently pour some of the water back into the bottle1 but by using the funnel you pour it into the glass below4 ,when you are practising the trick you can find out by experiment just how much water to pour back in this way1 and if you make a little scratch on the glass you will guard against the fatal mistake of pouring in too much 7because you cannot get it back again7 or pouring too little4 ,obviously1 the water you pour into the bottle 7really into the glass below7 should be equal in quantity to that which you leave in the glass4 ,having settled this matter to your satisfaction place the glass on the other table or1 if you are performing with only one table1 keep the bottle and glass as far apart as possible2 if they are close together some members of your audience may be confused and forget on which side is the bottle and which the glass4 ,now comes the business of handing round the cardboard covers for examination4 ,when you get them back again take care to hold the larger one in the right hand4 ,while pattering to your audience you quietly pass the larger cover over the bottle1 raise it1 and then put the smaller one over the bottle4 ,in raising the larger cover you should nip it slightly and so get the shell bottle inside it4 ,a word of caution is here necessary4 ,do not forget that there is a hole in the back of the bottle2 when you place the cover containing the shell bottle over the glass--which you do immediately after you have covered the bottle with the smaller cover--you want to make sure that the hole in the shell bottle is still at the back4 ,therefore1 note carefully the position of the hand when you raise the cover with the shell bottle inside it1 and when you place the cover over the glass see that your hand assumes the same position4 ,you will probably find it convenient to stand behind the table and to keep your thumb at the back of the cover4 ,now the bottle and the glass are covered1 and all you have to do to cause them to change places is to raise both covers2 you grip the one on the right rather tightly1 thus raising the bottle inside it and disclosing the glass1 and you hold the other loosely1 thus leaving the bottle in view4 ,cover the glass and bottle again and to cause them to go back to their original positions first pick up the one on your left--gripping tightly to hold the shell bottle inside it2 then walk over to the other and raise it1 showing the bottle4 ,this leaves you with the shell bottle inside the larger cover1 and you naturally have to get rid of it4 ,drop the cover over the bottle quickly and then apparently attempt to put the other cover over it4 ,it is impossible to do this1 of course1 because the cover which held the shell bottle is the larger of the two2 therefore you raise the larger cover again1 leaving the shell bottle in its original position over the other bottle4 ,then put the smaller cover inside the larger one1 pick up the bottle1 taking care to hide the glass inside it1 and place it behind your screen or on a side table4 ,then take away the glass and you are ready for the next trick4 ,a word as to the appearance of the bottles and the covers4 ,these can be bought at a conjuring shop and you will find that1 as the ,scotsman said of various brands of whiskey1 ,some are better than others4 ,you want a bottle which looks exactly like the real thing1 and the only way of making quite sure of getting it is to take an empty bottle with you when you are buying the trick4 ,note the slope of the shoulder of the bottle4 ,the labelling you can do yourself4 ,as to the covers1 take care that they fit properly and are not too stiff4 ,if the larger one is really a shade too small for the shell bottle and is also too limp you will have difficulty in raising the cover quickly and leaving the shell bottle on the table2 the bottle will get jammed in the cover and then--well--perhaps you had better tell the audience that the trick has not happened yet1 but you hope it will in time6 ,it is better to guard against such a catastrophe by having covers of the right size2 they must not be too large or too small4 ,although the trick is quite an easy one it requires more than a little practice4 ,the most important move of all is that which enables you to get the shell bottle into the larger cover4 ,you will find that the knack of putting the cover quickly over the bottle and then lifting it up as quickly with the shell bottle inside it is not learned in a moment2 at any rate1 you cannot learn to do that in a natural way in a moment4 ,to get the move quite right put the cover over the shell bottle and lift it without the shell inside2 keep to the same movement when you lift the cover with the shell bottle inside it4 ,to guard against the dropping of the shell you can place your little finger under the cover4 ,i give a few suggestions for patter4 ,a trick with a bottle and a glass4 ,all kinds of tricks are done with bottles and glasses1 but this is not one of those tricks2 this is a perfectly harmless trick4 ,at the risk of disappointing the male members of my audience ,i may say at once that this bottle contains water4 ,i mention that because ,i noticed that one or two men seemed rather anxious to come on the stage and assist in this experiment4 ,they don't look so anxious now4 7,this as you pour out the water47 ,just ordinary plain water1 the stuff that farmers and gardeners always want when they haven't got it1 and always grumble about when they have4 ,if you live in a town you grumble because you have to pay for it1 whether you use much or little2 some people don't run any risk of using too much4 ,i'm afraid there's a little too much there--better put some back2 it will do another time4 7,pour with funnel into bottle47 ,there1 that's just right2 now we can begin4 ,i put the glass over there and the bottle here4 ,there are two other things used in this experiment2 you see1 this trick ought to be done in the dark because it's rather dangerous1 but as we cannot have all the lights put out ,i have to put the glass and the bottle into these little dark rooms2 perhaps you would like to have a look at them4 7,then follows the business1 already explained1 of having the two covers examined47 ,you will notice that both the covers fit over the bottle and1 therefore1 over the glass1 but as we have to cover both we put one on the bottle and the other on the glass4 ,if we were to put one on the glass and the other over the bottle we could not do the trick4 ,now ,i want somebody to say the magic word1 because it doesn't always work if ,i say it4 ,will someone please start talking about the weather4 ,that's easy4 ,if you just say the word 'weather' ,i daresay it will do4 7,look inside one of the covers47 ,it must have heard me2 you see1 the weather is so changeable--it always is2 that's why the word is so useful to conjurers1 although ,i once knew a conjurer who used a shorter word when his trick went wrong4 ,i don't think this trick has gone wrong so far because you see the bottle and glass have changed places4 7,lift covers and show them47 ,the worst of our magic word is that it works only once in a trick4 ,you might keep on saying3 'weather1 weather1 weather1 weather1 weather' all day to the trick1 but nothing would happen--unless1 of course1 a kind policeman1 thinking that you were temporarily insane1 took care of you4 ,no1 if we want the rest of the trick to happen we have to whistle to the bottle to come back4 ,you know that beautiful song--',whistle1 and ,i shall hear4' ,well1 the bottle always hears4 7,whistles47 ,here it comes and here it is1 and very possibly we shall find that the glass has returned to its original position4 7,show it47 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,rice ,,bowls ,in presenting this trick the conjurer begins by showing two small bowls on a tray4 ,into one of the bowls he places a little rice and covers it with the other bowl4 ,on lifting the uppermost bowl the conjurer shows that the quantity of rice has increased2 the lower bowl is now heaped up with rice1 some of which falls on to the tray4 ,using the empty bowl as a kind of scoop the conjurer removes some of the surplus rice1 letting it fall on the tray4 ,thus one bowl is now filled to the brim with rice and the other is empty4 ,once more the conjurer places the empty bowl over the one containing the rice1 and once more he raises the empty bowl4 ,all the rice has now vanished1 for it has been magically transformed into water1 which the conjurer pours from bowl to bowl4 ,thus there are two entirely different effects in this trick4 ,a small quantity of rice placed in a bowl increases in a mysterious manner2 the rice is afterwards changed into water4 ,there are two entirely different methods for this trick4 ,for one of them two china bowls are required2 for the other the bowls are of brass4 ,i used the latter method when ,i presented this trick at ,st4 ,george's ,hall1 and ,i prefer it to the other1 especially if ,i am performing in a room4 ,however1 the other method is the more popular of the two1 and ,i will explain that before giving away the secret of the other method4 ,first1 let me give a rough idea of the secret of the first method1 in which two china bowls are required1 because this method admits of one or two variations1 and1 of course1 it is useless to describe these until the reader knows just how it is done4 ,the edge of one of the bowls is ground perfectly flat4 ,this bowl is then filled nearly to the brim with water4 ,a disc of thick celluloid of the same size of the top of the bowl is also required4 ,the disc should be made with a lip1 so that when it is laid on the top of the bowl it cannot easily be pushed off it4 ,to prepare for the trick dip a finger into the water and run it round the edge of the bowl2 dampen the lip of the celluloid disc in the same way4 ,then put the disc on the top of the bowl and press it down evenly all round the edge4 ,if the disc fits properly it will then be possible to turn the bowl upside down without spilling the water2 the disc will adhere to the bowl4 ,it is always advisable to have a disc specially made to fit the bowl2 then you may be certain that1 with a reasonable amount of care1 accidents will not happen4 ,if the disc fits properly you can throw the bowl into the air and catch it without any fear of the disc coming away from the bowl4 ,after the disc has been properly fitted to the bowl wipe it thoroughly dry and place it1 upside down1 on the tray on which a couple of wooden matches have previously been placed2 there is then no risk of the disc adhering to the tray4 ,the empty bowl is placed1 upside down1 over the faked bowl1 and with a bag of rice on the tray1 you are ready to do the trick4 ,pick up the empty bowl and show it to the audience4 ,fill it about half full with rice and stand it on the table4 ,place the faked bowl on the top of it and1 holding the hands round the bowls1 get them exactly together--an easy thing to do because the bowls are the same size4 ,keeping the hands in the same position round the bowls pick up both bowls together and reverse them1 so that the faked bowl is now underneath4 ,obviously1 there must be some excuse for doing this2 that will be provided for in the patter4 ,the rice naturally falls on to the top of the celluloid disc1 and when the top bowl is lifted the rice seems to have increased in quantity4 ,hold the empty bowl in both hands and scoop off some of the rice1 letting it fall on to the tray4 ,repeat the operation1 taking a little more rice away4 ,in taking still a little more rice away get a finger nail under the edge of the disc1 and in apparently scooping off a little more rice lift the disc under the bowl and place it on the tray2 as the disc with the rice on it is placed over the loose rice which fell on the tray in the first instance it is not noticed4 ,the latter part of this move must be done fairly quickly1 especially if one is performing at close quarters1 and the empty bowl is at once placed on the top of the other bowl which now contains only water4 ,to show the final effect is1 therefore1 an easy matter4 ,the top bowl is lifted with the right hand1 the other with the left hand1 and the water is poured from bowl to bowl4 ,illustration3 ,celluloid ,fake4 ,bowl double filled with rice ,fake ,removing ,fake with rice ,fig4 #h ,now for the variations of the trick4 ,the weak point of the trick is at the beginning2 only one bowl is shown to be empty4 ,is it not possible that some of the very attentive members of your audience will notice this fact and will say to themselves3 ,he showed us only one empty bowl--wonder what's in the other8 ,of course1 people ought not to think in this way1 and some conjurers believe that they do not1 but my experience tells me that there are always some persons in every audience who do not miss much when it comes to judging a trick and trying to find out the method of the conjurer4 ,theoretically1 when the conjurer picks up the faked bowl and holds it upside down he convinces the audience that the bowl is empty4 ,how can there be anything in a bowl which is held upside down8 ,still1 ,i think you will admit that if you can show the interiors of both bowls at the beginning of the performance you make it a much stronger trick than if you show only one bowl and let the state of the other be taken for granted4 ,besides1 being an enthusiastic magician you will naturally want to make your performance as nearly perfect as possible1 and therefore you will want to begin this trick by showing two empty bowls4 ,how are you to do it8 ,obviously1 one bowl has to be exchanged for the faked bowl1 and that means that the faked bowl has to be hidden at the beginning of the trick4 ,here is a simple way of getting over that difficulty4 ,have a fairly large bag of rice4 ,place the faked bowl near the back of the tray and the bag of rice in front of it2 the bag can be shaped round the bowl4 ,you will also need a servante at the back of your table2 this can be either a small shelf or1 better still1 a bag with the mouth slightly stiffened with a strip of whalebone4 ,the servante is hidden from the audience by the tablecloth1 which hangs down in front of the table4 ,proceed in this way4 ,at the beginning of the trick stand on the left-hand side of your table4 ,pick up a bowl in each hand1 show the bowls to the audience1 put the one in the left hand on the table and apparently put the other on the table behind the bag of rice2 of course1 you really drop it into the bag or place it on the shelf at the back of the table4 ,continue the movement of the arm until your right hand is resting against the faked bowl which is hidden behind the bag of rice4 ,at the same moment pick up the bag of rice with the left hand4 ,the audience see two bowls on the table and naturally think that they are the two bowls which you have just shown to them4 ,one of the bowls has not left their sight1 and if you make the change skilfully no one will suspect you of having made it4 ,if you use this method of exchanging one ordinary bowl for the faked bowl you should have a very small tray and a very small table2 otherwise1 you have no excuse for apparently putting one bowl behind the bag of rice4 ,why should you not put it at the side of the bag if there is room for it there8 ,inquisitive people ask themselves these questions sometimes4 ,if you have a very small tray you naturally have to put the second bowl down on the only vacant spot on it--behind the bag of rice--but at the same moment you lift the bag4 ,directly you have picked up the bag of rice with the left hand you pass it to the right1 pick up the empty bowl with the left hand and pour some rice into it4 ,take care to let the audience see that rice1 and nothing but rice1 goes into the bowl4 ,then put the bag down1 pick up the faked bowl1 and present the rest of the trick in the way described4 ,this method is perfectly safe if you are performing on a small platform or stage1 so that your table is raised1 but it is not practical in a small room with the audience close to the table4 ,if you wish to do the trick under those difficult conditions ,i suggest that you use very small bowls and have a box of rice in place of the bag4 ,the exact size of the box will depend on the size of the bowls4 ,dip both bowls 7having first shown them to be empty7 into the box and scoop up as much rice as you can get into them4 ,pour the rice back into the box4 ,do this two or three times1 and while you are apparently doing the same thing for the third time bury the bowl which you have been holding in your right hand in the box of rice and bring up in its place the faked bowl1 which was hidden in the box before the commencement of the trick4 ,you must take care to remember the position of the faked bowl in the box4 ,in exchanging one bowl for another in this way your hand must not pause in its movement down into the box and up again4 ,to make quite sure of getting the movement right practise in front of a looking-glass4 ,first1 dip the two bowls into the box of rice and scoop up the rice into both bowls4 ,remember just how your hands moved when you did that4 ,now start again1 but this time exchange the bowl in your right hand for the faked bowl4 ,illustration3 ,,plain ,,bowl ,escape ,hole ,air ,hole ,water ,plaster ,,faked ,,bowl ,fig4 #i ,now tilt the rice back into the box1 and the audience should be convinced that you have two empty bowls in your hands because both bowls are now upside down4 ,put the faked bowl1 upside down1 on the table4 ,take a little rice from the box with the right hand and let it fall into the empty bowl2 continue doing this until you have filled the bowl4 ,then pick up the faked bowl and continue the trick in the way already described4 ,you will find it convenient to close the lid of the box and to use the top of it as your table4 ,if brass bowls are used no celluloid disc is required1 and it is not necessary to exchange one bowl for another2 the secret of the trick lies in the preparation of one of the bowls1 and yet1 at the beginning of the trick1 both bowls can be held with their interiors facing the audience4 ,thus1 the second method is altogether different from the first4 ,the shape of the two brass bowls is shown in the illustration4 ,the faked bowl has an inner lining fitted to it1 with sufficient space between the lining and the bowl itself to hold a considerable quantity of water4 ,the lining is of highly polished brass1 like the rest of the bowl1 and if it is kept on the move it can safely be shown to the audience4 ,people think that the lining is really the interior of the bowl1 and the fact that they can see inside both bowls helps to convince them that the bowls are unprepared4 ,it will be obvious that the interior of the faked bowl is really much smaller than that of the plain bowl2 if1 therefore1 the latter bowl is filled with rice and the faked bowl placed on the top and both bowls are turned over together the quantity of rice appears to have increased because it overflows4 7,the edge of the faked bowl is made to fit into the edge of the other bowl1 and thus the task of inverting the bowls is simplified2 they cannot slide apart47 ,near the brim of the faked bowl there is a small air hole1 and there is another hole in the centre of the bottom of the bowl4 ,to fill the space between the inner lining and the bowl itself with water and to prevent the water from falling out until you wish it to appear1 proceed in this way4 ,place the bowl in water and let it remain there until no more air bubbles rise to the surface4 ,move the bowl once or twice in the water to make sure that the space is properly filled4 ,lift the bowl out of the water by the brim1 but just before you get the brim clear of the water put a finger on the air hole there2 then the water will not run out of the air hole at the bottom of the bowl4 ,keep the finger jammed down tightly on the air hole in the brim of the bowl1 wipe the outside of the bowl thoroughly dry and place a small piece of adhesive rubber plaster over the air hole in the bottom of the bowl4 ,you can then turn the bowl upside down without any fear that the water will escape through the air hole in the brim4 ,wipe the inside of the bowl thoroughly dry and you are ready to start the trick4 ,place the faked bowl1 upside down1 on the table and the other bowl over it4 7,you will understand1 of course1 that the bowls should be in this position on the table when you are about to present the trick47 ,pick up the plain bowl with the left hand and the faked bowl with the right1 and show the interiors of both bowls to the audience4 ,pour rice into the plain bowl until it is nearly full1 and put the faked bowl on the top of it4 ,invert the two bowls together2 when you separate them the quantity of rice will have apparently increased1 because the interior of the faked bowl is really much smaller than that of the plain bowl4 ,illustration3 ,extracting rice from faked bowl4 ,fig4 #aj ,as there is no celluloid disc to get rid of there is no need to use the empty bowl as a scoop with which to level the rice2 in fact1 it will be inadvisable to use it4 ,by using the bowl as a scoop one would merely level the rice1 whereas it is really necessary to get nearly all the rice out of the faked bowl4 ,begin by levelling the rice with the left hand while you hold the other bowl in front of it2 just before you replace the empty bowl bend the left fingers slightly and thus scoop out as much of the rice as you can possibly get out in this way4 ,you must not let the audience see that you are really trying to empty the bowl1 and no harm is done if you leave a little rice in it4 ,replace the empty bowl on the top of the faked bowl1 and invert both bowls together2 just before putting them on the table remove with the left thumbnail the piece of rubber plaster which has covered the air hole in the bottom of the faked bowl4 7,if you are performing in a hall with part of the audience in a gallery1 so that they can look down on to the top of the bowls1 it is as well to disguise the little piece of rubber plaster with a touch of gold paint47 ,directly the rubber plaster is removed the water will start to run out into the bottom bowl1 and here we come to one of the disadvantages of this method4 ,to my mind it is only a very trifling disadvantage1 but ,i know that some conjurers regard it almost as a serious defect4 ,the water runs out of the air hole slowly1 and therefore it is necessary to patter for about a minute while the water is dropping into the lower bowl4 7,the exact time will depend on the size of the bowl47 ,some conjurers do not talk at all during their performance2 therefore this method of doing the trick does not appeal to them4 ,some conjurers who do talk during their performances are chary of pattering for a whole minute without doing anything2 they think that to do this looks as though they were holding up the trick4 ,until you have pattered for a whole minute without doing anything you do not realise what a very long time one minute can seem to be2 you must remember that1 to some members of the audience1 at any rate1 you appear to be talking for no reason whatever4 ,well1 ,i have presented this trick at ,st4 ,george's ,hall and at private performances and1 as ,i have said1 ,i prefer this method to the one with the china bowls4 ,i admit1 however1 that a drawing-room conjurer may find the preparation of the trick a little tiresome4 ,i have known a conjurer to prepare the faked bowl--fill it with water and seal it--before setting out on his journey to give his performance1 but ,i should not care to risk doing that myself4 ,if the air hole should get uncovered there would be a tragedy6 ,the question therefore arises--,how are you to prepare for the trick in a drawing-room8 ,the simplest plan is to take a small pail--about as large as a child's seaside pail--with you4 ,remember1 the bowl has to be placed in the water4 ,carry your own pail in your bag1 and then all you have to ask for is a large jug of water4 ,now1 to continue with the presentation of the trick4 ,when the water has trickled through into the lower bowl pick up the top one--the faked bowl--with the left hand1 take the other bowl with the right hand and pour some of the water into the faked bowl4 ,there will be more than enough water to fill this bowl1 and so if you wish you can pour some into a glass bowl on table4 ,you will notice that in this form of the trick both the rice and the water increase4 ,i give some suggestions for patter which1 of course1 can be shortened considerably if the conjurer is using china bowls4 ,some silent conjurers dash through the trick in about half a minute1 but it is as well to let your audience see what you are doing4 ,if you are going to use brass bowls you should rehearse the trick very carefully1 so that you may be able to fill in the time while the water is running from one bowl to another4 ,i will try and show you how to make a rice pudding--a new kind of rice pudding4 ,you cook it in two bowls1 so as to give the rice room to swell4 ,even then it isn't swell rice4 ,swell rice is the kind which is used at weddings4 ,a man doesn't mind how much of this 7pouring rice into bowl7 he has thrown in his face on his wedding day1 but he does object to cold rice pudding more than five times a week after his wedding day4 ,and he often gets it6 ,believe me1 he does4 ,you will notice that by this method of cooking 7lift the bowls1 wave them in the air and finally invert them71 the rice is cooked entirely by friction4 ,no fire needed2 therefore no coal bill2 therefore1 the coal merchant goes broke4 ,you see what new methods lead to4 ,i don't know if the rice is done yet2 excuse me for a moment while ,i listen to it4 ,there is no sadder sight in this world than an underdone rice pudding4 ,yes1 ,i think it is done2 anyhow we'll chance it4 7,lift bowl1 showing quantity of rice increased47 ,you see1 by this method your rice does not swell in the cooking2 the more you cook the more rice you get2 there's far too much here4 7,level rice off and replace bowl2 if brass bowls are used invert them47 ,perhaps ,i ought to have explained at the beginning that this method of cooking rice is rather slow2 if the rice is at all aged and tough it may take hours and hours--or even longer--to cook itself in a proper manner2 of course1 this rice is strictly proper--highly refined4 ,it can be used for puddings1 cakes1 poultices1 dog-biscuits and bill-stickers' paste2 it can also be used for waterproofing boots1 and it is invaluable for invalids4 ,i once induced an invalid friend of mine to try some of my patent rice pudding4 ,the invalid got better at once--afraid of having to face a second dose4 ,it's dangerous stuff--rice pudding4 ,many a happy home has been nearly wrecked--all through a cold1 heavy1 stodgy1 underdone1 beastly rice pudding4 ,ladies1 let it be a warning to you4 4 4 4 ,i beg your pardon--,i've been talking so much that ,i've been forgetting my own cooking4 7,lift bowl and pour water from one bowl to the other47 ,i'm very sorry4 ,really ,i must apologise4 ,all the rice has been cooked away--perhaps it's as well1 because nobody really likes rice pudding4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,indian ,,sands ,in its simplest form this trick consists in putting some silver sand into a bowl of water and taking it out--perfectly dry4 ,but the trick in that form is hardly worth doing and certainly not worth the trouble involved in its preparation4 ,an important additional effect is produced by using sands of three colours--red1 white1 and blue4 ,the white sand is not really white1 but the natural colour of the sand4 ,in this case1 not only does the conjurer take out the sand perfectly dry1 but he takes out the sand of the colour named by the audience4 ,this is a trick which depends largely for its effect upon the showmanship of the performer1 for unless the audience are thoroughly convinced that the bowl of water is what the conjurer says it is and nothing more--an ordinary bowl nearly filled with ordinary water--and unless the audience are further convinced of the fact that the sands of different colours are poured into the bowl and are thoroughly stirred up into the water they will not be properly surprised when the conjurer comes to the climax of the trick4 ,therefore1 the conjurer should lead off by giving the bowl out for examination4 ,the bowl can be either of glass1 metal1 or china4 ,the trick is most effective1 ,i think1 when a glass bowl is used2 it should be a large flat bowl4 ,the different sands should be placed in bags1 the red sand being in a red bag1 and so on4 ,if the conjurer uses a glass bowl he should have the water in a large glass jug4 ,he leads off by holding up the bowl for inspection2 then he gives it out for examination4 ,if he is performing in a room he should have a box or some kind of stand on the table1 so that everyone can see the bowl during the whole of the performance4 ,having received the bowl back again the conjurer pours in the water1 and he should take note beforehand of the actual quantity required4 ,if there is too much water some of it may get splashed over the brim during the performance of the trick1 and if there is too little the trick is not sufficiently effective2 besides1 with a little water the trick is more difficult4 ,the conjurer then picks up the red bag and pours out the sand1 a little at a time1 on to his other hand2 he should take care to let the audience see that he has nothing concealed in his hand at the beginning of the trick1 and in pouring out the sand he should work slowly so that the audience see that he pours out nothing else but sand4 ,while he is doing this he should hold his hand over the bowl1 because some of the sand will drop off his hand into the water4 ,there will naturally be quite a little mound of sand on his hand when the bag is empty4 ,he then tips the sand into the bowl and stirs it slightly4 ,the dye will colour the water4 ,he proceeds to empty the other two bags in the same way1 taking great care to let the audience see that the bags contain nothing but sand and that he places nothing else in the water4 ,at the end of these proceedings the water will be thoroughly coloured4 ,the conjurer1 having turned up his sleeves1 dips his right hand into the water1 and stirs it up4 ,then1 displaying his empty hand to the audience1 he dips it into the water and takes out a handful of the wet sands and holds it up so that the audience can see it4 ,he returns the mud to the bowl and washes off any sand from his hands4 ,once more he dips his hand into the bowl and takes it out closed4 ,picking up a glass goblet with his other hand1 he holds it under his right hand from which dry red sand slowly trickles4 ,when the hand is empty he opens it1 shows it to the audience1 and puts the goblet down4 ,then he washes his hands in the bowl1 and repeats the performance with the white sand and the blue1 so that at the end of the trick the audience can see the sands in the three goblets4 ,at the conclusion of the trick he can pour all the water with the sand mud into another vessel and thus show once more that the bowl is not prepared in any way for the trick4 ,this splendid effect is brought about by very simple means4 ,most conjurers hold the opinion that the best tricks are simple2 this one is both simple and easy4 ,the principal secret consists in the preparation of small quantities of the different sands4 ,first of all a quantity of sand is dyed red and a similar quantity is dyed blue1 and both are left to dry4 ,while they are drying the conjurer can prepare the white sand4 ,illustration3 bag of loose sand1 with compressed sand of different colours in different shapes ,loose sand ,faked sand ,,method ,,of ,,loading ,,bags ,,of ,,sand ,,with ,,sand ,,blocks4 ,,key ,,shapes ,,for ,,finding ,,colours ,,by ,,touch4 ,fig4 #aa ,place a small quantity in an old frying-pan and put it over the fire until it is thoroughly hot4 ,then drop in a small piece of tallow candle4 ,when the grease melts stir it well into the sand1 so that every grain is covered4 ,then take the sand off the fire and press it down into little moulds4 ,as sands of three different colours are to be used in the trick it follows that the prepared sands must be put in moulds of three different shapes1 because the conjurer merely has to feel in the water for the particular blocks of sand that he requires at each dip4 ,the white sand can be put into little round1 flat moulds1 about as large as four halfpennies stuck together4 ,when these little round blocks of prepared sand are cool they will be perfectly hard and waterproof4 ,the red sand can be placed in small square moulds and the blue sand in oval or round moulds2 the shapes are immaterial so long as the conjurer remembers them4 ,the bags can be of paper4 ,to prepare for the trick1 turn one of the bags upside down and push the bottom of it inwards4 ,then place two or three of the blocks of sand of the right colour in the cavity at the bottom of the bag4 ,then turn the bag over and fill it with ordinary sand of the same colour4 ,prepare the other two bags in the same way4 ,in picking up each bag from the table1 when you are going to do the trick1 begin by lifting it about an inch from the table with the left hand2 then grasp it round the middle with the right hand and hold the little finger under the bottom of the bag to prevent the blocks of sand from falling away4 ,the paper of which the bags are made should be fairly stiff4 ,when all the sand from one of the bags has been poured out on to the hand--naturally a good deal of it will fall into the bowl--the conjurer turns his hand over and lets the sand drop into the bowl2 at the same time he merely has to take his right little finger away from the bottom of the bag and the blocks fall into the water4 ,they drop behind the falling sand1 and being of the same colour they are not noticed by the audience4 ,if the conjurer does not care for this method of getting the prepared blocks into the water he can have larger bags and have the prepared blocks in them with the sand4 ,in that case he dips his hand into a bag1 takes out a handful of sand1 and lets it trickle back into the bag4 ,he does this once or twice2 then he takes out a handful of sand and lets it fall into the water1 taking care to let the audience see that he puts in nothing but sand4 ,he repeats the action4 ,then1 in taking another handful of sand1 he gets two or three of the blocks with it1 lets some of the sand fall into the water1 brings his hand down close to the water1 releases the blocks1 brings his hand up again and releases the rest of the sand from it4 ,he can continue in this way until the bag is empty4 ,if the performer is on a stage there is very little likelihood of the audience seeing the blocks even if they are dropped from a height with the sand1 but in a room1 with the audience close to the table1 it is as well to take every precaution against the discovery of the secret4 ,as for the rest of the trick1 the effect is produced entirely by showmanship4 ,in the hands of a capable performer the trick will cause a sensation1 but if it is presented in a slipshod careless way1 so that the audience are not thoroughly convinced at each stage of the trick that there has been no deception1 then the trick will go for nothing4 ,for example1 if the conjurer neglects to take out a handful of the wet sand and show it to the audience1 he misses a point4 ,of course1 all that the conjurer really has to do is to feel in the bowl for the particular blocks of sand he requires4 ,it is as well to have one or two more blocks than are actually necessary4 ,when the conjurer has taken out a handful of the blocks he requires he merely has to crush them in his hand and they fall in a shower of dry sand4 ,a hint to the drawing-room performer4 ,after the performance see that the water is poured away at once2 otherwise1 if some of the younger and more inquisitive members of your audience come round behind your screen at the close of the performance they will be sure to want to know how this trick was done1 and if they get a glimpse of the water they may possibly notice grease floating on the surface6 ,various other methods have been invented for keeping certain portions of sand dry when other sand of similar colour is placed in water4 ,some conjurers have done the sand up in little packets of grease-proof paper4 ,i have also heard of tiny air balloons being filled with sand4 ,the great drawback of any of these other methods is that when the conjurer is letting the dry sand trickle away from his hand into the goblet he cannot immediately let the audience see that he has nothing concealed in his hand4 ,he has to go at once to the bowl for the next handful and leave the fake1 whatever it may be1 in the bottom of the bowl4 ,by using the method ,i have described the conjurer gets the most convincing effect1 and if he prepares a large quantity of the different blocks of sand at the same time the trick is really not troublesome4 ,the exact quantity of tallow required must be determined by experiment2 it will depend1 of course1 on the amount of sand which is being prepared4 ,the object of using goblets for the display of the dry sands is to enable the members of the audience in the front rows of seats to see the sands4 ,when one is performing to an audience composed chiefly of children the first two or three rows of seats are usually occupied by very small children1 and from their positions they cannot see the top of the table4 ,raise the object which you are going to place on the table and you bring it within the view of everyone4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,dissolved ,,card ,every good trick has a clear1 logical conclusion4 ,although the conjurer is apparently reversing one of ,nature's laws he must also be more or less reasonable in his performance4 ,for example1 if he tears up a piece of paper into little pieces and then causes these pieces to form together into four strips equal in length when laid end to end1 to the original piece1 the conjurer is not behaving in a reasonable manner2 he should cause the little pieces to join together into one strip and the audience must be led to believe that that strip is the original piece of paper and that in some mysterious manner the conjurer has joined the pieces together4 ,the conjurer who does that brings his trick to what may be called a logical conclusion4 ,i mention this matter here because it bears upon the trick which ,i am about to explain4 ,in its simplest--and crudest--form this trick consists in causing a playing card placed into a jug of water to disappear2 the water is supposed to dissolve the card4 ,i imagine1 however1 that no intelligent audience would be satisfied with the trick in that form2 there is obviously something wanting1 and that something is the magical reappearance of the card4 ,there are dozens of ways in which the trick could be completed--that is to say1 in which the card could be caused to reappear--but it must be remembered that the card has apparently been dissolved in water1 and that therefore to bring the trick to the logical conclusion which is the attribute of all good tricks1 the water in which the card has apparently been dissolved should be used in some way to bring about the reappearance of the card4 ,it seems to me that if we were to reproduce the card in a box1 or case1 or frame which had previously been shown to be empty we should not have a very convincing trick4 ,it might be argued1 of course1 that if instead of suggesting that the card is dissolved in water we suggest that it is made to disappear from the water we may fairly be allowed to reproduce the card in any way we please4 ,to regard the trick in that way is to destroy the plot of it and to substitute another plot4 ,in the one case the conjurer is suggesting to his audience that the card remains in the water in a state of solution and in the other that the card has disappeared altogether from the water4 ,i think you get a much better effect if you induce your audience to think that the water has dissolved the card1 and it is for that reason that ,i have given the title ,the ,dissolved ,card to the trick4 ,i propose1 therefore1 that we should present the trick in this way4 ,the conjurer brings forward a pack of cards1 shuffles the cards with their faces towards the audience1 and asks someone in the audience to take a card and to place it on the top of the pack4 ,a glass jug1 nearly full of water1 is then held up for inspection1 and1 lastly1 a large dark silk handkerchief--or muffler--is casually shown4 ,if one of those very trying persons who are always anxious to discover a conjurer's secrets appears anxious to examine the handkerchief the conjurer will do well to pretend that he is in a tight corner for a moment1 but1 somewhat reluctantly1 he allows the interrupter to examine the handkerchief2 as a matter of fact1 the conjurer is not at all perturbed1 because there is no trick about the handkerchief4 ,while the jug of water and the handkerchief are being exhibited the pack of cards is on the table4 ,the conjurer picks it up1 removes the top card and asks the person who took it to say if it is the card which was chosen and placed on the top of the pack4 ,the answer is sure to be1 ,yes4 ,the conjurer holds the card in his left hand with its face towards the audience1 and his thumb and lingers pointing upwards4 7,the position of the hand is important for the working of the trick1 and therefore the reader will do well to remember it47 ,the conjurer throws the silk handkerchief over the card and arranges it neatly1 so that the card is about in the centre of the handkerchief4 ,bringing his right hand over the top of the handkerchief the conjurer takes the card in that hand and holds it over the jug of water1 while with his left hand he drapes the handkerchief round the outside of the jug1 practically hiding it4 ,someone in the audience is asked to take the card from the conjurer 7holding it1 of course1 with the handkerchief over it7 and to drop it into the water at the word ,go6 ,when this is done the handkerchief naturally drops down and covers the jug4 ,the conjurer picks up the jug with the left hand and whisking away the handkerchief with the right hand shows that the water has dissolved the card4 ,the conjurer then brings forward two slates1 and in order to get them thoroughly clean wipes them with a small sponge which he dips into the jug of water4 ,the slates are dried1 placed together1 wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and given into the possession of a member of the audience4 ,the audience are led to believe that the name of the card is to be written magically on the slates1 but when the person holding them takes off the paper he finds to his surprise that the card is between the slates and1 as a matter of fact1 the card is the identical card that was chosen in the first place4 ,this effect is brought about by means of a few subtle--but quite easy--moves and the use of one little fake4 ,the jug of water is standing on the conjurer's table2 placed just behind it is the large silk handkerchief folded in four1 and behind the handkerchief is a piece of transparent celluloid of the exact size of the cards which are to be used2 beside the piece of celluloid is the pack of cards4 ,picking up the cards1 the conjurer shuffles them with their faces towards the audience1 thus showing--without directly calling attention to the fact--that the pack is an ordinary one4 ,the conjurer advances to someone with the request that a card may be chosen4 ,illustration3 shows card in hand1 then covered by handkerchief slips card into sleeve with other hand ,celluloid ,,card ,,as ,,shown ,celluloid ,,concealing ,,card ,fig4 #ab ,please take any card you like1 says the conjurer4 ,perhaps you would like to take the pack in your hand and select a card at your leisure4 ,when you have made up your mind will you please put the card on the top of the pack4 4 4 4 ,have you done that8 ,you'll know the card again when you see it8 ,thank you4 ,in order that everyone may remember the card ,i will show it to the audience2 there is no harm in my knowing what it is4 ,the conjurer receives the pack back again1 lifts off the top card1 shows it to the audience1 returns it to the pack and then1 turning the pack over1 drops it face upwards on the table so that it falls on the top of the piece of celluloid4 ,if the cards spread a little when they fall1 so much the better4 ,the conjurer then exhibits the jug of water4 ,a jug of water1 he says4 ,if there were any trickery about this it would be a transparent fraud1 wouldn't it8 ,but there is no trickery about it2 it's just the ordinary water that comes down from the clouds and is charged for at the ordinary rates4 7,he puts the jug on the table and picks up the handkerchief47 ,a large silk handkerchief4 ,three hundred silkworms had to work overtime for a fortnight to make the silk for this handkerchief2 it isn't one of those tiny little handkerchiefs4 7,the conjurer shows both sides of the handkerchief and puts it down again47 ,and now ,i am going to see if you all have a good memory4 ,do you remember what card was chosen and placed on the top of the pack8 ,you do8 ,well2 let us see if you are right4 ,it will be remembered that the cards are face upwards on the table4 ,the conjurer picks up the pack with his right hand 7including with it the piece of celluloid71 turns it over1 and places it in his left hand2 directly it is there the right hand is brought over the pack to square it up4 ,the left thumb then pushes the piece of celluloid over the edge of the pack for about half an inch--the right little finger preventing it from going too far--and the left thumb then pushes the top card forward in the same way4 ,thus the piece of celluloid is now directly over the top card1 and the two can be lifted off the pack together and exhibited as one card4 ,the conjurer shows the card to the audience on his right and then places it in his left hand and shows it to the audience on his left4 ,great care must be taken to nip the piece of celluloid and the card closely together1 and when the card is in the left hand the thumb should be behind it1 the fingers in front and the tips of the thumb and fingers should point upwards4 ,the conjurer picks up the handkerchief with his right hand and throws it over the card1 at the same time saying3 ,i cover the card with the handkerchief4 ,i do this because it is so much easier than covering the handkerchief with the card4 ,i want to get the centre of the handkerchief just over the card4 ,directly the card is hidden by the handkerchief the conjurer pushes up the piece of celluloid with his thumb1 while with his fingers he slides the card down a little way towards his wrist4 ,in order to arrange the handkerchief properly over the card the conjurer puts his right hand under the handkerchief and lifts it into position1 so that the centre is over the card4 ,while his right hand is under the handkerchief the conjurer takes the card from the left hand and slips it for a moment into the left sleeve1 taking care to push it down1 so that when his hand is afterwards removed the card is hidden4 ,the conjurer then brings his right hand over the top of the handkerchief and1 gripping the piece of celluloid through the handkerchief1 asks someone to hold it over the jug of water2 of course1 that person naturally thinks that he is holding the card1 and the fact that the conjurer's hands are empty is proof that the card must be under the handkerchief4 ,the next step in the trick is very simple4 ,having draped the handkerchief round the jug and asked the person holding what he believes to be the card to release the card at the word ,go6 the conjurer merely has to take the handkerchief away and hold up the jug2 the celluloid sinks to the bottom and is therefore invisible4 ,the assistant is thanked and he returns to his seat4 ,the conjurer continues his patter3 ,for a time the card is dissolved in that water1 but if you would care to wait a few hours you will see the water gradually evaporate1 leaving a kind of impression of the card stamped upon the jug4 ,if you want the trick done quickly you have to send a special message to the good fairy who arranges these things4 ,you would like the trick done quickly8 ,very well1 then ,i must write the message to the fairy on one of these slates and ask for an immediate reply4 ,the conjurer picks up two ordinary slates and holds them in his left hand4 ,the palm of the hand should be facing the audience and the fingers slightly bent4 ,the ends of the two slates are rested on the fingers and against the arm4 ,when writing to fairies1 says the conjurer1 you must always have a clean slate4 ,he dips a little sponge into the jug of water and sponges over the slate which is facing the audience2 the slate is turned over and the other side is washed4 ,the conjurer now shifts the position of the slates4 ,with his right hand he grasps them near the ends which are resting on the left hand1 and as he does this he inserts the first and second fingers of his right hand into his left sleeve and draws out the card1 keeping it hidden behind the slates4 ,directly he has done this the conjurer takes hold of the slates with the left hand1 holding them by their sides2 his fingers keep the card behind the slates4 ,he should turn to his right when taking the slates in the left hand4 ,the next step is to slide out the under slate by taking it with the right hand1 while the left fingers keep the card pressed against the slate which has been at the top4 ,the slate which has been taken away with the right hand is now placed on the top of the other1 both sides are cleaned1 and the conjurer1 taking a piece of chalk1 writes on the slate facing the audience3 ,please hurry up4 ,this slate is now drawn away with the right hand and placed under the other1 thus getting the card in between the two slates1 which are then wrapped in a sheet of paper and given to a member of the audience4 ,the conjurer picks up the jug of water for a moment and pretends to discover suddenly that he has spoiled the experiment4 ,i quite forgot1 he says1 when ,i was cleaning the slates that ,i was using some of this water4 ,there's no telling what may happen now2 you may find little bits of the card all over the slates when they are dry4 ,would you mind having a look at them8 ,the person holding the slates unwraps them and finds the card in between the two slates1 and the conjurer finishes by suggesting that the fairy has saved the situation4 ,the only move in the trick which is not quite easy is that which the conjurer makes to get the card out of his sleeve and hidden behind the slates4 ,a very little practice1 for preference in front of a looking-glass1 will enable the conjurer to get over this difficulty2 he should bear in mind that what he is apparently doing is to lift the slates with the right hand and take them by the sides with the left hand4 ,if those movements are practised until the conjurer can make them without having to stop to think about them he can then go on to practise making the same movements while1 at the same time1 he gets the card out of his sleeve and hides it behind the slates1 keeping it there with the fingers of his left hand4 ,this is quite easy1 but for the benefit of beginners who may wish for a still more simple method of doing the trick ,i suggest the following4 ,the card is forced2 that is to say1 the conjurer apparently allows the person who is taking the card to have a free choice1 but he really makes sure that the person takes one particular card4 ,an expert card conjurer can force one particular card from an ordinary pack1 but to do this is not easy1 and even an expert cannot be absolutely certain of forcing the card which he wishes to use in a trick4 ,therefore1 since the beginner is out to make the trick as simple and sure as possible he should use a forcing pack1 which consists of one card repeated1 say1 forty times2 a few other indifferent cards are placed on the top and below the forty4 ,the conjurer who is going to use a forcing pack should do some other card trick with an ordinary pack and then exchange it for the forcing pack2 of course1 the backs of the two packs must match4 ,the conjurer must also take care to hold the cards down when he is having one selected1 so that no one may get a glimpse under the cards4 ,the card is taken and placed on the top of the pack as in the first method1 and the card is got rid of by being pushed down the left sleeve1 but the procedure afterwards is greatly simplified4 ,one of the two slates used is a flap slate2 that is to say1 a loose piece of cardboard painted to resemble a slate is laid inside it4 ,the cardboard is painted on both sides1 and1 therefore1 when the ordinary slate is placed on the top of the flap slate and both are turned over together the flap falls into the ordinary slate4 ,the working of this part of the trick will now be obvious4 ,a card similar to the one which has been forced is placed under the flap of one of the slates4 ,when the conjurer picks up this slate he must be careful to hold the flap firmly with his thumb to prevent it from falling away4 ,he lightly sponges both sides of the slate 7in reality one side of the flap and one side of the slate72 he then cleans the ordinary slate in the same way and places it on the top of the flap4 ,he cannot give the slates to a member of the audience to hold1 and1 therefore1 after he has turned them over1 to get the flap to fall1 the conjurer merely places a broad elastic band on them and stands them up for a moment against a candlestick or some piece of apparatus on the table after he has written the message to the fairy4 ,by using a flap slate in this way the conjurer can produce a message on one of the slates in addition to producing the card4 ,the message is written on one of the slates and is then covered with the flap2 when the flap falls the message and the card are both disclosed4 ,since the conjurer apparently cleans all four sides of the two slates and leaves them slightly damp he ought really to dampen the underside of the flap and the side of the slate concealed by the flap before he begins the trick2 otherwise1 someone with a very alert mind may point out at the conclusion of the trick that although the conjurer wiped all four sides of the slates with a damp sponge1 two of them 7really the underside of the flap and the side of the slate which was concealed by the flap in the first instance7 are not quite dry4 ,it is always as well to be prepared for interruptions of that kind4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,miscellaneous ,,water ,,tricks ,the average beginner usually despises a very easy trick1 simply because it is easy4 ,maybe it is for that reason that one seldom hears of a young amateur including the ,wine and ,water trick in his repertoire4 ,i once heard a young amateur state his objection to the trick4 ,oh1 it's so obviously just a chemical experiment1 he said4 ,he was wrong4 ,if the trick is presented properly it will not be just a chemical experiment but a very entertaining little bit of magic--simple in its effect1 and very short4 ,the trick used to be in the repertoire of ,mr4 ,david ,devant1 and other notable magicians have performed it in public4 ,there are many ways of presenting the trick1 but ,i do not think that anyone has ever beaten ,mr4 ,devant's method1 which ,i give now with his permission4 ,the effect is so clear that the youngest child in the audience can follow it4 ,standing in a row on a tray on the table are four tumblers and a small glass jug1 with water in it4 ,the conjurer picks up the jug in one hand1 a glass in another1 pours out a little water and returns it to the jug4 ,then he puts the glass down and pours a little water into each glass2 the glasses should be about half full4 ,the audience are--or should be--surprised to see that although the liquid in the first and third glasses is undoubtedly water1 the second and fourth glasses contain wine1 or ink1 or stout1 or whatever the conjurer is pleased to call it2 it is a black fluid4 ,the conjurer puts the jug down and1 taking up the first and second glasses1 mixes the contents together1 with the result that he gets one glass full of wine2 he pours this into the jug and all the water in the jug is immediately turned into wine4 ,the conjurer then mixes the contents of the third and fourth glasses together1 and he gets a glass of clear water4 ,pouring this into the jug he causes all the wine in it to change at once into clear water4 ,thus1 at the finish of the trick the conjurer returns to the point at which he started--with a jug of water and four empty glasses4 ,the whole secret is in the doctoring of the four glasses4 ,the preparations must be made carefully1 and when presenting it in a strange place it is always necessary to try it out beforehand1 because the quantities of the chemicals used which are sufficient to work the trick in one district may be quite wrong for the water of another district4 ,the glasses are prepared in this way4 ,the first contains a teaspoonful of a saturated solution of tannin2 the second and fourth glasses contain a few drops of a saturated solution of perchloride of iron1 known to some chemists as steel drops2 the third glass contains a few drops of a saturated solution of oxalic acid4 ,the object of pouring water into the first glass and tipping it back into the jug is to mix the tannin with the water in the jug4 ,directly he has done this the conjurer must be brisk in his movements1 because after the tannin has been put in the water soon becomes slightly cloudy4 ,the exact quantities of the chemicals required can only be determined by experiment4 ,having settled that matter the conjurer has only to carry out the instructions already given4 ,the second and fourth glasses will then have wine in them1 and the first and third water4 ,the contents of the first and second mixed together will be wine1 and when poured into the jug will cause the water left in the jug to change into wine4 ,the oxalic acid in the third glass does the trick of taking all the colour out of the contents of the fourth glass1 and when he has poured that into the jug the conjurer finishes1 as he began1 with a jug of water4 ,the jug should be taken away at once1 because the water will probably become dull and clouded in the course of a few minutes4 ,the water1 by the way1 is poisonous2 to avoid any chance of an accident the conjurer should pour it away at once1 and should also see that the glasses and jug are well washed4 ,if fairly large tumblers are used the steel drops can be rinsed round the two tumblers 7the second and fourth7 just before the performance begins1 and those tumblers can then be placed upside down on a tray2 this position negatives the idea that there is anything in the tumblers at the beginning of the trick4 ,the ,vanishing ,glass of ,water ,to cause a glass of water to vanish is hardly a complete trick1 but it may well form part of many magical experiments4 ,thus1 if you are presenting the ,rice ,bowls 7see ,chapter ,v7 you can proceed with the trick up to the point when the rice has been secretly removed and the water is in readiness for the final effect4 ,leave the bowls as they are1 one inverted on the other1 and show a silk hat to the audience1 letting them see inside it4 ,now pick up a jug of water with your right hand and throw a large handkerchief over your right arm4 ,with the left hand take a tumbler from the table1 pour some water into it1 and take it with the disengaged fingers of the right hand1 so that with your left hand you can take the handkerchief from your right arm and throw it over the glass4 ,directly you have done this1 hold the glass1 through the handkerchief1 with the left hand and put the jug down on the table4 ,the right hand drapes the handkerchief round the glass4 ,pause for a second1 and then flick the handkerchief into the air4 ,the glass of water has vanished4 ,go to the silk hat and take from it a glass full of rice4 ,the glass is apparently that which has just vanished and the rice is that which the audience think is in the lower bowl4 ,then go to the bowls and discover the missing water4 ,illustration3 jug in one hand with glass of water in the other1 then place jug on table and drop glass1 while covered with handkerchief1 into jug ,,first ,,position ,cloth or rubber bag ,,the ,,vanish ,fig4 #ac ,the disappearance of the glass of water is managed in this way4 ,the handkerchief is really made of two handkerchiefs sewn together2 sewn between them1 in the centre1 is a round piece of cardboard of the size of the top of the glass4 ,when you throw the handkerchief over the glass you get the disc of cardboard exactly over the top of the glass4 ,take the glass in the left hand and tap it once against the top of the jug--just to let the audience be convinced that it is there4 ,then1 as you take it away1 drop it into the jug1 which has been provided with a cloth or india-rubber bag for its reception4 ,the bag is stiffened at the top4 ,of course1 the cardboard disc conveys the impression that the glass is still under the handkerchief4 ,the jug must be either a china or a metal one4 ,if you wish to use the vanish of the glass of water in the way ,i have suggested--in conjunction with the rice bowls--it will be necessary to have an opera hat with a hinged flap in the centre4 ,cut a piece of stiff cardboard of the size of the crown of the hat4 ,to the centre of this fasten1 by means of strips of black linen1 a small1 semicircular piece of cardboard1 which will thus be hinged to the other piece4 ,cover the whole of this fake with black silk and put it into the open hat4 ,the top of the hinged flap should be about half-way down the hat when the flap is resting against one side of the hat4 ,it is an easy matter to hide a glass under the flap1 and that glass is nearly filled with rice1 which is prevented from coming out by means of a little plug of paper4 ,by holding the fingers against the flap and the thumb on the brim of the hat it is an easy matter to prevent the glass from falling out when you casually hold the hat up for inspection by the audience4 ,keep the hat moving1 and the audience will not see the flap4 ,put the hat down1 letting the flap swing over to the other side of the hat4 ,then1 when you wish to produce the glass of rice all you have to do is to pull out the plug of paper1 leave it in the hat1 and take out the glass4 ,pour the rice out on to a tray and then produce the water from the bowl1 and pour it backwards and forwards from one bowl to another4 ,if you are using the metal bowls this vanish of the glass of water helps to fill in the time occupied by the water running from the top bowl to the one underneath it4 ,the ,vanishing ,water ,pour some water into a tumbler until it is about half full4 ,place a short cardboard cylinder over the glass2 when you lift the cylinder the glass is empty1 and the cylinder is held with one end facing the audience2 there is nothing inside it4 ,this is a very simple vanish4 ,the glass has a detachable lining of transparent celluloid which will hold water4 ,the presence of the lining in the glass is not noticed4 ,all that the conjurer has to do is to take care not to put too much water into the glass1 because if he does he may find a difficulty in lifting the lining out in the only way in which it can be lifted out4 ,the cover is placed over the glass4 ,in removing the cover the conjurer holds it with his thumb outside and his middle finger1 which should be moistened1 inside4 ,two fingers pull up the celluloid lining and hold it tightly against the cover1 which1 of course1 hides it for a moment while the conjurer picks up the glass and shows that the water has vanished4 ,while he does this he puts the cover down on his table for a moment and lets the celluloid lining sink gently down into a well in the table4 ,a well is the conjurer's name for a hole in the top of the table4 ,the top of the table is covered with black velvet1 and the inside of the hole is lined with the same material4 ,if there is a pattern of gold braid on the top of the table--though even this is not necessary if one is performing on a stage--the hole cannot be seen by the audience1 even if they are a few feet away from the table4 ,illustration3 ,,glass ,,with ,,celluloid ,,lining ,,removing ,,lining ,,from ,,glass4 ,fig4 #ad ,the action of putting the cover down in a natural way1 and not gingerly1 as though the conjurer was afraid of something inside it1 must be practised and1 of course1 the cover must be raised again at the earliest possible moment and shown to be empty4 ,the mere vanishing of water in this way is not a complete trick in itself2 it should be combined with other tricks4 ,the milk can1 explained later on in this chapter1 will serve for the purpose of the reproduction of the water1 and if the conjurer will provide himself with an extra celluloid lining1 load it with three or four handkerchiefs and place it behind a hat or some piece of apparatus on the table1 he can easily build up a little trick4 ,having shown the milk can to be empty1 he fills the glass1 covers it1 and leaves it covered for a few moments while he shows some silk handkerchiefs similar to those in the fake4 ,he vanishes these handkerchiefs magically and shows his hands empty1 or1 if he prefers to do so1 he can have another prepared glass similar to the first and put the handkerchiefs in that1 so that he has a glass containing handkerchiefs on one side of his table and a glass containing water on the other1 and the milk can in the centre4 ,he lifts the cover from the handkerchiefs and shows that they have disappeared2 of course1 the vanish is managed in the same way1 the celluloid lining of the glass containing the handkerchiefs going down another well in the table4 ,then the conjurer vanishes the water in the way described and having got rid of the fake1 lifts the cover to show that it is empty and puts it down over a similar fake 7but containing handkerchiefs similar to those which have been vanished74 ,this fake can be standing behind an opera hat on the table1 and the conjurer should take away the hat as he puts the cover down over the fake4 ,he must not convey the impression that he is trying to hide the cover behind the hat4 ,he then replaces the cover over the empty tumbler4 ,the position of things at this stage of the trick should be clear to the audience4 ,the milk can was shown to be empty2 the conjurer has caused some handkerchiefs and some water to vanish from two tumblers1 one of which is left uncovered4 ,going to the uncovered one the conjurer lifts the cover and shows the handkerchiefs1 and he can at once pour the water from the milk can4 ,i do not suggest for a moment that that would be a particularly good trick to do2 ,i merely describe it in order to start you thinking of some other article which might be added to the water and the handkerchiefs to make a still more puzzling trick4 ,a glance through any catalogue of tricks will surely enable you to concoct a very fair trick on these lines4 ,the ,aquarius ,tube ,now1 here is a trick of a different kind1 one which is quite complete in itself4 ,the inventor is unknown to me and ,i have not been able to discover his name4 ,in common with some other conjurers ,i have always been under the impression that ,mr4 ,claude ,chandler invented this trick1 but he tells me that he is not the inventor and he does not know by whom the trick was originated4 ,the effect is quite simple and not difficult to obtain4 ,the conjurer comes forward with a small piece of brown paper in his left hand4 ,he shows both sides of it1 rolls it into a tube and pours water into the tube4 ,to the surprise of the audience the water remains in the tube4 ,the conjurer puts two fingers into the lower end of the tube and draws out a quantity of coloured paper ribbons1 perfectly dry2 when all the ribbons are on the table there is quite a little mound of them4 ,the conjurer afterwards unrolls the paper and throws it on one side1 showing that it is not prepared in any way for the trick4 ,that is the trick known as the ,aquarius tube1 but most conjurers would naturally wish to extend it by producing flags from the paper ribbons1 and this would not be a difficult matter4 ,in order to do this trick a small metal tube1 closed at both ends1 with a hole in one end is required4 ,the tube is about the height of a pony glass1 with a slightly smaller diameter4 ,when the trick was first invented the tube was made in the form of an unspillable ink-well4 7,see illustration ,a47 ,thus1 when the water was poured in 7in a way which ,i will describe presently7 there was no risk that the water would run out even if the tube was inverted4 ,the tube in that form was safe1 but a little too safe1 because of the difficulty of emptying it after a performance2 it had to be shaken vigorously to clear it of water4 ,mr4 ,harry ,leat1 therefore1 improved the tube4 7,see illustration ,b47 ,it will be seen that in the improved tube there is a short length of a very small tube attached to the hole in the top of the tube1 and in order to facilitate the task of emptying the tube there is a hole at the other end2 this hole is closed during the performance of the trick by an india-rubber plug4 ,it will be noticed that in both tubes the base is not flush with the lower edge1 but is fastened about half an inch from the edge4 ,thus1 there is space at the bottom of the tube for a small coil of paper ribbons4 7,the rubber plug comes in the centre of the coil47 ,illustration3 ,sections of ,water ,fakes ,type ,b ,paper coil ,type ,a ,external appearance ,fig4 #ae ,if a small quantity of water is poured into this tube it can be inverted without any fear of the water running out1 but1 of course1 if too much water is used and the tube is turned upside down a small quantity of water is bound to escape4 ,for myself1 ,i see no object in turning the tube upside down4 ,after the conjurer has made a tube of paper and has poured water into it and has shown that the water does not run out from the other end1 ,i do not see that he gains anything by turning the tube upside down4 7,it will be understood1 of course1 that the metal tube is secretly introduced into the paper tube4 ,i am coming to that47 ,having poured the water into the tube the conjurer makes one or two mystic passes over it and then pulls out the paper ribbons2 directly these have been well started they will uncoil and fall from the tube in a heap on the table4 ,how does the conjurer manage to get rid of the fake containing the water8 ,by camouflage4 ,the fake tube is painted to match the ribbons4 ,when the ribbons have been produced the conjurer holds up a handful near the end of the tube and calls attention to their colours4 ,he then lets the tube slide down out of the paper tube behind the ribbons and puts the lot on the table again4 ,the fake1 being the same colour as the ribbons1 is not noticed4 ,if the conjurer has two or three handkerchiefs on the table to act as a pad he can let the tube fall down on the table1 but he must bring the end of the paper tube as near to the table as possible when the metal fake is to fall1 otherwise there will be an audible thud4 ,the fake is introduced into the paper tube in a very simple manner4 ,the piece of brown paper should be about fifteen inches square4 ,the conjurer holds this in his left hand with his fingers behind the paper and thumb in front of it4 ,unknown to the audience the conjurer is holding the fake behind the paper4 ,in order to show both sides of the paper the conjurer brings up the free end with his right hand until it reaches the left thumb1 which then takes it4 ,at the same time he releases the end which he has been holding with his left thumb and that end naturally falls down4 ,the audience have seen both sides of the paper1 but the fake is still behind the paper in the left hand4 ,this move is quite a natural one1 and is very easy2 if the conjurer will try it in front of a mirror he will see that it is also deceptive4 ,the conjurer1 using both hands1 now rolls the paper round the tube and finally holds the tube near the lower end in his left hand2 it is as well to extend the little finger under the paper tube to prevent the fake from falling4 ,the water should be poured into the paper tube in a thin stream4 ,the quantity of water required must be ascertained by experiment4 ,the conjurer then makes a few mystic passes below and over the tube with his right hand1 puts two fingers into the lower end of the tube and starts the ribbons2 they will fall at once into a heap on the table4 ,i should mention that before loading the fake with the coil the outer ribbon on the coil should be torn2 if it is not the end of the falling ribbons will be a ring of paper1 which will look suspicious4 ,the centre end of the coil should also be pulled out half an inch1 so that the conjurer does not have to fumble to get hold of it4 ,if the conjurer wishes to produce flags at the end of the experiment he can have them in a bundle in a well in the table1 and then all he has to do is to pick up some of the ribbons with his left hand1 at the same time getting his thumb into a wire loop round the bundle4 ,then he breaks the thread tied round the bundle and carries on to the end of the trick4 ,links ,in this trick the conjurer fills a tumbler or goblet with water and drops in a number of links from a chain4 7,a small brass curtain chain which has been pulled to pieces answers well for the trick47 ,the conjurer fishes into the tumbler with a long buttonhook and gets hold of one of the links2 all the others come with it1 because the links are joined together4 ,here we make use of what is known as a mirror glass4 ,a thick cut-glass tumbler is divided in the centre by two pieces of looking-glass cemented together4 ,the glass is held in the left hand with one side of the mirror facing the audience2 hidden in the compartment behind the mirror is a short length of chain4 ,having filled the glass with water the conjurer puts it down on the table for a moment while he draws attention to the separate links4 ,he picks up the mirror-glass with his left hand and drops in all the separate links into the front compartment of the glass4 7,the water helps to disguise the presence of the mirror in the glass47 ,then the conjurer brings his right hand over to the glass1 takes it in that hand and immediately brings his hand right round to his right4 ,thus he has turned the glass round without having apparently done anything out of the ordinary2 the audience see what they believe to be the separate links in the glass4 ,the conjurer then takes the glass with his left hand1 the fingers1 being in front of the glass1 help to hide the mirror4 ,then--well1 the rest is easy6 ,directly the chain has been taken out the conjurer should put the glass down behind some piece of apparatus on the table2 the audience cannot be permitted to gaze at it for any length of time4 ,illustration3 glass of water1 with mirror in centre and chain on one side1 then drop in separate links on other side1 but pull out chain ,,front ,mirror ,chain ,,front ,,links ,,dropped ,,in ,,chain ,,produced ,fig4 #af ,the ,milk ,cans ,you have seen the toy milk cans in a shop8 ,by having two of these faked in the way shown in the illustrations you can compose two or three little tricks4 ,i have already explained a trick in which one of the cans can be used4 ,illustration3 special can with angled partition so that when water is poured in it won't come out unless turned around ,partition ,,section ,,of ,,cans ,,empty ,,water ,fig4 #ag ,it will be seen that if water is placed in one of the cans and the can is held with the faked side downwards the can can be shown to be empty1 because the water will not run out1 but if the can is held with the faked side uppermost the water can be poured out4 ,of course1 the audience cannot be permitted to have a very close view of the interiors of the cans4 ,here is one way of using two of these cans in a trick4 ,have one loaded with water and the other empty4 ,show the audience that both are empty and put them down on the opposite sides of your table4 ,pour water into the can which really is empty and command it to pass to the other can4 ,you can then make the water travel invisibly back to the first can4 ,in the course of your patter you will probably not miss the chance of talking about the milk cans and the other liquid which is sometimes supposed to be put into milk--an old joke1 but one which audiences almost seem to expect4 ,water from ,waste ,paper ,for this trick you require two large aluminium drinking cups just alike4 ,one of them is filled with water and is then closed with an india-rubber cap 7procurable at any conjuring shop74 ,gummed on to this cap are little bits of newspaper4 ,the cup is then hidden in a box of pieces of newspaper4 ,come forward with the empty cup in your hands and fill it with the paper by dipping it into the box4 ,add a handful of paper with the left hand and then tip the lot back into the box4 ,repeat the movements4 ,at the third attempt leave the empty cup hidden in the box of waste paper and get hold of the cup filled with water4 ,add a little more paper to the top of this cup with the left hand and then remove one or two pieces2 this helps to convince the audience that the cup is really filled with loose bits of paper4 ,close the lid of the box and stand the cup on it4 ,cover the cup with a small thick silk handkerchief4 ,in removing the handkerchief you can easily nip off the rubber cover with the thumb1 and you leave it hidden in the handkerchief while you pour the water out of the cup4 ,by having two boxes--or one larger one--the trick can be repeated1 but it would not be advisable to produce water from both cups4 ,let the second production be a surprise4 ,if you are performing to children you can have no better production than sweets1 which1 of course1 you give away4 ,this trick is also performed with specially prepared cups with lids4 ,the cups in the boxes are closed with other lids 7flush with the top71 and thus when they are brought up out of the boxes some loose paper is on the top of each of the secret lids and the cups appear to be full of paper4 ,the visible lid is then put on to each cup1 and when these lids are removed they bring away with them the secret lids and the little paper which was on the top of them4 ,then the real contents of the cups are produced4 ,cotton ,wool to ,water ,for this trick ,i use an old piece of apparatus known to conjurers as the coffee vase1 and ,i mention it here because my method of using it differs from that usually employed4 ,the vase is a tall1 straight one on a foot2 it is usually made of polished tin4 ,there is a separate metal lining to this vase2 this lining is of the shape shown in the illustration4 ,it will be seen that the bottom of the lining does not come down to the bottom of the vase1 and that the outside part of the lining goes over the outside of the vase and extends to the whole length of the vase4 ,therefore1 it is impossible to tell1 from looking at the outside of the vase1 whether the lining is inside or whether the vase is what you say it is--an empty vase4 ,illustration3 ,,cover ,,vase ,,fake ,fig4 #ah ,there is also a cardboard cover which fits over the vase1 a little metal cup1 acting as a lid1 which fits loosely into the top of the lining1 and a lid with a knob for a handle which fits closely into this secret cup or lid4 ,the secret lid has a little cotton wool placed on it4 ,this is the usual way of working the trick4 ,the lining1 with its secret lid on the top of it1 is placed inside the cover and stood upon the table4 ,the conjurer shows the vase1 and as at the moment it is free from preparation he can rattle his wand inside it and show that it is really empty4 ,he then fills it with cotton wool1 taking care to put in the wool in little pieces and not pressing it down4 ,he then explains--and ,i ask you to remember that this is not my way of presenting the trick--that the original way of doing the trick was by covering the vase with a cardboard cylinder4 ,he puts on the cover and so gets the lining into the vase4 ,the lining1 of course1 has been previously filled with coffee1 or milk1 or water1 or some other liquid2 the bottom of the lining presses down the cotton wool in the vase into a very small compass4 ,now1 when the conjurer removes the cover the audience see the pieces of cotton wool at the top of the secret lid on the lining1 and apparently no change has been made4 ,the conjurer goes on to explain that the modern method of doing the trick consists in merely putting this little lid on the cotton wool4 7,cotton wool1 is easily compressible1 and there is sufficient space between the bottom of the lining and the bottom of the vase for all the cotton wool which was placed loosely in the vase47 ,naturally1 when the conjurer takes off the lid he brings away inside it the secret lid and the little pieces of cotton wool which were on that lid1 and he can pour out any liquid which was in the lining to the vase4 ,every trick has its weak point1 and it seems to me that the weak point of that version of the trick is found by the audience when they realise that they are not permitted to see that the cover is empty before it is placed over the vase4 ,i admit that the appearance of the vase is not altered in any way after the cover has been removed4 ,the exterior is just the same and the audience see the little pile of cotton wool at the top4 ,still1 ,i have never liked that method4 ,i dispense with the secret lid or cup to the lining and1 therefore1 with the visible lid to it4 ,at the commencement of the trick ,i have the inner lining1 nearly filled with water1 in the vase1 and the cover empty4 ,i begin by showing that the cover really is empty1 and to show that it fits over the vase ,i drop it over the vase and lift it off again4 ,i replace the cover and then1 as a kind of afterthought1 say3 ,i never showed you the vase2 of course1 there is nothing in that4 ,this time1 when taking off the cover ,i take off the inner lining by pinching the cover tightly and leave it for a moment hidden in the cover4 ,then ,i fill the vase with cotton wool and put on the cover4 ,the audience have seen the cover empty and they have seen the empty vase filled with cotton wool4 ,of course1 when ,i take off the cover ,i can at once pour out the water4 ,it is advisable to have the cover made of tin4 ,when you are putting a cardboard cover with the metal lining inside it over the vase it is not an easy matter to prevent the lining from knocking against the top of the vase1 and if you are performing at close quarters the audience may hear the chink of metal against metal4 ,you get over that difficulty by having the cover made of tin4 ,if you want to raise a laugh easily at the close of this trick you can pretend to overhear someone say that the water is not real water4 ,you at once pour some into a cup and throw it--apparently--over the heads of the audience1 but instead of a shower of water they get a shower of confetti4 ,illustration3 ,partition special cup with partition1 holding confetti on one side4 water is poured in other side but drains through hole into hollow saucer ,confetti ,hole in cup ,water ,hole in ,saucer ,hollow ,saucer ,fig4 #ai ,this is managed by means of a confetti cup1 which is a metal teacup on a saucer4 ,the cup is divided by a partition in the centre and the front compartment is filled with confetti4 ,there is a hole in the bottom of the other compartment and it is there that you pour the water4 ,where does the water go to8 ,into the saucer1 which is somewhat suspiciously thick4 ,there is a hole in the centre of the saucer and the hole in the bottom of the cup goes exactly over the hole in the saucer4 ,thus1 when the water is poured into the cup it finds its way directly into the saucer and the cup can at once be lifted up4 ,the trick is more suitable for a stage than for a drawing-room2 even a little confetti makes a big litter in a room4 ,still1 some good-natured hostesses1 if asked if they would have any objection to a litter of confetti in a room1 would be sure to reply3 ,not the slightest1 do what you like as long as you amuse the children4 ,silk from ,water ,most conjurers like to conclude a performance with a showy trick1 one in which they can produce a quantity of ribbons and flags1 finishing up with the production of a ,union ,jack--the bigger the better4 ,illustration3 two cylinders1 each with water in one portion and hidden flags in other ,hinged ,flap ,rubber ,cover ,,water ,,flags ,,etc ,,flags ,,etc ,,water ,,type ,a4 ,,type ,b4 ,fig4 #bj ,here is a trick of that kind4 ,the conjurer begins by showing a large metal cylinder closed at one end4 ,he rattles his wand inside it and then holds it with its end facing the audience4 ,but he does not hold it perfectly still4 ,if he is performing in a room with the front rows of his audience close to him the utmost he can do--in the way of showing the interior of the cylinder--is to point it to the audience on his right and then bring it round with a quick sweep to the audience on his left4 ,it is as well to have an assistant for this trick1 but the assistant must be in the know--the conjurer's very own assistant1 because he--or1 better still1 she--is asked to hold the cylinder with both hands while the conjurer fills it with water1 and the conjurer cannot allow a member of the audience to undertake that task4 ,the water should be poured in from a height1 so that the audience can see that real water is used1 and that it really does go into the cylinder4 ,the conjurer puts the jug down and peeps into the cylinder as though he were expecting something to happen4 ,of course1 the trick could be brought to a conclusion at once1 but you may well pause here for a moment--just to work up the excitement4 ,you dip your hand into the cylinder and take it out dripping with water4 ,just wet water1 you say1 very wet4 ,dip your hand in again4 ,still wet4 ,repeat the action1 but this time you remark that here is something which is quite dry1 and you take out an ,american flag4 ,the little joke may1 or may not be1 discovered by the audience1 but probably some of the older members will see it4 ,you then continue to produce a quantity of flags and finally finish up with the ,union ,jack1 which1 of course1 must be larger than any of the other flags you have produced4 ,but the trick is not yet over1 because as you produce the last flag your assistant1 knowing what to do1 pours out the water from the cylinder4 ,this effect is produced in a simple manner4 ,the cylinder is divided down the centre into two compartments4 ,the top of the partition does not come up to the top of the cylinder because one compartment1 filled with flags before the commencement of the trick1 is closed with a little semi-circular lid1 and as this lid has to be opened before the flags can be produced it follows that if it were level with the top of the cylinder it would be seen4 ,the whole of the interior is painted a dull black4 ,care must be taken in pouring the water into the cylinder2 if it is poured on to the top of the lid there will be a visible splash above the top of the cylinder1 which would give the trick away4 ,your assistant1 having rehearsed the trick with you1 knows just what you are going to do1 and1 therefore1 when you dip your hand into the cylinder for the third time to get at the first flag she tilts the cylinder slightly towards you and holds it in such a way that you can lift the lid quickly4 ,another cylinder for producing the same effect has the secret compartment in the centre4 ,the compartment is a round tube closed at the mouth with an india-rubber cap4 ,this cylinder usually has a foot to it1 and this makes it more convenient for the assistant to hold4 ,besides1 knowing that the secret compartment is in the centre the conjurer does not have to be over careful as to the way in which he pours in the water2 as long as the spout of the jug is near the edge of the cylinder he knows that he is safe4 ,i used one of these cylinders at ,st4 ,george's ,hall some years ago4 ,it is advisable to produce a flag in the first place1 because you are then able to get away with the india-rubber cover behind it2 the cover can easily be pulled away and hidden afterwards as you put the flag down4 ,it is a good plan1 after the production of the first flag1 to take out a number of compressible things4 ,if you are performing to children they will like nothing better than two or three bundles of carrots4 ,these imitation carrots are made with springs inside them1 and they can be packed in a very small compass4 ,imitation flowers1 sausages1 balls and other things are also made in such a way that they can be packed in a very small space1 but when they are produced they expand to the usual size4 ,if you adopt this plan you apparently take out of the tube far more than could possibly be put into it4 ,these things can be followed with a few throw-outs1 as they are called--little coils of bright tissue paper ribbons2 the conjurer gets hold of the end and throws the coil away from him when the ribbons spread out1 making a good display4 ,after these can come a large number of silk handkerchiefs of bright colours1 and finally the flags4 ,care should be taken in displaying all these things after they are produced4 ,you lose half the effect of the trick if you merely dump them down in an untidy heap4 ,one flag can be hung on the assistant's arm1 another over a chair1 and another in front of the table1 and so on1 the object being to leave the audience with some kind of a spectacle4 ,the one drawback to this very easy1 but very effective trick is the anti-climax produced by the water being poured out of the vase at the end of the trick4 ,you really want the end of the trick to be the production of the big ,union ,jack1 and yet if you do not have the water poured out you lose some of the effect of the trick4 ,you can get over this difficulty by producing the ,union ,jack in another way1 and this will give you a little more room in the vase for other flags4 ,let the last of these be a ,union ,jack of the same size as the others and drape it with the others over the back of a chair4 ,then have the water poured out of the vase and the audience will think that you have come to the conclusion of the trick and will begin to applaud--or it is to be hoped they will6 ,then take several of the flags from the back of the chair and produce a large ,union ,jack on a flagstaff2 this makes an excellent finish to the trick4 ,the flagstaff is a telescopic one2 the flag is pleated and rolled up1 and the staff is concealed in a little bag hung behind the chair over which you drape the flags4 ,to cause the staff to open1 grasp the handle tightly and shoot it out with its point towards the floor for a moment2 this is a very important point1 because if you are performing in a room you may1 in the excitement of the moment1 do someone a serious injury if you merely shoot out the flag towards the audience4 ,the flagstaff should be of the kind known as self-locking2 that is to say1 when every joint is out the staff can immediately be raised to a vertical position without any fear that the staff will collapse2 it will remain rigid until you wish to close it4 ,wave the flag1 allowing the other flags to fall from your hands to the floor1 and if you do not finish your performance to loud applause the fault will not be yours4 ,,gamages ,conjuring ,tricks for the ,discerning ,magician 99 99 99 99 99 ,send for our ,complete ,conjuring ,catalogue1 beautifully illustrated1 post free on application4 ,multiplying ,plate4 ,illustration ,a number of coins are counted upon the plate by one of the audience and poured into an empty hat1 where they most mysteriously multiply4 ,this plate is the best and cheapest on the market4 ,complete with full instructions4 ,larger size1 #b_/-1 post #d;d42 smaller size1 #a_/c1 post #c;d4 ,vest ,pocket ,wine and ,water ,problem4 ,a glass jug of water and four tumblers are used4 ,upon pouring water into the first glass1 it remains perfectly clear1 but upon pouring water into the second tumbler1 it immediately changes to a rich wine colour1 and so on until you have two glasses of wine and two of water4 ,the contents of the first and second glasses when mixed produce all wine1 while the second and third mixed1 produce clear water4 ,finally1 on all the liquor being returned to the jug1 the result is clear water4 ,the contents of the glasses may be tested without injury4 ,price #a_/b1 post #b;d42 large size1 price #b_/-4 ,the ,mysterious ,hammer1 ,box1 ,ball4 ,illustration ,complete with full instructions4 ,price #b_/i1 post #c;d4 ,the hammer is first given for examination and then the box with the ball in it4 ,the box is then closed1 being empty1 and the ball by a magic pass is caused to appear in it4 ,the performer now takes the hammer1 and holding his left hand under the table1 knocks on the top of the ball1 which passes right through the table into the hand underneath it1 and it may all be again examined4 ,the ,magic ,drawer ,box4 ,this wonderful ,drawer ,box will produce or vanish borrowed articles at command of performer4 ,easy to manipulate4 ,complete with full instructions4 ,price #a_/f1 post #c;d42 larger sizes1 #b_/f1 #c_/f1 #d_/f1 #f_/f1 post #d;d4 ,the ,mysterious ,coin ,trick4 ,coin produced and vanished as often as desired2 simply wonderful1 no skill required1 anyone can do it4 ,price #f;d41 post #b;d4 ,gamage ,cabinet of ,card ,tricks4 ,contains a number of first-class card tricks1 the same as performed by our famous professional magicians4 ,we wish to point out that it is absolutely impossible to obtain a more complete and surprising set of up-to-date card tricks at the price4 ,complete with full instructions and apparatus4 ,price #bd_/f2 large size1 #ce_/-4 ,the ,tambourine4 ,illustration ,you pass round for examination two nickel-silver hoops and a sheet of white paper4 ,you then place the paper between the hoops4 ,now1 holding the impromptu ,tambourine at arm's length you make a hole in the middle with the forefinger1 and from this hole you pull over sixty yards of paper ribbon and again give the ,tambourine to the company to find out the trick if they can4 ,complete with full instructions4 ,price #d_/i1 post #d;d42 large size1 #f_/f1 post #d;d4 ,diminishing ,billiard ,ball4 ,the performer shows a full-sized billiard ball1 but wishing for a smaller one1 passes his hand over it1 when it is seen half the size2 he passes his hand over again1 when it is seen much smaller4 ,the ball having been proved solid1 is now invisibly passed away4 ,price1 with full instructions1 #b_/f1 post #c;d4 ,the ,havit ,coin ,trick4 ,illustration ,three pennies1 after being covered with an empty and unprepared brass cap1 change into two pennies4 ,a profitable trick4 ,no practice required4 ,price #a_/c1 post #b;d4 ,the ,celebrated ,hindoo ,sand ,trick4 ,a quantity of sand is placed in water and stirred up1 but when those in the secret take a handful out it is found perfectly dry4 ,price #fa_/b;d4 per box1 post #b;d4 ,the ,magician ,monthly4 ,all about magic1 of interest to the ,man who is a ,conjurer1 and the ,man who would like to be4 ,specimen ,copy1 post free1 #ga_/b;d4 ,annual ,subscription1 #f_/f4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,gamages1 ,,holborn1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 #a ,,amusement ,,for ,,the ,,home4 ,price #a_/f net each4 99 99 99 99 99 ,fun on the ,billiard ,table4 ,a ,collection of #ge ,amusing ,tricks and ,games with ,photographs and ,diagrams4 ,by ,,stancliffe4 ,second ,edition4 ,stiff ,pictorial ,wrapper4 ,to say that no billiard room should be without this joyous and ingenious little volume is nothing2 there is no player1 amateur or professional1 who would not get his money's worth out of it4--,sportsman4 ,practice ,strokes at ,billiards4 ,for ,tables of all sizes4 ,examples from the actual match play of ,roberts1 ,dawson1 ,stevenson1 ,mitchell1 ,spiller1 ,peall1 and other leading ,professional ,players1 with their methods of scoring therefrom4 ,with #aaj ,diagrams illustrating the various strokes4 ,new and ,enlarged ,edition4 ,in ,stiff ,pictorial ,wrapper4 ,anyone possessing a billiard table1 or having the necessary 'oof' to pay for private practice1 can soon astonish his friends and erstwhile conquering opponents by studying this book4--,sporting ,times4 ,plays and ,displays for ,boy ,scouts4 ,in ,stiff ,boards4 ,this volume contains six long plays1 varying from thirty to sixty minutes in performance1 also several shorter plays occupying from five to fifteen minutes1 and a number of recitations suitable for ,scout ,entertainments4 ,instructions on ,how to ,run a ,scout ,entertainment1 ,the ,art of ,making-up by ,willie ,clarkson1 and ,how to make ,scenery are also included4 ,,uniform ,,with ,,above4 ,plays and ,displays for ,scout ,entertainments4 ,second ,series4 ,a new collection of ,,plays1 ,,recitations1 and other items for ,,boy ,,scouts4 ,how and ,what to ,dance4 ,by ,,geoffrey ,d',,egville4 ,the contents include3--,the ,etiquette of the ,ball-room--,organizing a ,dance4 ,round ,dances3 ,the ,waltz1 ,hesitation ,waltz and ,boston--,polka--,gallop--,two ,step1 ,one ,step--,the ,fox ,trot--,the ,jazz ,step--,tango--,maxina--,valeta--,barn ,dance--,canadian ,three ,step--,schottische--,highland ,schottische4 ,square ,dances3 ,lancers--,quadrilles--,waltz ,cotillion--,caledonians--,parisian ,quadrille--,alberts4 ,country ,dances4 ,morris ,dancing4 ,maypole ,dancing4 ,etc4 99 99 99 99 99 ,price #b_/- ,each net4 ,indoor ,games for ,children and ,young ,people4 ,edited by ,e4 ,m4 ,,baker4 ,in ,stiff ,pictorial ,paper ,boards4 ,the contents include3--,indoor ,games for a ,wet ,day--,games that can be played alone--,sunday ,games--,games for ,christmas and ,birthday ,parties--,home ,stage ,entertainments--,guessing ,games--,table ,games--,writing and ,letter ,games--,round or ,parlour ,games--,artistic ,productions--,home ,theatricals--,tableaux ,vivants--,the ,art ,exhibition--,forfeits1 etc4 ,conjuring with ,coins4 ,including ,tricks by ,,nelson ,,downs and other well-known ,conjurers4 ,edited by ,,nathan ,,dean4 ,a splendid collection of ,simple ,tricks and many more advanced requiring apparatus4 ,simple ,conjuring ,tricks that ,anybody can ,perform4 ,by ,,will ,,goldston4 ,second ,edition4 ,a splendid collection of ,tricks with and without ,apparatus1 within the scope of the beginner who wishes to amuse his friends at evening parties1 etc4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the above ,volumes may be had from all ,booksellers and ,railway ,bookstalls1 or post free for #as4 #i;d4 or #b_/d each1 from ,c4 ,,arthur ,,pearson1 ,ltd41 #ag ,henrietta ,st41 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 #b4 ,,amusement ,,for ,,the ,,home4 ,,in ,,stiff ,,pictorial ,,wrappers ,price #b_/- net each4 99 99 99 99 99 ,card ,tricks ,without ,sleight of ,hand or ,apparatus4 ,by ,l4 ,,widdop4 ,a ,volume which will give the ,amateur or ,semi-,professional1 who does not wish to spend a great deal of time in practice1 material for entertaining performances4 ,card ,tricks presented in new forms and with up-to-date patter4 ,the ,drawing ,room ,entertainer4 ,a ,practical ,guide to the ,art of ,amateur and ,semi-,professional ,entertaining4 ,by ,,cecil ,h4 ,,bullivant4 ,the ,contents include3--,ventriloquism--,conjuring--,p opular ,entertainments--,the ,drawing ,room ,comedian--,the ,sketch ,artist--,a ,shadow ,show--,variety ,programmes--,method and ,management--,how ,best to ,secure ,engagements4 ,recitations for ,children4 ,by ,,jene ,,belfrage4 ,second ,edition ,a charming ,collection of ,poems 7chiefly copyright7 specially selected as being suitable for ,young ,people1 with instructions for ,reciting4 ,plays for ,amateur ,actors4 ,containing ,eleven ,original ,humorous ,plays4 ,with ,hints for ,amateur ,theatricals4 ,heard this ,one8 ,the ,newest ,funny ,stories collected and told by ,,charles ,,vivian1 ,editor of ,the ,novel ,magazine4 ,card ,games4 ,by ,,peter ,,alston4 ,including ,bridge1 ,whist1 ,cribbage1 and all the various games played to-day4 ,magic ,made ,easy4 ,by ,,david ,,devant4 ,a ,new ,edition4 ,a splendid collection of ,conjuring ,tricks by one of our leading magicians4 ,matchstick ,magic4 ,puzzles1 ,games1 and ,conjuring ,tricks with ,matches4 ,by ,,will ,,blyth1 ,m4,i4,m4,c4 ,with a foreword by ,,david ,,devant4 ,ventriloquism ,by ,harold ,c4 ,king2 and ,juggling ,by ,john ,e4 ,t4 ,clark4 ,two subjects of interest to the ,amateur and ,semi-,professional ,entertainer contained in one volume4 ,both are dealt with in a lucid and interesting way4 ,handkerchief ,magic4 ,by ,,will ,,blyth1 ,author of ,paper ,magic1 ,matchstick ,magic1 c4 ,tricks and ,amusement with a ,pocket ,handkerchief1 with a foreword by ,,clive ,,maskelyne4 ,irish ,reciter and ,reader4 ,contains ,selections from all the best writers of ,ireland1 including--,william ,alexander1 ,d4,d4 7,primate of ,ireland71 ,katherine ,tynan ,hinkson1 ,dora ,sigerson ,shorter1 ,alfred ,percival ,graves1 ,w4 ,h4 ,yeats1 ,douglas ,hyde1 ,lady ,wilde1 ,mr4 ,dooley1 ,lady ,dufferin1 ,laurence ,sterne1 ,samuel ,lover1 and many others4 ,hand ,shadows4 ,the ,complete ,art of ,shadowgraphy4 ,by ,,louis ,,nikola4 ,in ,stiff ,pictorial ,wrapper1 with numerous illustrations showing how the ,shadows are produced4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these ,handbooks may be obtained through your ,bookseller1 or will be forwarded post free on receipt of #bs4 #d;d4 from ,c4 ,,arthur ,,pearson1 ,ltd41 #ag ,henrietta ,street1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 #b4