The main purpose of this bit of magic is to create amusement. Of course, all magic is designed, or should be designed, to amuse audiences but this trick, although mystifying, puts more stress on comedy. The amount of comedy which a magician is able to get from the trick depends upon his acting ability. Things seemingly go wrong and it is up to the performer to convince his audience that those things actually have gone wrong.
The effect of the trick is that the magician walks over to a table as be shuffles a pack of cards. I have used this trick only in night club shows. He puts the cards on the table and asks a gentleman to choose one card. The choice actually is free. The magician patters and the card is shuffled into the pack by the gentleman after be has autographed the face of the card.
The magician asks that the man choose a number and count down to that number. He does so but contrary to the magician's promise the card is not found. The gentleman is asked to count off more cards from the pack until the number is reached again. Still the card is not found. He is asked to count a third time but still the card is missing.
The magician gives up and goes into the next trick in which be brings from his pocket a banana. He peels the banana half way down and bites off a piece and eats it. When he bites off the second piece a folded card is exposed. It is taken out of the banana, unfolded, and shown to be the signed card. That is the way the audiences remember the trick--but there is a little more to it.
Once the card is in the hand of the magician, it is easy to get it in the banana. All that he has to do is to bold the card in the ordinary palming position and close his hand as this will fold the card in half. If the card is given a quarter turn on the palm and the hand closed again, the card will have been folded in quarters.
Before the show the banana has been prepared by cutting through the skin (along one of the "seams") a slit a little longer than half the length of the card. As a banana is very soft it will be found both quick and easy to push the card into the banana. The slit should be made starting at the center of the fruit and cutting up toward the end. How does the magician get his hands on the card without touching the pack? This, too, depends upon his acting ability to make convincing, for he does not touch the cards once be has given the pack to have the card selected.
There is a special card used in the trick. This card is made special by being split in two and glued together after a safety razor blade (or similarly sized piece of thin steel or iron) has been placed in the middle of one side. When this card has been made it looks like an ordinary card but has a core of steel. Glued inside the card case, and at the lower end, is a magnet.
The reason for having the magnet at the lower end of the case is that the deck may be put half way into the case--I am, of course, assuming that a case is used which opens at one end. If the case is put on top of the card with the metal insides, even though there be an ordinary card above this prepared card, the cards will stick to the case when it is picked up again.
This is the basis for the trick. This is the routine and the patter for the trick. "Sir," (laying the pack on the table) "will you be kind enough to take any card in the pack? Please don't take the top or bottom card for there is a possibility that I might have learned which cards those are. Would you mind writing your name on the face of the card." (Here I hand him one of those giant fountain pens.) "Will you, sir, kindly hold the card up so that others may see it. Now just drop the card face down on top of the deck."
Time should be taken at this point in the explanation to mention that when the magician was walking over to the table, seemingly shuffling the cards, actually he was so shuffling that the card with the hidden piece of metal was kept on top of the pack. We have now reached the point in the trick where the freely chosen and marked card is on top of the card with the metal core. "Funny thing about cards you can always draw the Queens if you have the Jack."
On the laugh, the magician drops the case directly on top of the pack. He had taken the case out of the pocket where he had put it when the cards were first introduced as the gentleman had been signing the card. "Now, sir, will you shuffle the pack please. I won't touch it." The case is picked up by the magician and replaced in his pocket.
With the case and into the pocket goes the card with the metal core and the selected and signed card. During the time the man shuffles the deck and later on hopelessly hunts for his card the magician has plenty of time to slide the card away from the magnet, to fold it, and put it in the banana. "We're going to count down in the pack to a number thought of by you.
Think of any number at all--from one to fifty-two. Remember, sir, you are going to do the counting, so don't make it too hard on yourself. Pardon me what was the number?--And the card thought of? All right count down to number ten--Remember I haven't touched the cards--and hand me the Four of Spades. (I am using that card and that number merely as examples.) Oh it isn't that card? What number did you think of, sir? Let's start over again--count ten more cards."
(Here the magician begins counting with him.) Hand me the Four of Spades. Wrong again? Well start counting again." (Then as an aside)--"Last night it took me two hours to do it--last week I couldn't do the trick at all. "Try it once more--count ten cards and hand me..." Here the magician walks around so that he can look over the shoulder of the gentleman and as the wrong card comes up again he shows by his expression that it is not the right card.
He reaches over and picks up all the cards from the table and throws them over his shoulder. "Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, the next trick is a little trick using an orange." He takes a banana out of his pocket. "Would you care to join me, sir?" Another banana is taken from the pocket and handed to the man who had just helped with the cards. Still another banana is silently handed to a second person.
The magician peels the banana half way and starts eating it to the point where the folded card is half exposed. He curiously looks at the card in the banana, takes it out, and unfolds it. "Ah, the missing Four of Spades. Your card, sir? And your signature-- known only to you and to God."
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
PRODUCTION OF TWO PIGEONS
By this method a magician can produce two pigeons, or but one, or if he would rather he can produce a small rabbit or a bundle of silk handkerchiefs. The effect is that the magician shows a large silk handkerchief. It is perhaps best that it be folded when first introduced. He shakes it out and spreads it between his two bands as be holds opposite corners. He shows both sides of the silk and one after another he picks up each corner and puts them into his right hand. When all four corners are held together the handkerchief hangs down in the form of a bag.
The magician then reaches into this bag and brings forth his pigeons one at a time. The production is made in just the same manner if the magician is using either a rabbit or handkerchiefs. With the rabbit, of course, but one production is made. The load is kept in a specially made bag to which there is a wire handle.
Perhaps it would be best to describe this bag and its construction before attempting to describe either where the bag is hidden or the sequence of the moves necessary for the production. The shape of the bag illustrated is for holding a pigeon, or made a little larger for holding two pigeons.
The bag was designed so that a pigeon could be put into the bag or taken out without, in any way, injuring the bird. Particular attention is called to the wire netting for air at the pigeon's head. The smallest size dress snaps hold the bag closed after the pigeon has been put into the bag. The handle is made of wire, doubled so as to make a loop at its outer end. The end of the handle attached to the bag has a hinge joint.
This joint is so made that when the handle is at right angles to the bag it hits a stop which keeps the handle from falling down. The joint, however, permits the handle to move up. Right at the top of the bag, and by the handle joint, is fixed a hook made of flat metal. This hook is about three-quarters of an inch wide.
There is a flat metal tube made with an opening of the size easily to take this hook. To this tube is soldered a safety pin. In order to hide the load, the safety pin on the tube is fastened to the seam of the seat of the trousers just above the crotch. The hook is put into the tube so that the handle of the bag points towards the magician's right.
Both the bag and handle are covered by the tails of the magician's dress coat. The large silk should be of quite thin material. The silk should he only heavy enough so that it is not transparent. To two corners of the silk should he sewn bone, or plastic, rings such as ladies use for drawstring bags. These are purchasable at any notions counter and are just a little larger than a finger ring.
When the handkerchief has been shaken out at the start of the trick, the magician immediately sticks the little finger of each hand through these rings. His right hand moves so that his first, second, and third fingers are behind the silk. The thumb is in front of the silk and shows to the audience as does the little finger. The bone rings are not noticed.
First the silk is shaken and then held out to show the one side. As this side is shown the magician has his arms straight down and a couple of inches in front of his legs. This is a most natural way of showing the silk because the magician draws everyone's attention to the silk by bowing his head and looking at it himself. After the silk has been shown on this side for a few seconds--the trick should not be hurried--he swings his left hand over to the right in order to show the other side.
As the swing is made the right hand moves back a few inches so that the fingers inside the silk can grasp the handle of the load. As the back of the silk is shown for the same length of time as was the front, ample opportunity is given for the magician to get a good grip of the loop of the handle. The moment the handle is grasped it is lifted enough to free the hook from the holder.
As the magician brings his left arm back so that the first side of the silk is again toward the audience, he steps to the right one step. As this step is made his hands are lifted and the handle is permitted to turn in the fingers so that it hangs perpendicularly and, because of the hinged joint, the bag hangs straight beneath the handle. The left hand drops the corner it was holding and in letting go swings the corner so that the silk wraps about the bag.
These moves have to be described in sequence, but in actual performance several are done at the same time. When properly done they so synchronize that it seems to the audience that all the magician possibly could have done was to show the back and front of the handkerchief. At this point the magician is holding the handkerchief, shoulder high, by one corner. The left hand then lifts one corner after another to the fingers of the right hand.
All the fingers are free to grasp these corners except the middle finger which goes through the loop of the handle. When all the corners are in the right hand the magician reaches in at the opening, caused by the slack of one of the sides hanging down, and quickly pulls open the snaps. He then lifts the pigeons out of the bag. Once the production is made, the handkerchief, and the concealed load bag, is put on a table or handed to an assistant.
It will be obvious that the silk from which the production is made should be of such a size that when it is gathered into a bag it still will be longer than the combined length of the load bag and handle. This production has proven to be appealing to audiences because it seems to them that the magician actually materializes the pigeons in a thin silk bag which was made before their eyes. It is a clean production and easily portable.
Because at the moment that the load is swung behind the handkerchief, and before it is wrapped in the silk, it can be seen from behind, the trick cannot be done with people all around the magician-but they may be on three sides.
The magician then reaches into this bag and brings forth his pigeons one at a time. The production is made in just the same manner if the magician is using either a rabbit or handkerchiefs. With the rabbit, of course, but one production is made. The load is kept in a specially made bag to which there is a wire handle.
Perhaps it would be best to describe this bag and its construction before attempting to describe either where the bag is hidden or the sequence of the moves necessary for the production. The shape of the bag illustrated is for holding a pigeon, or made a little larger for holding two pigeons.
The bag was designed so that a pigeon could be put into the bag or taken out without, in any way, injuring the bird. Particular attention is called to the wire netting for air at the pigeon's head. The smallest size dress snaps hold the bag closed after the pigeon has been put into the bag. The handle is made of wire, doubled so as to make a loop at its outer end. The end of the handle attached to the bag has a hinge joint.
This joint is so made that when the handle is at right angles to the bag it hits a stop which keeps the handle from falling down. The joint, however, permits the handle to move up. Right at the top of the bag, and by the handle joint, is fixed a hook made of flat metal. This hook is about three-quarters of an inch wide.
There is a flat metal tube made with an opening of the size easily to take this hook. To this tube is soldered a safety pin. In order to hide the load, the safety pin on the tube is fastened to the seam of the seat of the trousers just above the crotch. The hook is put into the tube so that the handle of the bag points towards the magician's right.
Both the bag and handle are covered by the tails of the magician's dress coat. The large silk should be of quite thin material. The silk should he only heavy enough so that it is not transparent. To two corners of the silk should he sewn bone, or plastic, rings such as ladies use for drawstring bags. These are purchasable at any notions counter and are just a little larger than a finger ring.
When the handkerchief has been shaken out at the start of the trick, the magician immediately sticks the little finger of each hand through these rings. His right hand moves so that his first, second, and third fingers are behind the silk. The thumb is in front of the silk and shows to the audience as does the little finger. The bone rings are not noticed.
First the silk is shaken and then held out to show the one side. As this side is shown the magician has his arms straight down and a couple of inches in front of his legs. This is a most natural way of showing the silk because the magician draws everyone's attention to the silk by bowing his head and looking at it himself. After the silk has been shown on this side for a few seconds--the trick should not be hurried--he swings his left hand over to the right in order to show the other side.
As the swing is made the right hand moves back a few inches so that the fingers inside the silk can grasp the handle of the load. As the back of the silk is shown for the same length of time as was the front, ample opportunity is given for the magician to get a good grip of the loop of the handle. The moment the handle is grasped it is lifted enough to free the hook from the holder.
As the magician brings his left arm back so that the first side of the silk is again toward the audience, he steps to the right one step. As this step is made his hands are lifted and the handle is permitted to turn in the fingers so that it hangs perpendicularly and, because of the hinged joint, the bag hangs straight beneath the handle. The left hand drops the corner it was holding and in letting go swings the corner so that the silk wraps about the bag.
These moves have to be described in sequence, but in actual performance several are done at the same time. When properly done they so synchronize that it seems to the audience that all the magician possibly could have done was to show the back and front of the handkerchief. At this point the magician is holding the handkerchief, shoulder high, by one corner. The left hand then lifts one corner after another to the fingers of the right hand.
All the fingers are free to grasp these corners except the middle finger which goes through the loop of the handle. When all the corners are in the right hand the magician reaches in at the opening, caused by the slack of one of the sides hanging down, and quickly pulls open the snaps. He then lifts the pigeons out of the bag. Once the production is made, the handkerchief, and the concealed load bag, is put on a table or handed to an assistant.
It will be obvious that the silk from which the production is made should be of such a size that when it is gathered into a bag it still will be longer than the combined length of the load bag and handle. This production has proven to be appealing to audiences because it seems to them that the magician actually materializes the pigeons in a thin silk bag which was made before their eyes. It is a clean production and easily portable.
Because at the moment that the load is swung behind the handkerchief, and before it is wrapped in the silk, it can be seen from behind, the trick cannot be done with people all around the magician-but they may be on three sides.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
FISHBOWL PRODUCTION
For a number of years this fishbowl Production was used as the openingeffect in my stage shows. It is quick and very astonishing because a verylarge howl is used and the production is made on an undraped table sofar down stage that it is almost against the footlights. The trick iscompletely mystifying to the lay audience and to magicians as well.
Although I believe that it is wrong to design shows to fool othermagicians, it is rather satisfying to find a trick which they don't catchand which at the same time is liked by the general public.
This is the effect of the trick to the audience. The curtain goes up andtwo assistants are standing on the stage. Both are wearing red uniformswith capes lined with gold. The capes are thrown back so that the liningsshow. One assistant is a girl and one a boy. They both stand in the sameway--with the right arms behind them and with the left arms bent at theelbow so that their left hands are over their hearts. The girl has a silkcloth of heavy material over her left arm. The girl stands a little to stageright of the center of the stage and the boy stands opposite her on stageleft.
The magician walks in rapidly and quickly pulls the cloth from thearm of the girl. He opens the cloth with a jerk and catching hold of onecorner tosses the cloth so that the boy catches it by the opposite corner.The magician, and the boy, rush down stage holding the cloth. It is heldover an undraped and empty table and jerked away by the magician. Onthe table now stands a large glass fishbowl three-quarters full of water.The cloth is tossed to the boy and the magician takes his bow.The fishbowl should be described because, while it is quite a usualdesign for fishbowls, it is not the design usually used by magicians. Itstands twelve inches high and is fourteen inches in diameter at itswidest part.
It has the usual small rimmed neck but the body of the bowlis tapered rather than being round as is probably more common adesign. This vase shaped bowl, I found, looked bigger to the audiencethan does a round bowl--of course, either looks infinitely bigger than aflat bowl. The boy assistant actually has the bowl behind his back andbrings it out with his right arm under cover of the cloth as he and themagician walk down stage. The point is that without a gimmick it isimpossible for the assistant to grip the bowl so as to hold it behind hisback and anyway it is far too heavy a bowl for him to hold merely by thestrength of his arm. The gimmick consists of two parts.
One part is awire twisted around the lip of the bowl and again twisted to make asmall wire loop at the side of the bowl. This wire when finished looks likea figure 8 with the lower loop big enough to go around the bowl and theupper loop about a half inch in diameter. The second part of thegimmick is a leather strap with a buckle.
This strap--I used a dog collar--is covered with the same red material that is used in the uniform. To this strap is fastened (and most securely) a harness hook from which the spring has been removed. This strap is fastened about the right arm of the assistant just above the biceps and so that the hook hangs down on the inside of the arm.
To get loaded the assistant bends over a tableupon which the bowl has been placed and hooks the wire loop on thebowl with the harness hook. He then stands and the bowl hangs down.He curls his arm around and his hand under the bowl and pushes thebowl behind his back. The weight of the bowl comes entirely on the strapon the arm. The only physical effort the assistant has to make is to pushthe bowl behind his back, which is very easy. The reason that the bowl isonly three-quarters filled with water is, first, because the water moreeasily may he seen than in the case of a full bowl and, second, becauseit does not make the bowl so heavy.
A bowl of this size will hold about anaverage pail of water.Under cover of the forward run with the magician, the assistant swingshis arm forward and the moment the bowl is above the table, he stoopsuntil the bowl rests on the table and the harness hook is out of the wireloop. He then steps back and stands a few feet away until the cloth istossed to him. The cloth and rubber top usual for such bowls is used,that is, sheet rubber on the inside and canvas on the outside with a roperun in the hem. The rope is made of such a size that it will fit tightly overthe lip of the bowl.
A corner is left of the cloth or an extra small loop ofrope is made so that one or other is available to catch hold of and morequickly and easily jerk off the cover. The cloth is essential, for the rubbercovers used with the smaller bowls will not hold the weight of the waterin so large a bowl.The table upon which the production is made should be quite heavy sothat it does not tip or collapse when the bowl lands on it.
I used a heavyKellar base with a five ply round board top ten inches in diameter. It isessential for the full effect of the trick that the table should be of thesimplest possible constructionIt has always seemed rather silly to me for a magician to producesomething for which he has no use and so immediately the bowl wasproduced I went into the "Winter in China" effect and used the water inthe bowl to wet the pieces of torn paper.
When that trick was over the bowl was removed by one of the assistants. But whether you wish a bowl production as a trick to lead into another or as an effect complete in itself is not the point at the moment. You will find this less bulky to carry about than the special table jobs and besides you will have a much larger production.
You will have to rehearse with your assistant but then what trick is there in which you can use an assistant without rehearsal?The main thing with this trick, or, for that matter, with any other, is the effect upon an audience. To an audience it is real magic, as years of performance have proven.
Although I believe that it is wrong to design shows to fool othermagicians, it is rather satisfying to find a trick which they don't catchand which at the same time is liked by the general public.
This is the effect of the trick to the audience. The curtain goes up andtwo assistants are standing on the stage. Both are wearing red uniformswith capes lined with gold. The capes are thrown back so that the liningsshow. One assistant is a girl and one a boy. They both stand in the sameway--with the right arms behind them and with the left arms bent at theelbow so that their left hands are over their hearts. The girl has a silkcloth of heavy material over her left arm. The girl stands a little to stageright of the center of the stage and the boy stands opposite her on stageleft.
The magician walks in rapidly and quickly pulls the cloth from thearm of the girl. He opens the cloth with a jerk and catching hold of onecorner tosses the cloth so that the boy catches it by the opposite corner.The magician, and the boy, rush down stage holding the cloth. It is heldover an undraped and empty table and jerked away by the magician. Onthe table now stands a large glass fishbowl three-quarters full of water.The cloth is tossed to the boy and the magician takes his bow.The fishbowl should be described because, while it is quite a usualdesign for fishbowls, it is not the design usually used by magicians. Itstands twelve inches high and is fourteen inches in diameter at itswidest part.
It has the usual small rimmed neck but the body of the bowlis tapered rather than being round as is probably more common adesign. This vase shaped bowl, I found, looked bigger to the audiencethan does a round bowl--of course, either looks infinitely bigger than aflat bowl. The boy assistant actually has the bowl behind his back andbrings it out with his right arm under cover of the cloth as he and themagician walk down stage. The point is that without a gimmick it isimpossible for the assistant to grip the bowl so as to hold it behind hisback and anyway it is far too heavy a bowl for him to hold merely by thestrength of his arm. The gimmick consists of two parts.
One part is awire twisted around the lip of the bowl and again twisted to make asmall wire loop at the side of the bowl. This wire when finished looks likea figure 8 with the lower loop big enough to go around the bowl and theupper loop about a half inch in diameter. The second part of thegimmick is a leather strap with a buckle.
This strap--I used a dog collar--is covered with the same red material that is used in the uniform. To this strap is fastened (and most securely) a harness hook from which the spring has been removed. This strap is fastened about the right arm of the assistant just above the biceps and so that the hook hangs down on the inside of the arm.
To get loaded the assistant bends over a tableupon which the bowl has been placed and hooks the wire loop on thebowl with the harness hook. He then stands and the bowl hangs down.He curls his arm around and his hand under the bowl and pushes thebowl behind his back. The weight of the bowl comes entirely on the strapon the arm. The only physical effort the assistant has to make is to pushthe bowl behind his back, which is very easy. The reason that the bowl isonly three-quarters filled with water is, first, because the water moreeasily may he seen than in the case of a full bowl and, second, becauseit does not make the bowl so heavy.
A bowl of this size will hold about anaverage pail of water.Under cover of the forward run with the magician, the assistant swingshis arm forward and the moment the bowl is above the table, he stoopsuntil the bowl rests on the table and the harness hook is out of the wireloop. He then steps back and stands a few feet away until the cloth istossed to him. The cloth and rubber top usual for such bowls is used,that is, sheet rubber on the inside and canvas on the outside with a roperun in the hem. The rope is made of such a size that it will fit tightly overthe lip of the bowl.
A corner is left of the cloth or an extra small loop ofrope is made so that one or other is available to catch hold of and morequickly and easily jerk off the cover. The cloth is essential, for the rubbercovers used with the smaller bowls will not hold the weight of the waterin so large a bowl.The table upon which the production is made should be quite heavy sothat it does not tip or collapse when the bowl lands on it.
I used a heavyKellar base with a five ply round board top ten inches in diameter. It isessential for the full effect of the trick that the table should be of thesimplest possible constructionIt has always seemed rather silly to me for a magician to producesomething for which he has no use and so immediately the bowl wasproduced I went into the "Winter in China" effect and used the water inthe bowl to wet the pieces of torn paper.
When that trick was over the bowl was removed by one of the assistants. But whether you wish a bowl production as a trick to lead into another or as an effect complete in itself is not the point at the moment. You will find this less bulky to carry about than the special table jobs and besides you will have a much larger production.
You will have to rehearse with your assistant but then what trick is there in which you can use an assistant without rehearsal?The main thing with this trick, or, for that matter, with any other, is the effect upon an audience. To an audience it is real magic, as years of performance have proven.
THE NEST OF BOXES
This method for performing the rings and nest of boxes is entirely original. It has saved me plenty of trouble and extra weight in my show. I have found the effect upon the audience of this method even more striking than the old method with the bottomless box and the special table, because it all seems so fair and is so free from fussing about.
The effect is the same as the old favorite. Several rings are borrowed from members of the audience and they are pounded up and pushed into a pistol. The pistol is fired at a box which has been in plain sight from the beginning of the performance. The box is tied with ribbon. It is an attractive lacquer box. The box is opened and another is found inside. That, too, is opened only to find a third box. The number of boxes in the nest may be left to the wishes of the magician.
The last box is opened and the magician reaches inside and picks up the end of a ribbon. He lifts this up and the rings are seen to be tied, one under another, to this ribbon. The ribbon is about two feet long and the rings are tied about four inches apart on the ribbon. This idea of the rings all being found tied on one ribbon is where the trick begins to be different.
The magician says to the audience that be is in a quandary for if he gives the ribbon to the first lady he also gives her the three other rings. He suddenly gets an idea and he calls for a pair of scissors. The assistant brings the scissors in a small basket. The magician takes the scissors and cuts the ribbon--about midway between the two lower rings--and the bottom ring falls into the basket.
He then cuts the ribbon twice more and lets each ring fall into the basket. He then hands the scissors to the assistant and takes the basket down to the audience so that each lender may take back her ring still tied to the little length of ribbon. It will be plain that except when the magician pounds the rings into the bullets to load the pistol, he never actually touches the rings.
That is the effect and this is the method I use. When I borrow the rings I collect them upon the end of my wand. I have four duplicates concealed at the other end of the wand by my hand. This is most natural a concealment for that hand seems merely to be holding the wand. The exchange is easily made on my way back to the stage and after I have slipped the four duplicates off the wand onto a plate, I drop the four
original rings into a small basket on my table, as I pick up a hammer which I use to pound the "rings" into bullets to fit the pistol.
As soon as the pistol is loaded the assistant has taken the originals off the stage. Once back stage, the assistant ties a short piece of ribbon--about four inches long--with a single knot on each ring. The rings and their ribbons then are placed in the side flaps of a changing basket--two rings on each side. A pair of scissors is now put in the basket and the assistant is ready to enter with the basket and scissors the moment he is called.
The nest of boxes has been in full view of the audience from the start of the performance. There is nothing at all out of the ordinary about the boxes except that I use, and suggest should be used, an exceedingly handsome set of decorated lacquer boxes. I feel that beautiful boxes add materially to the effect from the standpoint of the audience. In the innermost box is the two foot long piece of ribbon (need I mention of the same kind and color as those small pieces now hidden in the changing basket) and on this ribbon are tied four rings.
I use four good looking rings of the usual size and designs. Incidentally I overlook exceedinglylarge or odd looking rings when I originally borrow them. As soon as I take this ribbon from the box I swing it slowly back and forth. This keeps even the eagle eyed person from being certain of his identification. After the pistol has been discharged, I go over to the nest of boxes and open each in turn until I find the ribbon and the rings.
The scissors are then called for and are brought out in the basket by the assistant, which is proper. The assistant should always offer the magician on a tray or basket, whatever is called for, never with his hands. An assistant should follow the same rules as a waiter in handing anything to the magician. The scissors are taken and the ribbon cut. It is perfectly natural for the magician to hold the ribbon over the basket for otherwise the ring would drop on the floor.
The ribbon is cut again and again. Each ring goes into the basket. The scissors are then handed to the assistant and at the same time I take the basket by the handle. Taking the basket by the handle releases the flaps holding the borrowed rings and as those rings come into view, the flaps cover the duplicate set. I then step into the audience and let each person pick out her own ring.
It is unnecessary to describe the construction of the changing basket minutely for it is a stock item with the dealers. It is a tricky thing to make and besides the ones offered for sake are very well made and attractive looking. At times in performing this trick I find only three rings in the nest of boxes and finally discover the missing fourth ring in some unexpected place.
According to the show you do, this addition may or may not be worthwhile. With this method everything is so simple that it cannot fail to work. There are no mechanical traps nor heavy tables. The trick has been a great favorite of mine for years and largely because it has been such a favorite of my audiences.
The effect is the same as the old favorite. Several rings are borrowed from members of the audience and they are pounded up and pushed into a pistol. The pistol is fired at a box which has been in plain sight from the beginning of the performance. The box is tied with ribbon. It is an attractive lacquer box. The box is opened and another is found inside. That, too, is opened only to find a third box. The number of boxes in the nest may be left to the wishes of the magician.
The last box is opened and the magician reaches inside and picks up the end of a ribbon. He lifts this up and the rings are seen to be tied, one under another, to this ribbon. The ribbon is about two feet long and the rings are tied about four inches apart on the ribbon. This idea of the rings all being found tied on one ribbon is where the trick begins to be different.
The magician says to the audience that be is in a quandary for if he gives the ribbon to the first lady he also gives her the three other rings. He suddenly gets an idea and he calls for a pair of scissors. The assistant brings the scissors in a small basket. The magician takes the scissors and cuts the ribbon--about midway between the two lower rings--and the bottom ring falls into the basket.
He then cuts the ribbon twice more and lets each ring fall into the basket. He then hands the scissors to the assistant and takes the basket down to the audience so that each lender may take back her ring still tied to the little length of ribbon. It will be plain that except when the magician pounds the rings into the bullets to load the pistol, he never actually touches the rings.
That is the effect and this is the method I use. When I borrow the rings I collect them upon the end of my wand. I have four duplicates concealed at the other end of the wand by my hand. This is most natural a concealment for that hand seems merely to be holding the wand. The exchange is easily made on my way back to the stage and after I have slipped the four duplicates off the wand onto a plate, I drop the four
original rings into a small basket on my table, as I pick up a hammer which I use to pound the "rings" into bullets to fit the pistol.
As soon as the pistol is loaded the assistant has taken the originals off the stage. Once back stage, the assistant ties a short piece of ribbon--about four inches long--with a single knot on each ring. The rings and their ribbons then are placed in the side flaps of a changing basket--two rings on each side. A pair of scissors is now put in the basket and the assistant is ready to enter with the basket and scissors the moment he is called.
The nest of boxes has been in full view of the audience from the start of the performance. There is nothing at all out of the ordinary about the boxes except that I use, and suggest should be used, an exceedingly handsome set of decorated lacquer boxes. I feel that beautiful boxes add materially to the effect from the standpoint of the audience. In the innermost box is the two foot long piece of ribbon (need I mention of the same kind and color as those small pieces now hidden in the changing basket) and on this ribbon are tied four rings.
I use four good looking rings of the usual size and designs. Incidentally I overlook exceedinglylarge or odd looking rings when I originally borrow them. As soon as I take this ribbon from the box I swing it slowly back and forth. This keeps even the eagle eyed person from being certain of his identification. After the pistol has been discharged, I go over to the nest of boxes and open each in turn until I find the ribbon and the rings.
The scissors are then called for and are brought out in the basket by the assistant, which is proper. The assistant should always offer the magician on a tray or basket, whatever is called for, never with his hands. An assistant should follow the same rules as a waiter in handing anything to the magician. The scissors are taken and the ribbon cut. It is perfectly natural for the magician to hold the ribbon over the basket for otherwise the ring would drop on the floor.
The ribbon is cut again and again. Each ring goes into the basket. The scissors are then handed to the assistant and at the same time I take the basket by the handle. Taking the basket by the handle releases the flaps holding the borrowed rings and as those rings come into view, the flaps cover the duplicate set. I then step into the audience and let each person pick out her own ring.
It is unnecessary to describe the construction of the changing basket minutely for it is a stock item with the dealers. It is a tricky thing to make and besides the ones offered for sake are very well made and attractive looking. At times in performing this trick I find only three rings in the nest of boxes and finally discover the missing fourth ring in some unexpected place.
According to the show you do, this addition may or may not be worthwhile. With this method everything is so simple that it cannot fail to work. There are no mechanical traps nor heavy tables. The trick has been a great favorite of mine for years and largely because it has been such a favorite of my audiences.
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