Teach Yourself Magic - J. Elsden Tuffs

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LOS GAiOS, CALIFORNIA
LOS GATOS PUBLIC LIBRARY

ANF 793.8 T91
Tuffs, J. Eldsen.
Teach yourself magic.
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Teach yourself magic*
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TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
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Luo GATOS, CALIFORNIA
Teach Yourself
MAGIC
J.
ELSDEN TUFFS
EMERSON BOOKS, INC.

New York
Copyright © 1956 Emerson Books, Inc.
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 56-7860
Standard Book Number: 87523-100-4
Second Printing, 1970
Manufactured in the United States of America
/ / 5 1//6
No one becomes a conjurer except by desire, conse-
quently there is an enthusiasm and a bond between
magicians of all ages and creeds the world over.
With the aid of this book you will be able to join
‘
the throng of those who delight in making ‘magic'’.
The Author
DEDICATION
to those countless known and unknown
performers who, by their untiring efforts,
have kept the torch of conjuring burning

and paved the way for those who followed
in their footsteps.
Above all, with gratitude to my Father,

who initiated me into the art and to whose
instruction and advice I am indebted.
LOS GATOS MEMORIAL LIdKAKi
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
PREFACE
A wide and varied has been covered intention-
field
ally in order to provide a useful means by which
your own particular interests and skill may be de-
termined, and because a mere succession of tricks
graduating from simple to difficult is not, in itself,
sufficient to teach yourself conjuring.
The newcomer is advised firstly to read through
the entire book, and then to try as many varieties
of tricks as possible, in order to get the “feel” of
conjuring. From then on personal taste can direct
the course of practice and study.
Besides the chapters containing descriptions of
tricks, there are others dealing with the more subtle
sides of magic —misdirection, reaction of the audi-
ence, atmosphere, etc., chapters about which you
will need to think.
You will find it useful to come back to those
chapters dealing with the more advanced aspects of
conjuring, for much more goes to the successful
performance of a trick than is generally realised. An
element of psychology is present in most, and
experience is an invaluable means to perfection.
Later you may find yourself in disagreement with
—
some of the views expressed it would perhaps be
surprising if you did not, as there are devotees of
this or that method in all walks of life. Remember,
however, that some of the foremost experts of con-
juring have disagreed on fundamental moves in
Vll
Vlll PREFACE
certain tricks. To begin with,pays to be modest
it
listen and read as much as you can, and be sparing

of your own views and opinions.
The tricks described have all been performed
successfully by the author, but do not be dis-
couraged if, despite practice, you still do not obtain
the result at which you aim. Each person has his
own individual manner, and no two audiences react
in the same way. The secret of success is to adapt
and modify your routines until you achieve satis-
factory results.
If you enjoy conjuring as much as others who
have already pursued it, then you will find its fascina-
tions are as fresh today as they ever were or will be.
You will realise, of course, that becoming a conjurer
is fraught with a number of perils —
you are likely
to arouse the intense antagonism of your family,
your relatives and friends, besides bringing your wife
(if you have one) near to despair. But since you
desire to become a conjurer and most conjurers are

prepared to suffer for their art, you will not let a
few things like that deflect you from your course.
At the great moment when you have finished
giving your first show and bowed to the audience,
the sound of their applause is music in your ears. In
addition, they will probably say: “I didn’t know
old so-and-so had it in him!” After this your family,
etc., will be so proud of you that they will quite
cheerfully accede to the request to “Take a card”
as you practice for your next show; so do not let
them down.
Make up your mind to be a really good conjurer.
CONTENTS
Part One
I The Origin and Entertainment Value

of Conjuring I
II Some Simple Miscellaneous Effects 6

III Easy Card Tricks 14
IV Paper Conjuring 28
V Arranging a Small Show 4i
Part Two
VI More Advanced Card Tricks and
Sleights 47
VII Card Fanning 58
VIII Manipulating Coins, Balls, etc. 66
IX Thimble and Cigarette Tricks 76
X Silk Handkerchief Tricks 84
XI Vanishing and Producing 92
Part Three
XII Misdirecting the Audience 101
xiii The Spectator’s Idea of “Magic” 106

IX
X CONTENTS
XIV Using an Assistant no
XV The Stage Show 1 14
XVI Some Effective Apparatus 122
XVII Apparatus You Can Make 127
Part Four
XVIII Pocket and Close-up Tricks 139

XIX Entertaining Children 149
XX Some Children’s Effects 155
XXI The Little Things that Matter 171
XXII Joining a Magical Society 1 77

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LG3 GATOS. CALIFORNIA
PART ONE
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGIN AND ENTERTAINMENT

VALUE OF CONJURING
Conjuring, or legerdemain as it was called, has been
defined as a popularamusement consisting of tricks
performed with such art and adroitness that the
manner or art escapes observation. The phenomena
of conjuring comprisesuch things as sleight of hand,
mechanical contrivances, confederacy, or a combina-
tion of these. Elaborate phases of this art utilise
optical, chemical, and other sciences.
If we go back through the ages, we has
find that it
its roots in mystic rites of one kind or another rather
than in entertainment. In the days of ancient Egypt,

for example, secret mechanical contrivances were
used to open temple doors (see Fig. i), make a voice
come, apparently, from a stone figure, and so on.
Another sort of magic springing from a common
source is that known as black magic, which still
survives in certain forms. We might call conjuring
as we know it today “White Magic” in fact, for the
influence over the audience is exercised only during
a performance and not afterwards.
In medieval days contemporary pictures show one
of the oldest sleights of all being performed, namely
—
the “Cups and Balls” three cups beneath which
balls appear and disappear in a miraculous fashion.
Conjuring was then watched rather cautiously, as
2 TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
its complete dissociation from mystic rites had yet

to be made. The oldest book on conjuring in English
is Scott’s Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1582
during the reign of Elizabeth I. The principles of

legerdemain are here expounded for the first time.
The breaking away of conjuring as an art divorced
from the clap-trap of primitive magic received a
great impetus from this book.
ORIGIN AND ENTERTAINMENT VALUE 3
During succeeding centuries, notably the eigh-
teenth and nineteenth, remarkable advances were
made as old prejudices died.
Professor Hoffman, referred to as the “Father of
Modem Magic” during the later nineteenth century,
compiled several books (incidentally still being re-
printed) which contained a remarkable collection of
tricks in the days when mechanical marvels were in
their hey-dey. Those were the days of the “Profes-
sors”, and one made an appointment for the purpose
of securing their services with no little trepidation.
The entertainment value of conjuring was, however,
steadily growing.
With such stalwarts as Maskelyne and Devant,
the era of mechanical marvels passed, but public
interest in magic generally was higher than it had
ever been.
~ When the magical dealer appeared on the scene
with his mass-produced apparatus, conjuring came

within reach of anyone with the necessary cash, and
a decline in entertainment value followed inevitably.
On the other hand, it spurred those sincerely in-
terested in conjuring to greater heights, and is one
of the reasons why you should strive for originality,
either in the tricks themselves or the way in which
you perform them.
You may think it surprising that conjuring is so
popular a form of entertainment. But perhaps the
reason is not far to seek, for right from the earliest
times, man has been a believer in mysterious powers
which in some way or another controlled his life and
brought about seemingly impossible things. A con-
jurer’s tricks seem to be a sort of tangible proof of the
existence of these powers. A modern audience will
not necessarily believe that the impossible can hap-
pen, but somewhere, deep down inside them, is a
little primitive streak that seems to say, “I know it
is all trickery but — —

well who knows?”
You will see from this how important it is to create
an atmosphere of mystery if you are to be successful,
and although comic conjuring has entertainment
value, it is a doubtful way to popularity. Nothing is
so effective or succeeds so well as real mystery magic.
Let us consider for a moment the reactions of the
audience. We know that a strong appeal will be made
to the desire to believe in the impossible happening,
but equally strong in an audience will be curiosity
and the desire to try to work out how a trick is done.
Thank heavens, everyone does not watch a conjurer
with only the last-mentioned idea in mind. Never-
theless, it is present in varying degrees in most
people.
We see, therefore, that this form of entertainment
presents varying facets to different people, and it is
the combination of them all that gives conjuring its
high place in the realm of entertainment values. Do

not take my word for it, but try the effect in your
next social gathering of offering to do a few tricks,
if you have not done so before you will have a crowd
;
round you in no time.

Where children are concerned, the entertainment
value rises to phenomenal heights for young imag-
;
inations seize upon the colourful boxes and tubes

they see on a conjurer’s table, and magic is born
ORIGIN AND ENTERTAINMENT VALUE 5
almost before the conjurer has performed a single
trick.
CHAPTER II
SOME SIMPLE MISCELLANEOUS

EFFECTS
For your conjuring trick obtain a piece of tape
first
about 24 inches long, and a small tube 1 inch long,

for use as a bead, on which a Chinese sign can be
written. You now have the necessary materials to
perform
Woo Lung’s Bead

Tie the ends of the tape together, and then fold
the centre of the tape in half so that the knot is in the
middle. Push one looped end through the bead, and
then by means of a piece of cotton tie it to the other
(see Fig. 2). Now slide the bead over the loops joined
by the cotton.
6
SOME SIMPLE MISCELLANEOUS EFFECTS 7
Presenting the trick, you display the bead on its
double tape, holding it as shown in Fig. 3. The
audience will naturally suppose that the tape makes
a continuous double loop, whereas in fact it is
doubled back. You ex-
plain to them that the
bead is securely on the
tape and, laying every-
thing on the table, you
cover it vith a hand-
kerchief.
Placing your hands
beneath it, you suddenly
pull out the double tape
in one hand and the
bead, now completely
free, in the other.
How did you do it?
Well, you broke the

cotton join to release
the bead, and then con-
verted the tapes into a
continuous double loop
by crossing the loop ends
(see Fig. 4), finally F\Gr. 4
placing the first finger
and thumb of both hands into the crossed loops at
X and pulling sideways so that the loops slid past
one another.
You with the tape looped in the
finish this trick
same manner in which the audience presumed you
started.
Now for a rope trick; you can do this with conjur-
er's soft rope or string, tape, etc.
The Cut and Restored Rope

To commence push a small doubled-up
with,
— —
length of rope say 3 inches long up your left
sleeve, the looped part being towards the wrist. Now
display your long rope and ask for it to be measured.
This precludes the idea that you subsequently cut

anything off the end of the rope.
Taking the rope back, double it, and pass it once
or twice from hand to hand, holding the loop part. As
you pass it back into the left hand, hold it so that the
loop is concealed. Bringing the right hand to the left,
you pull from your sleeve at the same time the small
length of rope, and pull it up in place of the original
loop (see Fig. 5). With a pair of scissors the loop atX
is cut (Fig. 5, on right shows the audience’s view).
,
SOME SIMPLE MISCELLANEOUS EFFECTS 9
There are now apparently two separate lengths of
rope. The ends are now trimmed off with the scissors
until you have only two small pieces left you then
;
suddenly catch hold of the long rope with the right

hand and whip it away, while the left hand allows
the pieces of rope left to fall unheeded.
Another mystifying trick requires nothing more
alarming than a pencil about 5 to 6 inches long, and
a handkerchief .
The Vanishing Pencil

Display the pencil by holding it upright in the
shown in Fig. 6. Change it from hand
fingers, as to
hand, and end up with it held in the left hand.
With the hand remove a handkerchief from

right
your pocket, and drape it over the left hand holding
the pencil. As you do this stretch up the first finger of
the left hand and allow the pencil to drop down a
little way through the hand. The effect now is that
the handkerchief drapes over the pencil end (see
Fig- 7)-
Quickly place the right hand under the handker-
chief as though to adjust the folds, and slip the pencil
hand up the left sleeve. Remove the
in the left right
hand and casually show it empty.
Now make a magic pass over the handkerchief
and, catching hold of the edge of it, pull it smartly
away and throw it in the air. At the same time drop
the finger of the left hand. On no account stretch
out the fingers.
This is an effective trick, as the audience believe
they see the pencil shape beneath the handkerchief
right up to the last second.
Another good handkerchief trick requires the use
of two match-sticks, one of which is, beforehand,
pushed into the hem so that it is centrally along the
edge.
The Broken and Restored Match-stick

Casually taking the prepared handkerchief from
your pocket, show both sides of it and drop it on
to the table. Now, taking a match-box from your
pocket, proffer it to a spectator, asking him to select
a match and mark it so that he will know it again.
Take the match-stick back with the left hand and,
whilst holding it horizontally, pick up the hand-
kerchief with the right hand so that the hem con-
taining the 2 -inch match-stick is towards you, and
drape it over the left hand.
SOME SIMPLE MISCELLANEOUS EFFECTS II
Immediately after the right hand has been with-

drawn, bring it back towards the left hand and
apparently take the match and handkerchief away.
In reality you allow the right-hand thumb to drop
as the hand approaches the left, and scoop up the
hem where the second match is concealed (see Fig.
8). Carry the hem into the centre of the hand-
kerchief and, as you move the right hand away to
the right, the left hand drops to the side (palming

the marked match-stick as itdoes so). This last
move is easy, as all eyes are upon the handkerchief
in the other hand.
Without pause you proffer the handkerchief with
itsmatch-stick to the spectator who selected one, and
ask him to break it into two or more pieces. Do not
let go of the handkerchief during this process.
Withdraw the handkerchief and, bringing up the
left hand with its palmed match-stick, replace the
match-stick in the centre of the handkerchief. Now
withdraw the right hand, allowing the hem contain-
ing the broken fragments to swing down.
Make a magical pass and turn over the whole left
hand into the open right so that the match-stick is
displayed in the centre of the handkerchief, the

edges of which hang down around the left hand.
An effect which
equally good in drawing-room
is
or small stage requires the following two items, viz.

a large ring and a piece of
rope about 4 feet long.
Wandering Ring
Ask for two spectators to
assist you and, when they
come forward, give the ring to
one and the rope to the other
for examination. Meanwhile
you take off your jacket and
lay it spread out on the table.
Having received the rope
and ring back, you proceed to
loop the ring on to the rope
by what appears to be a very
secure slip-knot (see Fig. 9).
Let the ring swing on the rope, holding the two
ends as you do so, pointing out that the ring is
perfectly tight on the rope (which is true).
Now lower the ring on to the centre of your
jacket, pass the ends of the rope one through each
SOME SIJVIPLE MISCELLANEOUS EFFECTS 13
armhole and give each to one assisting spectator to

hold. Then slip the jacket on yourself.
A great deal of by-play can be occasioned by ask-
ing the spectators assisting you whether they are
strong, and whether they
think the ring could slide
off the rope without their
knowing, etc.
So saying, you place your
hands around inside your
jacket and say, “A little
tighter, gentlemen”. As the

rope tautens, the ring falls
with a clang to the floor.
Allow the assistants to lift
off your jacket to examine
the rope.
~ The secret is simple a ;
Fia.io
slip-knot used to tie the
is
ring on the rope, but by sliding the loop, X (see

Fig. 10) down over the ring, the knot disappears.
Study the moves carefully, and be sure the rope is
not too tight. The spectators pull, of course, only
after you have released the ring you then drop it as
;
they pull the rope.

CHAPTER III
EASY CARD TRICKS

Contrary to some views that have been expressed,
it isnot necessary to be able to do difficult sleight-of-
hand moves in order to present mystifying and effec-
tive card tricks. After you have become used to
handling cards, however, you will probably desire
to go further and master one or two sleights, and
that is where Chapter VI will help.
To begin with, here is an important maxim
“Never rely on prepared packs of cards" they would
;
certainly enable you to do wonders, but remember

that an unprepared pack (or deck as it is called) is
always available, and if you use such a pack,
borrowed from your host, whatever is subsequently
done will be tremendously more effective.
Commence by practising a neat overhand shuffle,
i.e. holding the cards in the right hand (see Fig. n)
let several fall into the left hand just below to the left
on these latter drop a few more, and so on until the
whole pack is shuffled. As nothing looks worse than
a shuffle where two or three cards drop on the floor,
practise slowly at first and then increase the tempo.
—
Now for your first effect using cards with a white
border on the back design. The reason for this type
of card is that a card which may be reversed in the
pack will not show should it be a little out of
alignment.
14
EASY CARD TRICKS *5
Reversing in the Pack Two Chosen Cards

Allow the pack to be shuffled, then fan out with
both hands so that the backs are uppermost. Ask
two spectators to withdraw a card, examine it and
show it to those near them. This saves argument

later, and, believe it or not, people do forget the
card they chose.
Now, without waiting for the cards to be returned
to the pack, close it up and hold it behind the back,
remembering which is the face side. Reverse the
face card, and bring out the pack with the reversed
card on top.
Ask each spectator holding a card to replace it in
l6 TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
the pack anywhere he wishes, making sure you do
not see the face.
You now announcethat you will not only try to
discover their cards but to cause them to show
themselves in a conspicuous way, and ask the two
spectators to think of their cards. Whilst you have
been pattering (as this is termed) you have trans-
ferred the pack from one hand to the other and back,
thus enabling you to turn it over to its original posi-
tion.
With the finger of the free hand run down the
front edges of the pack, giving a riffle —a well-known
device in card magic; corresponds to making a
it
pass with the hand or uttering a magic word.

Now fan out the cards again, face down, and as
this is done the two chosen cards are disclosed face
up. Remove them and lay them on the table, asking
whether they are the chosen ones.
Close the pack as you patter and behind your back
quietly reverse the card on the face side of the pack
so that it is the correct way round again.
Notice that you are required to make certain
moves whilst you are talking this is misdirection
;
for invariably a person will look at your face whilst

you are talking, which is just what you want to
happen.
You have now been introduced to one of the two
most widely used devices in card tricks finding a —
selected card or cards. The other is forcing a card, of
which more later.
An
important thing to remember is that it does
not matter how many ways you know of finding a
r
EASY CARD TRICKS *7
chosen card if you disclose it the same way the audi-
;
ence see one trick. If you can find a chosen card by

one method but can disclose it in twelve ways, you
have twelve tricks so far as the audience is concerned.
Here is a way of finding and disclosing a chosen
card.
Finding a Chosen Card by Thought Reading

After the pack has been shuffled, hold it in such a
way that an oblique glance can be made at the bot-
tom card. This is accomplished in a split second and
is not noticed. Fan the cards face down and allow
one to be selected and examined. Break the pack at

the point of withdrawal, and hold each half a few
inches from the other. As the chosen card is returned
hold out the top half of the pack for it to be placed
on, and then immediately place the original lower
half on top. By this means the known bottom card
will be on the top of the chosen card.
Now lay out the pack face upwards along the table,
and divide it near the centre, making sure that
the original card is well within one half. Now ask
the person who
chose a card in which half of the dis-
played cards it appears. This is misdirection, for
you know at once that the card above the original
bottom one is chosen card.
in fact the
In the process of gathering up the half pack indi-
cated, you notice how many cards from the end is the
chosen one (see Fig. 12), and square up the cards.
You now say that you will find the chosen card by
touch, and with a nice spot of acting you rub your
finger-tips on your coat “to make them sensitive”.
Taking each card face down one at a time, you feel it
very carefully and discard it to one side. When you
get to the chosen one, you pretend to discard it then
bring it back and feel it again. Turn it over and say,

“Your card?”
Remember to keep your eyes more on the spec-
tator than the cards when face up, so that he will not
suspect that the lay of the cards is important.
Second Method [without looking at the bottom card )
This is a useful repeat of the above. Bend the

corner of the bottom card down slightly then —
proceed as before.
Instead of laying the cards on the table, hold them
up face to the audience and slowly fan them, asking
the spectator who chose a card to concentrate on it.
When you come to the card with the bent corner,
you know the chosen one is next and, after suitably
EASY CARD TRICKS 19
hesitating, push it up and say, “I think this is your
card”.
The bent corner should be at the lower edge when
the cards are fanned, as the audience will be looking
at the top part of the card.
Gimmick Method
The word gimmick is used to describe any small
object that is used, unbeknown to the audience, to
work a trick. In this case it is a piece of thin card-
board J inch square.
It is held beneath the face-down pack by the
fingers, and is kept there whilst the cards are fanned.
When a card is selected, the gimmick is pushed
along by the fingers
of the other hand.
The pack is now
broken for return
of the card,which
then is placed on
top and the pack
squared. It is now
possible to cut the
cards exactly where
the chosen card is;
if this done in
is
the hand with the

cards at an angle,
the piece card
of PIGr . 13
slips into the palm, where it is concealed. The top

half is then placed beneath the other, leaving the
chosen card face down on top (see Fig. 13).
This position for a chosen card is the first accom-
plishment in many card tricks, for you may then
disclose this card in any way desired. Here are
several
(i a) Rising Card
Hold the pack upright face to the audience
with, the thumb on one side and the second, third,
and fourth fingers on the other. The first finger is
held slightly bent behind the pack
—
by movements of this finger
the back card can be made to rise
in a most mysterious way (see Fig.
14). Use two fingers to start with.

Patter to the effect that you
are going to cause it to rise by
a mystical influence. The card
appears to rise from the centre of
pack.
(b) By Dealing
Ask a second spectator to give you
a number between five and ten,
and deal from the top of the pack
that number, each card falling on
top of the preceding one.
On completion, square the small pile and turn it
over to show the chosen card now face up. The effect
is that the chosen card was that number of cards
down and that the second spectator divined its

position. This piece of misdirection is useful, and
should be remembered.
EASY CARD TRICKS 21
(c) By Selection
Deal out the top four cards and use the con-
jurer’s choice method, i.e. with the chosen card
at position i, ask a spectator to point to one or the
—
other of piles I and 4 whichever he points at, to
say, “We will take this one away”, and take up pile 4.
Now do the same with Nos. 2 and 3, taking up a card
again (say No. 3).
At this point use the following little dodge, which
nearly always raises a laugh. Say, “I will help the
final selection by taking up one of the two cards
left” (Nos. 1 and 2); so saying, take up card No. 2
and hold it behind the back, turn to another spec-
tator and say, “I am sure you can find the chosen
card from amongst the one left”, and wink conspicu-
ously. About nine times out of ten the person asked
will say, “I will choose the one behind your back, if
you don’t mind!”
You immediately turn up the card on the table,
which is of course the chosen one. If the spectator
—
remarks, “Oh well you know best I will have the—
one on the table”, you say, “How clever of you to
choose the right card from the one I left you ” and !
turn it over.
A great number of card tricks rely upon forcing a
card, i.e. whilst allowing what appears to be a free
choice, in actual fact causing a known card to be
chosen. Here are several ways.
[a) Forcing the Bottom Card ( behind the back method)

Allow the pack to be shuffled and glimpse the
bottom card; then, holding it out, ask a spectator to
cut the cards. As soon as this has been done, hold
the lower half of pack behind the back, slip off the
bottom card and place it face down on top, and say,
“You had a free choice when cutting the pack but —
do not take the bottom card of your half as we know
its value, take the card below the cut". Whilst saying
thisyou turn with your back to the spectator, and
he removes the card in question from your half of
the pack.
He now knows (a) that he had a free choice, (
b
that you could not possibly have seen the card he
looked at —which only goes to show how wrong he
is!
The card returned to the pack and the pack

is
—
squared still behind your back. A number of ways
are possible to disclose the card. You could run
through the pack face up, and feel each card until
you come to the chdsen one, or ask the spectator to
concentrate while you hold the pack and his fore-
head, and mystically read his thoughts. If you like
that kind of thing, you could do a trance act or —
even a guided pencil act, writing the name of the
card whilst blindfolded (this gives a most convincing
effect, by the way).
(b) Forcing the Bottom Card (by step method)

After glimpsing the bottom card, hold the pack
in the right hand face down with the hand under the
cards, the thumb curled up over the right-hand edges
and the fingers up over the left-hand edges.
Now bring the hand over the card, and under
left
cover of —
squaring up the cards with the thumb
EASY CARD TRICKS 23
—
over the edges of the cards towards you slide the
pack forward an inch, allowing the bottom card to
remain in its former
position in the palm (see
Fig. 15, but faces down).
Still keeping the left
thumb at the back, use
the fingers of that hand
to slide back the top
cards in steps one at a
time. The moved cards Fig 15 .
completely hide the

bottom card in the right
palm.
Request a spectator to
say “Stop” at any moment he likes, and, when he
does so, slide off with the left hand all those cards
moved back, at the same time remove the thumb
and insert beneath the card projecting into the

it
palm, so that this card snaps on to the bottom of

the cards removed (see Fig. 16).
Now showthe face of the card at the break (actu-
ally the original bottom card), and ask for it to be
remembered. Close the pack and disclose the value
of the card in any way desired.
(c) Forcing the Top Card

After shuffling the pack, take a quick glance at
the top card as follows holding the pack as for the
;
previous trick but turned face up in the palm (see

Fig. 15), use the left hand to square up the cards,
and slide the pack half an inch off the bottom card
and note its and turn it over.
index. Close pack
Fan the cards face down, and ask a spectator to
choose for you the very card at which you had glanced
and which is now the top card.
He will probably smile and select one, only to show
that it is not in fact the card in question. Patter to
the effect that although
he has not selected the
card mentioned he has,
on the other hand,
chosen the one card in
the pack which always
goes with the card in
question.
To prove it you hold
up the pack in the left
hand, the faces to the
spectator, horizontally
with the thumb on the front and the fingers on the
back (see Fig. 17). Ask the spectator to insert his
card half-way into the pack, anywhere he chooses.
EASY CARD TRICKS 25
This done, bring the right hand behind the left hand,
and hold those cards behind the inserted card, i.e.
towards you, between the thumb at the left end and
the second, third, and fourth fingers at the other,
with the index finger curled over the top on to the
face of the inserted card.
With the right hand remove together the inserted
card and those behind by lifting them up and off, at
the same time allow the fingers of the left hand to
retain the backmost card. This card then clicks on
to the back of the front half of pack left in the left
hand.
Swinging the cards in the right hand forward,
show the face of the inserted card on the removed
half pack, saying, "Here is your card; the pack has
been cut exactly where you inserted it and next
to the card I mentioned.”
To prove it, the half held in the left hand is now
proffered to the spectator who, taking the top card,
is surprised to find it is the very card he was first
asked to choose.
It helps if the fingers of the left hand are slightly
moist.
Using Prepared Cards and Packs

Many conjuring and, for that matter, joke shops
sell small tricks consisting of three or so cards, one
or more which are faked. Several such tricks
of
could be useful as impromptu effects and carried in
the pocket, but for serious purposes most of them are
not suitable for inclusion in a programme, and should
be used with discretion.
Forcing packs consisting of seventeen cards of the
same value, with seventeen each of two other cards
(called a ‘Three-way Pack”) are useful where it is
not necessary to allow the audience to see the faces.
This pack can be fanned three times, each time allow-
ing a spectator to select a card from the first part,
the centre, and the end. Alternatively, the pack
could be cut twice, giving three piles, the top card
of each being turned over. Remember, however, that
the audience cannot examine the pack, and it is
usual to switch it with a genuine one with the same
type of back.
Other packs consist of short and long cards. The
short ones are twenty-six of the same value, each in
a pair with one of twenty-six miscellaneous cards.
When the pack is squared at the bottom, the top
may be thumbed from front to ba&t to show all
different cards. By allowing a spectator to insert a
finger or knife into the pack whilst it is being
thumbed, it is possible to break the pack and find
one of the twenty-six duplicate cards every time.
Likewise any number called for will force the same
card, for when number is called you know either
the
that the card is at that number or that it falls next
to it, so you either show the last counted card or ask
for the next one to be turned over.
There are many more special packs on the market
as well, so that a selection of two or three can be made
according to taste; but remember that a special
pack has a secret which must be guarded from the
audience. There is, however, one exception, and
that is a pack of marked cards which, by means
EASY CARD TRICKS 27
of marks on their backs, can be read by the per-
former. Such a pack, however cleverly marked, is
not safely examined for too long a time by the
audience. Keep to an unprepared pack as much as
you can.
CHAPTER IV
PAPER CONJURING
One does not hear so much these days about paper
magic, and yet it has a charm all of its own. Let us
start by taking three strips of paper i inch wide by
28
PAPER CONJURING 29
about 36 inches long (or join piecestogether to get
the same length). Join the first in the ordinary way
(see Fig. 18). In the case of the second strip, twist
one end before joining. The third strip must be
twisted at one end twice before joining. Lay the
three bands over your arm and you are ready to
show the mystery of the
Afghan Bands
Taking the firstyou cut down the centre with
one,
a pair of scissors and hold up two separate circles of
paper. Asking a spectator to do the same thing, you
give him No. 3 ring and the scissors. To his amaze-
ment he finds at the end he has two rings, yes, but
they are linked together.
To turn the joke on yourself, take the second ring
and cut that down the centre; to everyone’s further
surprise it becomes one huge ring double the size.
There isa perfectly natural reason for the different
effects obtained, and that is why it appears to be so
astonishing to the audience.
For your next trick you need six tiny paper balls.
Three are affixed beneath your coat by pins, the
three others you make up in front of the audience.
That is all there is to the preparation of
Perpetual Pellets
Drawing attention to the three pellets or balls,

you take up one in the right hand between the thumb
and first two fingers (as shown in Fig. 19). Show' it
to the audience (see Fig. 20), place it in the right-
hand pocket. In actual fact bring it out again with

the hand.
Now
pick up the second ball the same way, and
again show it to the audience. The first ball will
really be immediately behind the second, but will
be completely concealed so there is no fear of its being
seen.
Count “one” and place both balls in the left hand.
Take up the last one and, counting “two”, place it
in the left hand. Tip this hand on to the table to
show three balls once again.
Repeat this twice more until, the audience begin-
ning to get suspicious (and probably infuriated too),
you take up the first ball and instead of placing it
in your pocket flick it at the audience. Under cover
of this, take another ball from the place of conceal-
PAPER CONJURING 31
ment and pick up a counting “one/’ and place
ball,
both in the left hand. Counting “two”, pick up the
last ball and place it in the left hand; again show
three balls.
Now obtain another concealed ball and pick up
one from the table, placing both in the left hand.
Flick another ball at the audience and obtain the
last concealed ball. Take up the remaining ball on the
table, and place it and the concealed one in the left
—
hand. Open this hand and remove a ball flicking it
to the audience who now think you have one ball left.
Empty your left hand and show three balls. If the
audience is thirsting for your blood, stop now; if
not, take up a ball from the table, place it in your
pocket. As you do so pick up a dime there. Now
pick up another ball and place it in the left hand
really retain it and let the dime fall into the hand.
'Pick up the third ball, and pretend to put it into the
left hand but retain it with the other. Let the right
hand drop to your side as you open the left hand to
show the coin. Under cover of this, drop the two
balls into the right-hand pocket.
Look at thedime a moment and say, “I seem
to be improving, last time I only had eight cents at
the end.” Wink at the audience and place the coin
in your pocket —
and that is that.
Obtain two front sheets of a newspaper and fold
one from bottom up to top, then sideways, and so
on until you have a packet about 4 by 3 inches,
keeping the top left-hand comer flat on the table so
that it becomes the back of the folded packet. The
packet will unfold completely in a forward direction.
To the back of the second sheet of newspaper lightly
gum at the top left the folded packet (see Fig. 21).
It is useful to
1 1 •
FotDED «
;
fold lightly this
PACKET 1
•
second sheet, to
HERE •
1
facilitate the tear-
t
1 ing; now you are
•
• •
ready for the
•
•
• 1
Torn and Restored
Newspaper
•
•
•
Bring the sheet
of newspaper for-
1 %
•
•
ward in the left
hand, with the
FIG. 21 folded packet be-
hind and held down by the thumb. Now commence
to tear down first fold
with the right hand,
placing the remainder
in front of the strip left
with the packet (see

Fig. 22).
Tear down second
fold, and again place
the tom portion in
front. You will now
need to turn the strips
horizontally in order to
tear down the last two
folds.
Having done that, i FIG. 22
PAPER CONJURING 33
take the packet in the right hand and explain that
newspapers aren’t what they used to be. Whilst the
audience laughs, place the packet held by the right hand
into the left, turning the packet round as you do
so, so that the pieces are behind in the palm and
the folded sheet faces outwards.
You are now in a position to begin unfolding the
whole sheet, making sure that you keep the pieces
behind.
At the finish, crumple up the whole sheet and
pieces together and throw them into a hat.
Perhaps we may be pardoned for including in this
section the following:
The Burnt and Restored Dollar Bill
All that is required for this rather ominous-

sounding trick is an envelope in which a horizontal
FlGr. 23 Performer's vifcV
slit has been made in the centre front, a lighted

candle, and a pair of scissors placed beforehand
in your pocket. After borrowing a dollar bill from a
member of the audience, it is casually folded and
—
placed in the envelope the front side facing to
yourself, the back part to the audience so they
can see the bill going into the envelope.
In actual fact you push it into the envelope and
out through the slit, where it is held concealed (see
Fig. 23). You make a great display of sealing the
envelope, and then, to prove the bill is still inside,
hold the envelope before the lighted candle. The
audience will, of course, see the dark outline of the
folded bill.
Taking the envelope in the other hand, you now

feel for —
the pair of scissors and in the process
dispose of the folded bill. Snipping off a comer of
the envelope you say you will be pleased to show
how, with the application of a little heat, the bill
will liquefyand drip from the cut comer.
Here is where the fun begins whilst talking about
;
how remarkable an advance has been made by

modern science, etc., you hold the envelope over the
candle to “warm” it. However, you hold it so close
that the envelope catches fire —much to the spec-
tators* amusement as they watch you pretending to
be upset.
After envelope has burnt to practically
the
nothing you quickly feel inside your pocket for the
folded bill, using your free hand, and then empty
the charred fragments into it from the other.
Making a magic pass you now open the hand to show
the folded bill nestling amongst the charred frag-
ments.
You can bank on at least one person applauding
PAPER CONJURING 35
—namely, the person from whom the bill was
borrowed he will be so glad to see it again.
!
If you like to draw out the agony a little farther,

,
you could bum the envelope and leave it at that;

then later in the programme you suddenly find the
folded bill during the performance of another trick.
Mentalism
One branch of the concerned
conjuring art is
largely with predicting cards that will be chosen by

a spectator or giving other apparent evidence of the
power to read into a person’s mind or into the future,
etc. Some performers work up such an act into some-
thing really large and astonishing, like predicting a
number in a telephone-book, the page and the line
of which are selected by a spectator. Sometimes as
many as ten people using ten different books are
used; here, however, are two simple ways of predic-
tion.
Two to One Prediction

Take two small slips of paper and write a question
upon each, such as, “In what year was the Monroe
Doctrine proclaimed ?” or “What is the answer to
346 multiplied by 794 ?” Fold them once and lay
them to one side.
Now take a slip of thickish paper (i.e. that cannot
be seen through), and write the answer to the first
question on one side and the answer to the other on
the back. Place this in an envelope and seal it down,
remembering on which sides the answers appear.
To perform you draw attention to the sealed
envelope, and additionally you seal it with wax.
Then you ask a spectator to choose one or the other
of the questions contained in the folded strips. You
stress that he can change his mind whenever he
pleases —
even at the last moment; make sure that
you convince him that no forcing is taking place.
Upon the question being selected and read out,
you take the envelope and carefully slit it along the
top; now, according to the question asked, you
draw out the card facing the right way by turning
round the envelope as necessary.
Ask someone to read the answer but do not —
release the card —
hold it for him to see. Point out
there is only one card and, screwing it up and
pocketing it, hand the now empty envelope for
inspection; the audience will seize upon it eagerly,
which what you want them to do.
is
This trick will fool some of the most astute

spectators. Since nothing concealed in the hands
is
at any time, make sure that you hold them closed,

in order to misdirect the audience. If challenged,
you can open your hands to show them empty. It is
the sheer audacity of this trick that makes it succeed,
but be sure to go on fairly quickly to another one
before the audience puts two and two together.
X-ray Eyes
For this trick you need an assistant, who can be
out of the room to start with.
Firstly you display four cards with designs on one
side, and ask someone to choose one; this is then
stood up against a tumbler or placed in a stand.
PAPER CONJURING 37
Now, taking up a pad with pencil attached, you
ask someone to take this out to your assistant, and
ask him to use his power of seeing through walls
to copy on the pad the design displayed. It is a good
thing to choose the most suspicious person in the
audience for this little service.
A moment later the assistant comes back with a

rough drawing of the design in question.
The -answer simple really. Your assistant is
is
informed of the chosen design by a code, and the
[61 (a
POSIT' OM X Position 3L Position H "Position TVi
FIG. 24
coding is communicated by means of the pad, w hich

T
isa piece of card with sheets of paper held at the top

by a clip. One of the four designs is indicated accord-
ing to the position of the paper (see Fig. 24). Your
assistant has, of course, a copy of all the designs
concealed about his or her person.
After a few performances you will find that only
the slightest indication is necessary to convey the
chosen design and, as it is quite natural to make sure
the paper is secure on the pad before you ask some-
one to take it to your assistant, there is little for
anyone to discover.
Many of you must some time have seen the
at
paper-tearer at work. Commencing with a sheet of
newspaper he produces lace-like mats, ladders, etc.,
and never fails to draw attention.
OOTE e
ns \mjs
FIG. 25
The following are a few ideas that can be worked

into an amusing story according to taste.
The Mat
Using a sheet of newspaper, fold it in half about
four or five times. Now take a pair of scissors and
cut as nearly as possible to the design shown in
Fig. 25 above.
Spread out the paper and there is your mat. The
secret is to keep an eye on the outside edges when the
paper is folded, for along them only shallow cuts can
be made. Elsewhere, the more varied the better.
PAPER CONJURING 39
The Tree CUTS B E.N &
CUT
Join paper
together
PACTS
strips 5 inches wide until JbOWlV
you have a length of
about 2 feet. Roll this
into a fairly tight roll.
With scissors, cut down
from one end six times
(see Fig. 26). Bend out
the cut parts. Now, with
the first finger press in-
to the centre and, using F1&.26
it as a ping,
slowly twist and pull out. If the paper is
rolled up clockwise, then the act of twist-
ing further loosens the paper, allowing it to
slide up.
A few experiments and you will be able
to produce quite tall trees (see Fig. 27).
One of the most unusual and popular
paper tricks is
The Ladder
Make up a roll of paper as for the tree
and cut half through twice (as shown in
Fig. 28, A and Note
proportion
B).
of cuts. Next cut out the part between
the first two cuts, as shown by dotted line
C. The ends of the cut tube must now be
bent down at right angles to the centre
part as shown. Be careful not to tear off
FIG .7*Y any of the central strips.
LOS GATOS MEMORIAL LIBRARt

A more difficult move is now required. It is neces-
sary to insert a finger in each tube at and draw XX
the ends upwards. Ask a friend to hold the lower ends
of the tubes. As the
paper stretches up-
wards, so the ladder
gradually takes shape
—amazing in its life-
likeappearance.
The length of the
ladder varies accord-
ing to your skill and
the length of paper
used.
Use coloured paper
for the ladder to ob-
tain a more striking
effect, but remember
that a fairly thin
paper is desirable,
otherwise cutting will
present difficulties.
s a finale you
might try placing a
piece of black paper
on a piece of white,
then, after tearing
them undo them to show a large white piece on
up,
which are the words “Good night’' in strips of black
paper. The method is based on the Tom and Restored
Newspaper described earlier in this chapter.fi 32,
XU" p^
CHAPTER V
ARRANGING A SMALL SHOW
There enough items in the foregoing chapters
are
to enable you to arrange a small show. Why not start
with the family as your audience, and perform at
one end of the drawing-room ?
A short distance is desirable between yourself and
the audience, as it lends a certain atmosphere of
—
aloofness and mystery besides enabling you to
prevent people from seeing around the side of you
too easily. Angles are very important in conjuring,
for your hand or a piece of apparatus held at the
wrong angle may give the secret of the trick away.
In addition, if you have a small shelf, etc., behind
your table for disposing of articles or for the purpose
of loading a hat, it is more difficult to conceal the
fact you are too near the Spectators (see Fig. 29).
if
Most people are sensible enough to know and

appreciate that a conjurer needs to perform at a
short distance away from them and without anyone
around the sides, and will co-operate. The exception
to this arrangement is in the case of close-up tricks,
dealt with in Chapter XVIII.
You may ask what kind of table to use well, in ;
days gone by there was a single-legged one with a

round top to be seen in many homes, and that was
used by conjurers. Today there has been a tendency
to get away from tables that look like conjurers'
41
>
1 ' ' - 1 Sa ê -
I
I ri
6
> a<ea v,
Q«t> TA 5 J. .
Small
angles TASUfc
V/iTH THE-
VZ22) <zzs> 723 ¥3
AUDIENCE
Too NEAR. ppx ygp yfnp "Tim
~o—
THE SAFE VZ0 VO. ^S> E3>
AREA IS
SMALL Audience
1 \ /A‘h, a<*e ol i s
,v" Ictê'T'
AMGLES
With the
Audience
/
/t\ 4-5
1
PEST \ \
AT THE.
\z up VED y[[b Ylft 'ul$
RIGHT
DISTANCE vgp vjrp vjE) yjjj
H7jD
SAFE AREA
IS larger. \2Z2) ..
^ i
zA*udi ence.
/i
'W W>
FIG 29 .
42
ARRANGING A SMALL SHOW 43
tables, but, to start with,you have a folding card-
if
table or other ordinary table it will do admirably.

Chapter XVII describes a collapsible table you can
make from an old music-stand if you have a few
tools.
Donot litter your table with odds and ends; try
to keep the apparatus you want on a separate table,
and bring it over as you require it. If you have any
special items, conceal them beneath a coloured
handkerchief or behind a card screen, etc., so that
their effect will not be lost when the audience sees
them for the first time.
As to lighting, it will be best to ensure that
you have the light in front of you when perform-
—
ing never behind you. Keep the lights on in the
room all the time rather than attempt any “stage”
lighting effects.
- Remember, a great deal of amateur magic is done
in drawing-rooms (e.g. for children’s parties), and
in small halls, where conditions are practically
identical with those in your own home.
Try not to make the items in your programme
disjointed; link them together by a few well-chosen
words. Here is an example of a join between card,
rope, and paper tricks.
Card: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am commencing
my programme with some card conjuring. Would
you care to shuffle the pack, sir? Thank you,
sir”, etc., etc. Link to
Rope: “Thinking of cards, ladies and gentlemen,
makes me wonder how many gamblers have come
to an untimely end because of them. While we are
on the subject of untimely ends, may I draw your
attention to this piece of rope’', etc., etc. Link to
Paper: “If were any good at making the right type
I
of slip-knot I would probably appear in a news-

paper, not as a conjurer but as the public hang-
man. However, the mention of newspaper brings
me to my next trick in which 1 use a piece of
ordinary paper”
It needs but a few words to link up the most
unlikely types of tricks. The above examples are in
a humorous vein, because this type of linking patter
will be found the most generally successful.
Spend a little time on your patter links, learn
them by heart, if you so prefer, and you will be well
repaid by audience appreciation.
Supposing you start with a fifteen-minute show,
this will enable you to do seven or eight tricks com-
fortably. Do
not worry about being too slick to start
with: the audience will not necessarily expect it of
you, and you will improve as you go along.
After you have given two or three small shows,
you will from your experience add to these printed
words other points to watch, whether to work faster
or slower, and so on.
Since your show must have varie-ty, it will be best
not to include too many paper tricks in a short
performance. Include one or more card tricks
because cards really are a conjurer's “tools”, as it
were; in fact it is often usual to commence with a
few such tricks.
Here are two specimen programmes made up from
the tricks already given:
ARRANGING A SMALL SHOW 45
1. The Vanishing Pencil (a good opener).
2. Woo Lung’s Bead.
3. Burnt and Restored Dollar Bill.
4. Reversing in the Pack two Chosen Cards (plus

one more card trick you particularly like).
5. Afghan Bands.
6. Wandering Ring (a good finale).
1. Torn and Restored Newspaper, leading to

2. The Ladder and Tree (paper tearing).
3. Finding a chosen Card by Thought Reading
(plus one more card trick).
4. Perpetual Pellets.
5. Broken and Restored Match-stick.
6. X-ray Eyes.
Notice the variety introduced into the above

programmes.
Afterthoughts
When you have given your first few shows, you
will be in possession of some valuable information
about your own likes and dislikes.
You will know, for example, how long you take
to do certain tricks, and by a judicious inquiry
amongst the audience you will ascertain whether
certain things need speeding up or slowing down.
Nothing palls so much as a show that drags, and
nothing is so uninteresting as a succession of tricks
so quickly performed that the audience has not time
to appreciate them. Aim at the happy medium.
Another thing you will find is that you like to do
certain tricks more than which case you
others, in
can concentrate on those types. Be careful, however,
not to concentrate on them to the exclusion of all
others for, although variety can be introduced into
a selection of (say) card tricks, it is best to have
several different types of items not using the same
props, as it helps to keep the interest of the audience.
Each future programme will benefit from the last
one, and eventually you will have a nice compact
show. When you reach this stage, and because it is
nice to have (a) a complete change of programme and
(b) to introduce new items your own satisfaction,
for
you should (i) build up a second programme with the
accent on something quite different, say on comedy
tricks, mental magic, etc.; (ii) introduce one new
trick at a time into your standing programme so as
not to disrupt your routine.
Programme Card
Here is a tip to help you remember the items in
your show; bend a piece of cardboard about i| by
4 inches in half, write on one side in abbreviated form
the items you are performing, and stand it on one
side where you can easily read it. A quick glance as
you place down the props of a finished trick will
enable you to acquaint yourself with its successor.
PART TWO
CHAPTER VI
MORE ADVANCED CARD TRICKS

AND SLEIGHTS
You will have become accustomed by now to a
certain amount of skilled movement of the hands
and, in continuing with card manipulation an intro-
duction is made to movements which, although
requiring much practice, are worth every minute of
time spent on perfecting them.
The Riffle, with which you be familiar from

will
Chapter III, is a device frequently used by conjurers
in order to give an impression of slickness. If you
have ever run your finger down the edges of a pack
you will probably agree that it makes an effective
sound, and when neatly performed finds a natural
home with more advanced card tricks and sleights.
It should never be used excessively, however, or its
effect will be much reduced.
Perhaps one of the most useful of all sleights is the
“ Pass”, by which means a chosen card is transferred
to the top of the pack where it is ready to be used as
necessary. It is performed thus
The Pass
After the cards have been fanned between the
hands and a card selected and removed, a break is
—
made the left hand holding the top half and the
47
right hand the lower half. The card is now placed on
the lower half, which is held in the right-hand palm.
The left hand now places the top half on the lower,
but just before does so the little finger of the right
it
hand is curled over the top of the cards in that hand

(see Fig. 30). Not only does the left hand release its
cards on to those in the right hand, but the thumb

and fingers slide over on to those cards in the right
—
hand a change of grip from its original half-pack.
The second, and third fingers of the right hand
first,
now curl over the top half-pack and, pressing down

against the finger, grip those cards and pull them off
MORE ADVANCED CARD TRICKS 49
to the left. The and thumb of the left hand
fingers
lift up those cards on the palm of the right hand,
using the thumb as a fulcrum so that the erstwhile
top half can now beslid back underneath them into
the right-hand palm (see Fig. 31).
The movement seems rather involved, but can be
carried out in the matter of a second whilst moving
the body to the side or with a sweep of the hands.
Neatness should be aimed at with a soundless move-
ment. ^Tien practising, reverse the selected card (as
in Fig. 30) so that its whereabouts can be followed.

Another useful device is
The Injog
This explains itself, really; a card is slightly jogged
out of place immediately on top of the returned
selected one, and thus provides a marker so that the
cards may be cut at the selected card.
After breaking the fanned pack (as for the pass)
and having the selected card returned to the top of
the bottom half, lightly drop the top half-pack on to
the bottom so that the cards are out of line (see Fig.
32). it is quite easy to bring up the little finger, find
the in jog, and cut the pack there. The smaller the
in jog, the better.
This sleight is mentioned in the Discoverie of
Witchcraft, 1584, by Scott ;
so it has certainly passed
the test of time.
The Double Lift and Turn Over

This sleight enables what appears to be the top
card to be shown, and then removed, placed in the
centre of the pack, and
riffled back to the top
again.
It is performed thus:
Hold the cards face
down in the hand
left
and place the right hand

over the top. Under
cover squaring the
of
cards, turn up the near
right-hand corner of the
top two cards and hold
them by the left little
En-
finger (see Fig. 33).
sure now that the
thumb is perfectly
aligned along the left-hand side of the pack, and the
first, second, and third fingers are all on the right-
hand side. Bring the right hand over again and, bend-
ing up still more the two top cards, using the fingers
at the top of the pack as a fulcrum, slip the thumb
under the two cards at the rear right corner, and then
twist them over face up. Lay them on to the top of
the pack, but overhanging towards you. (Note the
finger and thumb are now at the left near side.)
Remove the fingers and press the two cards back
nearly square with the rest of the pack running —
your thumb along the edges of the two cards (to
square them to each other as you do so). The fingers
and thumb of the left hand help to keep the two
cards squared along their long edges. It is necessary
to leave the reversed cards jogged as, when they are
reversed again, it is then a simple matter to hold
them together as one with the right thumb and
fingers, and twist
them over ex-
actly as for the
first time (only
in reverse) and
square off with
the thumb.
To Palm the Top

Card
This is com-
paratively easy,
although it needs
a little practice.
Holding the pack
face down hand bring over the right hand
in the left
as if to square them, and at the same time make
the following movements:
V

(a) Press with the left thumb the top card in a
diagonal direction forward (see Fig. 34).
(b) Press with the right finger-tips on to the edge
of the top card, which will tilt up into the
palm.
(c) Contract the right hand slightly (see Fig. 35)
—
and drop to your side on no account hold it
w oodenly before you, act naturally.
T
The foregoing sleights are a few of many, but if

you learn them thoroughly you will be able to do
literally scores of tricks. Try inventing your own
tricks using these sleights — it is fine fun, besides
giving you a great deal of personal satisfaction.
Now for some card tricks to give you the usage of
them.
The Magnetic Cards Trick

Prepare your pack by arranging the top three
cards as follows:
(1) a spot card
(2) a Queen; and
(3) a Queen.
Commence by giving a false shuffle i.e. holding

,
the cards on edge in the right hand, backs to palm,

allow packets from the face side to fall into the
little
left hand, going alternately in front and behind the

previous cards. When you get to the last few cards,
place them at back of the cards in the left hand (see
Fig. 36), turn the pack flat and the three cards are
1MTO LEFT HAND
LAST FEW
CARDS A«
PLACED ALL
Together.
AT Back.
FIG. 36
stillon top. Do this shuffle facing half left so as to
conceal most of the faces of the cards.
Now double lift the top two cards to show the
—
Queen and replace on top “We will put this lady
in the centre of the pack". So saying, you take the
real top card and, without showing its face, place it
in the centre of the pack.
Now double lift the top two cards again, and show
the second Queen and replace. Remove the top card
and again, without showing its face, place at the
bottom of the pack, saying, “This lady I place at the
bottom thus". You now have a Queen at the top and
at the bottom of the pack. Cut the cards once,
which brings the Queens together, and say, “Now
these two Queens are sisters, and as a result they
are drawn towards each other. I am going to show
you that they have met each other in the centre of
the pack".
Make the and spread out the cards face up
riffle
to show the audience that the two Queens are to-

gether.
Here is a trick combining the pass and top palm.
It is called:
The Magical Detective

Allow the cards to be shuffled and, after facing
them, ask a spectator to select a card, memorise it
and return it to the same place. Having done so,
you make the pass and bring it to the top. In case
you haven’t made the pass very smoothly and you
think it has been noticed, you can prepare for the
double lift, by which means you can, should you be
challenged (or not, for it adds. to the effect), show
the top card.
Now pattering to ‘
the effect that ‘magicians would
make they cared to take up
first-class detectives if
that profession”, you palm off the top card and ask
someone to shuffle the cards.
“Supposing your card”, you say to the spectator
who chose one, “is a burglar and the pack represents
—
a maze of back streets imagine how difficult it
would be to find the criminal.” Take back the
shuffled pack and add your palmed card on top.
“Now this is the way a magical detective would get
his man.” Hold the cards up in the right hand, face
to audience and, as you make a magical pass over
them with your left hand, cause the back (top) card
to rise slowly as explained in Chapter III.
Follow this up with:
Find the Jack

Put the Jack of Hearts on top of the pack and,
without shuffling, fan and ask someone to find the
Jack of Hearts. He selects a card which is certainly
not it.
“I do not wonder,” you say, “because that is a

very slippery Jack to find.”
Ask the spectator now to replace the card in the
pack (as a marker) in the top half. This is done, and
you begin to deal out the cards from the top, one
on top of another on to the table. You know that the
Jack, being on top, is the first and is face down on the
table. When you get to the place where the spec-
tator’s card is inserted, you turn that card face up
on to the pile on the table. Then turning up the next
card in your hand you say, “Well, you still have not
found it. Perhaps it is not there”.
So saying, you turn over the pile on the table, and
there is the Jack of Hearts face up. Give a little
—
laugh and turn the pile back again give the spec-
tator his card back and replace the packet from the
table on those still in the
—
hand in jogging as you
do so.
Now, without pause cut
the cards above the jog,
placing the top cards be-
neath, leaving the Jack
on the top and, holding
the cards on edge in the
right hand, back to palm,
execute a false shuffle
thus: Pick up with the
thumb and finger of the
left hand the half of the
pack nearest the right-
hand fingers and shuffle
on the face side —but allow the fingers of the right
hand to retain the top card still in position (see
Fig- 37)-
You may do this several times, still leaving the
Jack on top. Now cut the pack into two and lay out
as shown in 38 with a space between ask
Fig. —
the spectator to place his/her card in the middle.
Place the bottom half of the pack on the single
card, and then all on to the erstwhile top half.
Top Half lowe.* half

OF PACK of PACK.
FIG. 33
This brings the spectator's card next to the Jack of
Hearts.
“I am going to help you find the Jack this time"
you say, and, giving a riffle, you then fan out the
cards face up to show the spectator’s card and the
Jack of Hearts together in the centre.
Cutting above the injog (so as to leave the in jogged
card behind) is a variation on the method described
on pages 49 and 50. After the position shown in
Fig. 32 is reached, the left hand can slide the top
half of the pack forward so as to square it with the
rest —the left thumb feeling for and sliding over the
lowest of injogged cards, leaving it in position for
cutting above or below it as required.
CHAPTER VII
CARD FANNING
There is a charm about card fanning that no other
form of card manipulation possesses. Special cards
are not essential, and an ordinary pack will do
except it should be one with an irregular design and
without a white border on the back.
The purpose of choosing cards with an irregular
design is that as the cards are fanned it is the corner
EXAMPLE. OF A
TyPtCAL FARMING CARD
with pour different corners
FIG .39
that makes the pattern (see Fig. 39). You will prob-
ably guess that, as you have four comers so you can
make four designs.
58
59
6o TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
Before you start, the cards must be dusted with
fanning powder. This is bought at any reputable
conjuring shop, and is best applied with a piece of
cotton-wool. Riffle the cards afterwards to remove
surplus powder.
There are so many ways of
making fans that, if you are in- LEFT
genious, you will be exploring WANfc
new ground as you progress.
There are two basic methods of
Perform ess
\AEW —
END OtN
C Cbs seen
in. a
mirror)
S
v0
FIG.
VN
40c
LEFT
•HanjO
PERFORMS. R S
VIEW
Ft 6
fanning: they are the ordinary (or downward fan)
and the reverse (or upward fan).
Let us commence by holding the pack in the left
hand with the backs facing the audience, the thumb
at the lower near comer and the fingers behind (see
CARD FANNING 6l
Figs. 40, A, B, C, and D). Your position should be

as follows:
Right side to audience, left arm forward and bent
with the cards at about eye-level. Now bring over
the right hand and with the thumb press on the near
edge at point X
(see Fig. 40, A), swing round the
thumb in an arc travelling downwards, and your

fan formed.
is
By using the opposite comer, a different-patterned

fan will be obtained.
For the reverse fan, hold the cards in the left hand
as before but below the hand. Note placing of thumb
and fingers (see Fig. 41). By using the right thumb
at point X
and swinging upwards, the reverse fan is
accomplished.
If you buy a pack with indexes in opposite corners
only (see Fig. 42), you can fan them ordinarily
and show all the indexes, spots, etc. then, after first
;
reversing the top card, by reverse fanning you can
—
obtain a blank fan a fact which always surprises
an audience Try it and see.
For displaying a pack to the audience to show that
the cards are all different, you
should use the one-hand fan as
follows
Face the audience and take the
pack in your right hand, faces to
yourself with the thumb at the
bottom left-hand comer. The
right hand should be about
9 inches from your body and in
front of your waist. Now you
pig .4^ must do two things at once, i.e.

twist your hand round so that the
thumb and fingers change places and turn the pack
around. As these are done, the thumb in its swivelling
movement pushes the cards into a fan (Fig. 43, A
and B, illustrate a fan designed to show the backs
to the audience).
A few practice efforts will soon give you the neces-
sary enabling a good fan to be formed.
feel,
Here is an effective sleight that is useful, as it can

be varied according to the performer’s taste. After
fanning the cards in the left hand, bring them down
and turn them face to the audience, and square
them up with the right hand; under cover of this,
palm off about a third of the pack. Now turn the
cards face in again, and fan from an opposite corner
with the right thumb; this gives an ordinary fan
movement. Now place the right hand beneath
4*B
FIG.
63
the left armpit, foldingup the lingers as you do

so (see Fig. 44). Note the thumb at the bottom left
comer. Withdraw the hand and straighten the

fingers, fanning as you do so (see Fig. 45), and turn
the card backs to the audience.
CARD FANNING 65
There are several ways of holding the cards in
order to fan them, besides innumerable types of
fans, such as double fans, giant fans, etc., but the
examples given will be found sufficient for a modest
beginning, and can be an attractive part of your
card magic.
It is best to keep cards used for fanning specially
for that purpose, as if they are used for subsequent
card tricks the surface will deteriorate and the edges
will become discoloured.
A good tip for any card manipulator is to keep the
hands scrupulously clean with special attention to
finger-nails, as the hands are so much in evidence
all the time.
—
Try to cultivate graceful movements let your
hands be a living supplement to the card fans
and, above all, achieve an even fan. If gaps appear,
polish each offending card individually, and perfec-
tion will result.
CHAPTER VIII
MANIPULATING COINS, BALLS, ETC.

Coins are useful objects to manipulate as, compara-
tively speaking, they are so cheap. Just a few
ordinary quarters and you can do quite a number of
tricks.
One of the most use-
ful vanishing sleights is
that of:
The French Drop

To perform this hold
a quarter in the right
hand between the
thumb and fingers, the
palm facing upwards.
Bring the left hand
across, inserting the
thumb beneath the coin
in the right hand and
the fingers above it (see
Fig. 46). Close the left
handthough taking
as
FIG, 46 the coin, and at the

same time drop the
coin into the right palm. The left hand immedi-
ately moves away followed by the eyes, while the
right hand drops to the side. You may now blow on
66
MANIPULATING COINS, BALLS, ETC. 67
the left hand —or pretend to throw the coin up into
the air —vanishing it, in fact, a few seconds after it
has gone
Then bring up the right hand smartly to beneath
the armpit and produce the coin again.
Ifyou would like to try palming, there are two

methods which are worth choosing; namely the:
Classic Coin Palm

Hold the coin at
the finger-tips —
the back of the
hand to the audi-
ence. Under cover
of a throwing
motion, bend the
fingers and press
the coin into the
CLASSIC CoiM PALM ©
FIG ^7&
palm, contracting .
the hand slightly and extending the now empty

fingers again (see Fig. 47, A and B).
Here is the finger palm for those who find the classic
palm difficult.
The Finger Palm

Instead of pressing the coin into the palm, slide it
down to the tips of the second and third fingers, bend
them into the palm and extend the first and fourth
fingers (see Fig. 48, A and B).
This last sleight is very useful for the
Miser's Dream
In this trick you have several coins hidden beneath
a glass tumbler, so that in the act of picking up the
glass you are enabled to finger palm the coins.
By sliding each one up with the thumb, and hold-
ing it at the thumb and finger-tip for a second before
dropping it into the tumbler you
will get a smooth flow of coins from
the air.
For more ambitious occasions you

might invest in a coin dropper (see
Fig. 49) which will hold a number of
coins, each one of which can be re-
moved very easily. It is held behind
the hand. As an alternative, as you p|Q , AA
'
move about you could take advan-
tage of (say) your left side being to the audience to
steal coins from the right pocket with the right hand,
and vice versa.
Make from a piece of thin plastic or celluloid a
shape similar in size to that of a quarter, and you are
then ready for:
The Vanishing Coin in Glass of Water

Palm the coin fake in the hand holding a silk
handkerchief, and ask someone if he would care to
drop a penny, which you show, into the glass of
water. You place the coin in the silk, change it for
the fake and, holding it through the silk, offer it to
the spectator (see Fig. 50). At a signal he is asked to
drop what is believed to be the coin into the glass of
water and, when the silk is removed, there is no sign
of a coin at all —the fake being invisible in the water.
You could remove the coin from behind his ear,

etc., as you wish. If you let the spectator mark his
coin beforehand, it makes the trick still more
effective.
Ball tricks are a very good follow-up to ones with

coins, for there are certain similarities.
The French drop and finger palm (using second,
third, and fourth fingers) are used in ball vanishing
and palming. Here is another vanish:
The Throw-up Vanish
With the right side to the audience, throw up the
ball with the right hand. Follow its flight and catch
it again, bringing the right hand down to waist-
level.
Repeat this twice more, then the third time bring
up the left hand to waist-level, and as the right hand
descends slip the ball into the left hand, and continue
to simulate throwing the ball up again with the right
hand.
The audience will still fancy they see the ball
going up as they automatically follow a repetitive
—
movement but you merely stare up as though you
expect it to come down, while the left hand pockets
the ball, or it can be palmed and produced from
behind the left knee or the elbow, etc.
By means of a small loop of nylon thread attached
to a tack in a wooden ball (see Fig. 51, A), you will
be able to emulate the feats of the masters by
performing the trick known as
The Vanishing Billiard Ball
The loop is passed round the second

finger and the ball held between
thumb and finger with the back to
the audience (see Fig. 51, B).
Bring the left hand round to the audience side of
the ball as if to take it, close that hand and let the
ball drop behind the right hand where its loop holds
it Throw the ball into the air and produce from
safe.
your elbow. You could swallow it and produce it
from your knee, etc.
The open appearance of the right hand whilst
flat,
the ball is hanging behind it is so good that it fools

nine people out of ten easily, and the tenth is not
too sure he knows the answer, at that.
An old favourite is the trick known as
The Multiplying Billiard Ball
This effect is achieved by means of a half-ball

shell, which enables you to hold what appears to be
only one ball between the thumb and first finger,
and by a movement of the second finger roll up a
second ball in a split second.
By all means invest in a set, which consists of
three balls and a shell, at the earliest opportunity,
as they are not expensive to purchase.
Two balls and the shell are first placed in the
left-hand pocket, whilst the third ball is shown to
be solid by knocking it upon the table.
Holding the third ball between the thumb and
finger of the right hand —to your right side —bring
up the hand with the shell. Place the shell over
left
the ball, and drop the second finger of the right hand
underneath next to the thumb.
A quick wave of the right hand and the second
finger rolls up the ball, leaving the shell in place
between the thumb and first finger.
The left hand brings up the next ball and, under
cover of settling the lower ball (shell) in position you
slip the ball into it from behind. This move is con-
cealed by the left hand. The ball between the first
and second fingers is now placed between the second
and third, allowing the tip of the second finger once
more to slip down behind the shell, where it is in
position to roll up the next ball.
Each time a ball is produced it is moved one up
the fingers so as to leave the second finger in position
to produce the next ball.
To vanish the balls, the second finger rolls a ball
at a time into the shell, the remaining balls being
shifted one down each time.
The last move is to remove the shell from the
front of the last ball, which is then shown on all
sides.
Here is a method of:
Catching Balls from the Air

For this effect a tube about 2 inches across and
about 6 inches high is required. It should be closed
at the bottom, and a round hole cut as shown in
Fig. 52. This hole is to allow a ball in the tube to
roll out into the hand.
For the balls you should buy half a dozen table-
tennis ones, or balls of such a size that two can be held
comfortably concealed in the hand.
To perform this trick place two balls in the tube
and stand it upright against a small box to prevent
the balls inside from rolling out, the other balls
being in the right-hand pocket.
Lift the tube with the left hand,
holding the balls in by the thumb,
and show the right hand empty.
Take the tube in the right hand
and show the left empty.
You now take the tube again in
the left hand, but leave behind the
two balls palmed in the right hand.
These balls you pick from the air,
and drop into the tube, where they
are allowed to run into the left
hand as the right hand takes the
tube again.
Now repeat, the left hand catch-
ing the balls and then the right
hand. On completing this, place
FIG .S% the tube (in the left hand) on the
table against the box, turning as
you do so to the right. This enables you to obtain
two more balls from your pocket with the right
hand. Produce one from beneath the left armpit
—
and hold it up being careful to conceal the second
ball. Place the visible ball in the left hand, and
with it the second ball, which is concealed, turn
to the right and drop the visible ball into the tube.
whilst at the same time obtaining the last two balls
with the right hand.
The second ball in the left hand is now produced
from behind the right knee, and in quick succession
the right hand produces a ball from the left knee
and the last from your mouth. Drop all three into
the tube, which is then picked up with the thumb
over the hole at the bottom. Tip the balls into a
hat and carefully deposit the tube at the back of the
table.
CHAPTER IX
THIMBLE AND CIGARETTE TRICKS
Whoever firstthought of using thimbles for
manipulation purposes certainly introduced a new
and unusual series of conjuring tricks. Since that
time thimbles have been hop-
ping from finger to finger, dis-
appearing, multiplying, etc.,
with alarming rapidity.
Here is a simple trick,
which is called
Jumping Thimble
The effect is that a thimble
shown on the finger of one
hand apparently jumps across
to a finger on the other
hand.
necessary to have two
It is
thimbles of the same colour.
One is placed openly on the
second finger of the right
hand, the hand being held
as in Fig. 53 (performer’s
view)
Whilst talking about the liveliness of the thimbles
generally, you slip your left hand into your pocket,
and pop the second finger into the duplicate thimble,
76
THIMBLE AND CIGARETTE TRICKS JJ
bringing out the hand with the first finger up-
right. The thimble is concealed by the bent second
finger.
Now, with a swinging motion of the right hand,
holding the fingers apparently in the same manner
— pretend to throw the thimble up into the air; as
you do this, bend the second finger into the palm
and straighten the empty firstWatch the
finger.
imaginary flight of the thimble, and then make a
sudden dart with the left hand, bending down the
first finger and straightening out the second finger
—
thereby catching the thimble and, for that matter,
catching the audience too.
As an encore number you could perform
The Disappearing Thimble

Showa thimble on the second finger of the right
hand and display your left hand empty. Now
extending the thimble finger horizontally, press it
into and behind the left hand held downwards with
fingers bent. As soon as the right-hand fingers are
concealed, bend the thimble back into the palm, and
hold it with the bent thumb and then extend the
first finger again. At the same time you must close
the left hand and move it to the left and move the
right hand to the right, showing the absence of the
thimble on the right-hand finger.
With a throw of the left hand the thimble vanishes
and the left hand is shown empty.
“Never mind,” you say; “I have another thimble
handy.” So saying, you feel with the right hand
under the left armpit, bend the first finger into the
palm, extend the second finger with its thimble,
and withdraw the hand.
One of the most useful sleights of all is
The Thumb Palm

Place the thimble on the first finger (either hand
will do). With the hand held partly bent, move the
first back
finger
into the palm to
the base of the
thumb; as you
do engage
so,
the thimble in
the fleshy part
of the thumb
base (see Fig
54). Remove th<
finger, leaving
the thimble held
securely. This
movement can be made very quickly whilst waving
the hand or whilst the finger is concealed behind the
other hand, and has
the advantage that the
thumb is visible both
before and after the
palming.
By means of a thimble
holder (see Fig. 55) you
may bring out four thimbles. They remain concealed
in the palm (but on your fingers) until you wish to
astonish your audience —-then with a sweep of your
THIMBLE AND CIGARETTE TRICKS 79
hand you suddenly show them on outstretched
fingers.
Incidentally you can buy plastic thimbles at many
variety stores for a few cents —make sure they grip
without being too tight.
Cigarette Tricks
Exactly when cigarette manipulation commenced

is open to conjecture, but its variety of vanishes.
productions, etc., has today made it a favourite with

a great many conjurers.
Once again the thumb palm a basic sleight, the
is
cigarette being held by its tip at the base of the

thumb in the fleshy part of the hand (see Fig. 56).
It is possible, with practice, to palm cigarettes this
way extremely rapidly. The cigarette may then
be vanished, and produced from beneath the arm,
etc.
8o TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
Lighted Cigarette through Handkerchief [and

re-producing same)
Fig. 57shows a cigarette tank which will comfort-

ably produce a lighted cigarette from inside the coat
where this fake is pinned.
For this trick you must buy or
make from pierced zinc the cigarette-
tank and for a small sum purchase
a thumb-tip. This last should be of a
size to fit comfortably the right-hand
thumb.
You commence by placing a lighted
cigarette in the tank, in which it is
held by a and
piece of spring-metal,
pinning inside the coat. Next you
light another cigarette and place it
in your mouth, place the thumb-tip
in your right-hand pocket and with
FIGc.57
it a handkerchief.
After taking a puff or two at the cigarette, you
feel into the pocket and, in bringing out the hand-
kerchief, slip your thumb into the tip. Display the
handkerchief quite openly both sides, for the tip is
flesh colour and invisible. Drape the handkerchief
over the left fist and press a hollow into it with the
right-hand first finger, followed by the thumb in —
which instance you leave the tip in the hand-
kerchief.
Now remove the cigarette from your mouth, place
itsburning end into the handkerchief and stub it
down firmly with the thumb. This puts out the cigar-
THIMBLE AND CIGARETTE TRICKS 8l
ette and allows you to bring out the thumb with the
tip on it.
Show the handkerchief both sides, and pocket it
and the thumb tip. Finally produce the lighted
cigarette from your coat.
Point about using the thumb tip: always keep
the thumb end towards the audience as far as pos-
sible, as this gives the best cover for the tip.
Cigarette Production
For a very modest sum

indeed you can buy a
small fake, consisting of a
long pin and half-round
grip with which an astounding cigarette production
routine can be achieved (see Fig. 58). The clip goes
at the back of the lowest joint of the third finger,
the spike pointing away from the finger-tips.
In the act of throwing the cigarette into a hat the

fingers are straightened: this has the effect of
“S
TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC

bringing the cigarette behind
the hand which then appears
empty. A quick grab in the
air accompanied by a bend-
ing of the fingers again
causes the cigarette to re-
appear (see Fig. 59) . The
thumb actually helps to con-
ceal the small part of the
fake which is visible.
To complete you may
either return the cigarette
to the —
owner less the fake
— and show the hat empty,
FIG. 60 or by means of a small com-
partment made by a black
card and housing cigarettes,
produce a shower of them
from the hat.
Vanishing Cigarette
Here is another of the
numerous sleights you can
perform with a cigarette.
Hold it upright in the left-
hand fingers, as shown in
Fig. 60 (view seen in a
mirror)
Now bring the right hand
over the top with the fingers
held together and pointing
downwards. Engage the tip
THIMBLE AND CIGARETTE TRICKS 83
of the second fingeron the cigarette and press it
downwards into the left hand.
When about i inch of cigarette is still showing,
press forward as you continue with the downward
movement. This has the effect of swivelling the cigar-
ette upside down, so that the greater part, previously
behind the left-hand fingers, is now behind the right-
hand fingers.
At the same time the tip of the left-hand second
finger touches the end of the cigarette, and it is
still
therefore possible to finger palm the cigarette

between this finger and the palm. You do this as
you take away the right hand. The cigarette lies
parallel to the fingers, and is not seen. You point to
the left hand (which has not moved), and open it to
show it empty. Then produce the cigarette from the
elbow, from behind the ear, etc.
Final Note
Each manipulation mentioned in this and the
preceding chapter is a sphere in itself, and it takes
time to be proficient in any one field. If you like
using thimbles (say), then keep a look out for any
books dealing exclusively with thimble manipula-
tion. It is better to be really good at manipulating
one type of thing than passably good with several
of them.
CHAPTER X
SILK HANDKERCHIEF TRICKS
Conjurers do not use much in the way hand-
of
kerchiefs proper; they use silk squares in the form
of — —
handkerchiefs of various sizes and referred
to generally as silks. The Japanese silk ones used
in the days before the war are beginning to re-
appear on the market, and are excellent for their
purpose, for if crumpled to a tiny ball they will,
when released, spring out to their normal size
quite easily.
A word about buying them. Start with small
sizes, say 6 inches or 9 inches, and, as they are
expensive, keep them carefully packed in a flat box,
or rolled up round a cardboard tube.
To commence with, here are two ways of vanish-
ing a silk.
Silk Vanishing by Means of Palming

Tie a tiny knot in a comer of the silk and, holding
it hand with thumb and finger covering
in the right
the knot, wave it up and down. Now show the left
hand empty, place the silk into it knot first, and
commence a circular motion with the palm of the
two hands (see Fig. 61). Close the two hands to-
gether, and with the right hand palming the rolled-
up silk, pick up your wand (this makes good cover),
point it at the left hand, and slowly open it and show
84
SILK HANDKERCHIEF TRICKS 85
itempty. Lay down the wand and drop silk into a

convenient servante, or just pocket it.
Silk Vanishing by Means of a Pull

The a small container to which is affixed a
pull is
length of elastic. The end is fastened (say) to the

inside neck of your jacket on the left, and the con-
tainer hangs down inside your jacket, on a level
with your hip (see Fig. 62).
Hold the silk in your left hand, and then, cupping
your right hand, place the silk into it. Having done
so, turn to the audience and say, “Oh no, it hasn't
gone yet," and as you show the silk in the right
hand let the left hand find and secure the pull.
Bring the left hand cupped forward to the waist
and half turn to the right, looking at the right hand
holding the silk all the time. Drape the silk over the
left fist and begin to push it into the pull in that
86 TEACH Y OURSELF MAGIC
hand as it disappears still hold the left hand cupped
;
and release the pull, walking forward and saying,

“Now to make it finally go will someone blow on
my hand.” This is done and the left hand is shown
empty. Remember, you do not tell the audience

when the silk really has gone, you lead them to
believe it happens afterwards.
You can produce silks —a pull will hold several
—
small ones by reversing the above process. Show
the left hand empty, and pretend to pick a silk from
the cupped right hand, smile and show the right
hand empty (securing the pull with the left hand
meanwhile). Then dive into the cupped left hand
and produce your silks one at a time.
Here are some effective tricks that have been
popular amongst all types of conjurers.
The Vanishing and Candle

Silk
To prepare for this trick you must cut off the top
half of a candle and insert it in the top of a tube of
white paper. It is advisable to paint the interior of
the paper black, as a candle has a
translucent grease and when lighted
would disclose the false part (see CANDLE
TIP
Fig. 63). Into the tube push a red
silk and place the fake candle in a
candlestick. Fix your pull in posi- PAPER,
tion and drape a duplicate red silk TOSE
on your table. Have a sheet of
newspaper handy.
First light the candle, then vanish
the red silk by means of your pull.
FlGr .63
Take up the faked candle, blow
out the light, tap the end to show it is solid and
wrap it up in the sheet of newspaper. Quickly break
—
open the parcel tearing the fake candle open, and
WICK MATCH pull ou t red silk concealed
head there. Screw up the paper into a
and dispose of it in a place
ball,
where it cannot be examined by
chance afterwards.
SMALL Should you wish to produce a
SPIKE lighted candle from your pocket,
which makes a nice finale fix a —
small length of wire into a sloping
hole in a genuine candle, ajyd pusher
into the top half an inch of a red-
headed match next to the wick
FIG.6+A (
see Fig. 64, A).
A piece of card about 2 by
3 inches is now required this
;
should be pasted over with

sandpaper and affixed by a
safety-pin to your waistcoat
(see Fig. 6 q, B). Now hook
the candle into the top of.&
safety-pin, and secure inside
your coat. As you remove the candle, strike the
match on the sandpaper, and the lighted match will
light the wick.
Do not use a
matchhead in-
stead of a wick,
as this will not
remain alight
for more than
a second or two.
•
Here is an-
other favourite
One-handed
Knot
Hold the silk
over the hand
as shown in Fig.
65, making sure
that end Y is
shorter than end X (see illustration) Now bring down
.
the first and second fingers, catch hold of end X bring-

ing the end up, shake off the part hooked over the
back of the hand, forming an instantaneous knot.
Remember to twist up * / Z
the handkerchief first so
as to make a rope appear-
ance, as this helps the
fingers to obtain a good
hold.
One of the best of all silk
tricks is that known as the
Sympathetic Silks
For this you need six
large silks — two each of
three colours. Three silks,
one of each colour, are
tied together by knots, as FIG. 66
shown in Fig. 66. They are
held by the ends X, Y, Z, so that the knotted corners
are in the folds and invisible. They are laid, to all ap-
pearances as three
separate silks, upon
the table. Taking
the other three silks,
you make a reef-
knot in each case,
joining the three to-
gether, but as you
tie each one, under
cover of pulling it
tight, you pull two
parts of the same
handkerchief at
FIG. 67 points X and Y,
which has the converting the reef-knot into
effect of
a slip-knot (see Fig. 67). By pulling Y and shaking
the silk, the ends slip through. Having then shown
that the three silks have unknotted themselves, you
walk to those on the table and, catching hold of them,
you pull quickly and the three silks are disclosed
securely knotted.
Coloured silks are used in scores of different ways
as additions to other types of tricks, so you need
never be hesitant in purchasing them; they always
come in useful. Remember to buy them in twos of
the same colour, for should you buy them singly
you may not be able to match a colour should you
wish to do so later for a trick requiring two silks of
the same colour.
Silk to Egg
For a small sum you can buy a celluloid egg with
a hole in it (see Fig. 68, A), and this, with a silk,
will enable you to perform the
trick.
The egg is placed in the left-hand
pocket while you show the silk in
the hand. Allow the left
right
hand to obtain the egg during the
FIG. 68A
silk-waving action, and bring the
hand about waist high. #Throw the silk over the
cupped left hand, and with an up-and-down move-
ment slowly press it into the hand and therefore
into the egg through its hole. Having completed
the operation, blow on the left hand and open it
to disclose the egg. The surprise climax should be
helped by a certain amount of surprise showing on
your own face as you show the egg.
As an alternative method you could hide the egg
behind the handkerchief on your table on picking —
up the handkerchief with the right hand slip your
first finger into the egg (see Fig. 68, B) so that the
silk can lay flat on the hand.
Now bring over the left hand and take the egg at
the same time as the right hand slips the silk over
the left hand.
Remember on all occasions when you are palming
a ball or egg to keep the fingers tightly against one
another to achieve good cover, and don’t forget
to watch your angles.
CHAPTER XI
VANISHING AND PRODUCING

Both processes mentioned in the title to this
chapter are used extensively in conjuring. Let us
take the question of vanishing first.
One way is by means of a “pull”, a small container
affixed to a length of elastic (see Fig. 62, Chapter X)
This way is better than the vanish up the sleeve,
which is inclined to be awkward, as the elastic
tightens the sleeve material, making movement
uncomfortable. Experiment with both ways how-
ever, and decide for yourself. Incidentally a piece of
elastic attached to anything from a coin to a pencil
is equally useful for suddenly vanishing them.
For other ways you must be introduced to two

very well-known
Q conjurer’s props,
viz. the servante
and the well.
A The Servante a is
HSyS' V
MlIdUMlClldlldUlCU
small shelf attached
0 M to the back of your
I, « table. It can be of
varying sizes, and
in its simplest form
need not be any-
FlGr.69 thing more than the
92
VANISHING AND PRODUCING 93
back centre part of the cloth covering your table
pinned up (see Fig. 69) a drawer slightly pulled out
;
with a piece of cloth to deaden the sound of objects

dropping into it;
or a small velvet- CtCTTM SHOWH
WHITE TO
covered wire iMOiCATe weu-
frame. Let us sup- Po5iTiOfW
pose your right

hand holds a coin,
ball, etc., which
you have palmed;
you only need to
lower that hand,
FIG. 7° A
Section
of
Taele U BAGT
and under cover

of the action of picking up your wand from the
table let the object drop on to the servante.
The Well takes the place today of the older trap
in the table top. It is simply a hole cut through the
table with a black bag hanging from it. Your table
top will be covered with
1
pi black, and so the black
\ opening will not be seen
A
(except for very close-up

work), and a design in
braid, etc., can conceal
it very well (see Fig.
t 7\
70, A).
Larger rectangular
CLOTH SHOWN! WHITE.
wells are used for vanish-
SHADED AREA SHQW5
POSITION OF WELL. ing such things as a
rabbit or other bulky
FIG. 70B articles (see Fig. 70, B).
Here is a trick using the
well.
Make for yourself an
ornamental tube and by
means of an elastic band,
,
conceal two coloured silks

inside it (see Fig. 71), you
are now prepared for:
Confetti to Silks transposi-

tion
Stand the tube over the

well and pour in confetti
which naturally goes
straight through (see Fig.
71), make a magic pass, lift
the tube, and produce the silks. After your silk
production do not show the tube empty, for that
would disclose the elastic, but push your hand and
arm through it.
The few pieces of the confetti adhering to the silks
will provide realism.
Do
not despise the
back of a chair for
concealing a small
servante, for it may
be usefully attached
to the back of the
top rail (see Fig. 72).
In the process of lean-
ing a hand upon the F16. 72
chair back, an object may be deposited, or for that
matter taken up.
If you go to the expense of buying one of the excel-
lent mechanical boxes on the market, you will be able
to vanish things whilst standing away from your table.
The Flip-over Box, for example, usually rectangu-

lar in shape with front and back flaps hinged. A
container (a concealed shelf at right angles) is affixed
to the back, and when the box is flipped open (back
FIS. 75
first) the load hangs behind the back flap (see Fig.
73). Whatever the method, and several are employed,
this box is useful for a quick, snappy disappearance.
Now about production. You need production

will
tubes and a box; these may be adapted in size
according to the size of the load and whether they
are for stage or drawing-room performances (Chapter
XVII gives details).
Among the most spectacular things of all are
coloured paper coils which, when one end is pulled
out from the centre, can be whipped up with the
wand into an amazing heap.
Conjurers use such initial coverage as is supplied
g6 TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
by coils to produce a larger load, either from the
body or from our old friend the servante, or from
anywhere else in fact where it can easily be obtained.
One must not forget the
ever popular:
Hat Production
At its best a special con-
tainer painted black can
be bought.
This is in-
visible when placed in the
bottom of a top-hat. A
small flap opens to enable
the load to be obtained.
For more modest occasions all you need is a tiny
pin, bent into a small hook and affixed to a hat brim.
The hat is shown empty and laid on the table brim
down; the hook is allowed to engage on a black
Mov£ On e Movt TWO

FIG. 74*
cotton loop which rises from the load already

placed on your servante. The action of turning the
hat over brings the load into the hat. This is by far
the simplest method (see Fig. 74, A and B).
Another method used for producing anything from
a fire bowl, wine glass, etc., to spring goods is as
follows
The load tucked inside the left-hand side
is first
of the jacket. For production —

a large handkerchief
is displayed in the right hand and the left arm is
held out crooked, at the same time as the left side
of the body is turned towards the audience. The
righthand now drapes the handkerchief over the left
arm and hand, and takes advantage of this to slip the
load from the inside of the jacket into the left hand.
Incidentally, since a man's double-breasted coat
wraps over to the right then, naturally, it is better
to obtain the load with the right hand, which has no
difficulty in slipping into the coat.
UPRIGHT position
POSITION (BOX APPEARS fcMPfy)
PKx. 75
Another form of production box is that known as
the:
Chinese Inexhaustible Box

This has two bottoms fixed at right angles to one
another (see Fig. 75). When the box is upright the
load is being inside. When the box is
invisible,
pivoted over to the front so that its flap can be
—
opened, the interior is perfectly empty the real
bottom being outside at the back. If you are per-
forming in the drawing-room, watch the side angles
as you do this, otherwise the secret will be disclosed
to the audience.
Turning the box upright again brings the load into
the box. This is useful for solid objects, of which
surprisingly large sizes can be accommodated.
Why not experiment and make one for yourself?
It is quite simple and costs little.
Production loads usually comprise some of the

following
Spring Goods
Most of these have a coiled or other spring inside,
which cause the item in question to assume a much
larger size when released; in fact, a table can be
covered with such goods from quite a small box.
You can buy carrots, cauliflowers, sausages (see
Fig. 76), etc., made of painted canvas, flowers made
of paper (Fig. 77), a rabbit, etc., all of which have a
spring of one kind or another incorporated in them.
Remember, when you produce a string of sausages
from a boy’s pocket, to search first with the hand
FIG.17
which does not contain them, then suddenly bring

forward the other hand and produce them.
Rubber Goods
These also can take the form of practically any-
thing from a loaf of bread to a milk bottle, fruit,
eggs, sausages, etc.
Select carefully and look them, for
after all these
articles are fairly expensive to buy.
Feather Flowers
These are some of the most delightful of all con-
jurer’s requisites. The feather goods range from a
flower dart (Fig. 78) —which
has a spike in the
bottom, enabling it to be thrown into the air
and in dropping to stand upright in the floor to —
bouquets for use up the sleeve.
Some bouquets extremely large and cost
are
ten dollars or more not infrequently there are buds
;
which open by a mech-

anical means. All these
feather flowers can be
slipped into a tube hence ;
their astonishing effect

when produced from such
a small space.
Occasionally hold your
feather flowers over the
steam from
a boiling
kettle to revive them.
Solid Goods
For most purposes it
is uneconomical to pro-
duce solid goods, but

Fig. 78 the Chinese Inexhaustible
Box one of the best
is
methods for producing them should you so wish.

Aim at careful packing, try to nest things into one
another, the smaller into the larger. It can be done
and achieves an effect all its own because solid things
always seem so impossible to conceal, at least to the
audience.
PART THREE
CHAPTER XII
MISDIRECTING THE AUDIENCE

The importance cannot be over
of misdirection
emphasised, for it plays a part in the majority of
conjuring tricks. It is made necessary by the fact
that a conjurer is human and not blessed with
supernatural powers; he has to conceal as far as
possible, therefore, those moves which would show
only too obviously that he has, alas, only human
powers, after all.
Here are some simple examples from tricks

already described:
(a) The vanishing billiard ball (Chapter VIII)
where the repetitive movement of throwing up the

-ball and catching it causes the audience to follow
instinctively the last throw-up, although no ball is
in fact thrown.
(
The production of sausages from a boy’s pocket
b)
(Chapter XI) where the right hand holds the spring
sausages concealed, while the left hand digs into the
boy’s pocket, drawing attention from the right hand.
Here is another form of useful misdirection
Never tell the audience beforehand what you are going
to perform. If you commence by saying, “ Ladies and
gentlemen, I am going to make this egg travel from
here to there”, the audience will cease to be curious
or have their interest held; they will merely be
watching to see how you do it.
IOI
LOS GATOS MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Suppose, however, you place the egg in a box and
close it and, apparently changing your mind, you
say, “ Perhaps I had better leave it out on the table
first”, and opening the box you find the egg has
—
vanished you have achieved misdirection because
the audience has been led to believe that you
expected to be able to remove the egg and place it
upon the table.
When palming a card the misdirection consists
largely in entirely ignoring the hand which holds the
card concealed and concentrating on the one sup-
posed to hold it. This is not easy, as the concealed
card is probably visible to you most of the time, and
it seems almost impossible that the audience do not
see it. From the beginning, however, you will have

to become used to such a situation.
Making two moves simultaneously also achieves
a good misdirection, and is in this case a question of
timing. Suppose you have a card or cards concealed
in your hand, and you wish to place them on one of
two piles on the table in the process of placing the
;
palmed cards down on one pile, you can pick up the

other with the free hand.
Sometimes the misdirection is part of the mech-
anics of the trick, like the
Die in the Hat

A hat is shown empty, and you explain how easy
itwould be (openly) to place a die into it. So saying,
you lower it half into the hat and withdraw it again.
“But,” you say, “it would be much more difficult to
make it pass through a solid wooden tray en route ”
MISDIRECTING THE AUDIENCE 103
Placing a tray completely over the upturned hat,
you put the die upon it, covering it with a little
black bottomless box. Making a magic pass, you tap
the box and then turn it over to show that it is
empty. Removing the tray, the die is found in the
hat. Not only is the die solid, but it can be examined
by the audience.
Where, you may say, does the misdirection come
in? The die has a cover which fits over it closely and
looks exactly like except for having one open side.
it
To commence with, the cover is placed over the die

— you may then tap them both together to show the
die is solid. When the die is held for a moment in
the hat, the solid die is let fall into the hat, the
hollow cover then being placed on the tray. The
box is then placed upon the fake die. The audience
have no reason to suppose at this moment that they
are not looking at a solid die. As the cover has no
bottom, when the box which is placed over it is
turned up with the cover inside, the box appears to
be empty.
This trick is an old one and is fairly cheap to buy,
but for effectiveness it is hard to beat. Why not
make the necessary requirements for it yourself?
The die couldbe about 2 inches square of wood, the
rest would be made from cardboard.
From the foregoing remarks and examples you
will realise how subtle misdirecting the audience can
be; in fact, some forms of it reach phenomenal
heights of cleverness.
Another point you may have realised from the
Die in the Hat trick is that speed is not essential in
misdirection, in fact a quick movement may be a
handicap. Something performed fairly slowly and
deliberately with a casual manner is far more likely
to mislead the audience than some quick movement
which will arouse their suspicions.
To act naturally is something which comes after
practice. The moment you pick up an apparently
empty tube, which you know very well has a cellu-
loid fake full of water inside it, is hardly the moment
to act naturally, let alone casually, but you will have
to face the fact that the normal handling of an
empty tube would be fairly casual; therefore, you
must follow suit, as far as safety allows of course.
Some established performers are so clever at mis-
direction that when they are manipulating balls
before an audience of brother magicians —despite
the fact that the moves are known to many—the
effect is still clever enough to raise a doubt as to the
real whereabouts of a ball at any given moment.
There is in most tricks a certain crucial moment
when the necessary secret move is made it is your
;
job to conceal from the audience when that moment

is— by a counter-attraction, by continuing smoothly
as though nothing unusual has occurred (remember-
ing to look surprised when you find it has occurred),
by seeing it occurs so early on in the trick that it
catches the audience napping, and so on.
Naturally it does not come easily to be able to
make a vital move without batting an eyelid,
especially as it is usually necessary to do it without
looking. Confidence in your own skill is important
in this connection, because the audience watch your
MISDIRECTING THE AUDIENCE 105
face and look where you look. If you suddenly muff
a vital move and drop your eyes to see what has
happened, most of the audience will be following
suit. Practise in front of a mirror so that you can
watch yourself performing. You will be surprised at
the effectiveness of misdirection, and it will enable
you to perfect your movements so that you can
calmly look in a different direction at the same time.
Try performing the French Drop (Chapter VIII)
whilst in front of a mirror, if you have not already
done so. Surprisingly effective, isn’t it? The rest of
your misdirection can also be effective if you watch
your angles and cultivate natural actions.
Remember that misdirection must never be
strained or overacted, or its purpose will become
obvious.
s
CHAPTER XIII
THE SPECTATOR’S IDEA OF

“MAGIC ” 1
No matter how far you advance on the road of

conjuring, you will findworthwhile to refresh
it
your memory from time to time by reading this

chapter again, for more mistakes have been made by
performers who did not appreciate the points here
discussed than for any other reason.
Has it ever occurred to you that the spectator’s
‘
idea of 'magic” might not be the same as yours?

After a while you will appreciate and delight in the
more skilful manipulative tricks, and you will find
as you go on that the fascination of manipulation
and clever mechanical apparatus grows. By all
means allow it to do so, but remember that the
spectator’s idea of “magic” is frequently far removed
from such types of tricks.
Where would you say “magic” is born? It is
stimulated by seeing, but in actual fact it exists in
the mind of the beholder. All your efforts must be
directed, therefore, to helping this creation by every
means at your disposal.
Foster this by concealing the actual movement,
secret or otherwise, necessary to perform a trick so
fhat the audience is presented with a beginning and
1
The word “magic” has been used in this chapter to denote an
aspect of conjuring only.
106
THE SPECTATOR’S IDEA OF “MAGIC” IOJ
an end only which, joined by a wave of the hand,
etc., will lead to an imaginative creation of “magic”
in their minds.
You will have to act and act for all you’re worth,
for nothing succeeds in creating “magic” like good
acting. You may shy at waving your hand over a
tube shown previously empty before producing a
handkerchief from it, but that wave of the hand is
the very essence of “magic” to the audience.
From the foregoing you will realise that the secret
is “presentation” and a foreknowledge of audience
reaction. In the case of a trick consisting of clever
manipulation, the audience will be impressed; they
will give you
marks for your skill, but they will
full
not, as a rule, credit you with performing “magic”.
To bring about this subtle side of conjuring, you
must give all your attention to and put all you know
into the presentation. Some simple, cheaper tricks
are more real “magic” when performed correctly
than many expensive ones. Once the tremendous
difference is realised between these two aspects of
conjuring, you will be all set to give the best enter-
tainment value possible and on the way to greater
things.
you are a person with whom patter comes
If
fairly easily, you will be able to help the creation of
“magic” immensely, for you will be able to weave
a spell with words. The sort of things to mention are
“The Mysterious East”, an “Ancient Chinese
Writing”, “Found in an Indian Temple”, and
“Fourth Dimension”, etc. The audience will find
their imagination stirred despite themselves, for the
lure of the unknown has a remarkable attraction
and this will pave the way
for the birth of “magic”.
There has been a tendency to decry the more
—
obvious-looking magical apparatus instead of us-
ing, for example, three nicely spun metal cups in the
“Balls and Cups” trick, it has been done with three
kitchen cups of china. The trick was robbed of most
of its attraction as a result.
Despite arguments to the contrary, the audience
like to see a box, tube, or other piece of apparatus
that is obviously a magical “thing”. It is probably
unlike any normal thing of a similar nature in
existence, but it is in that very difference that a
magical impression is created.
The trick with a faked pack of cards or a produc-
tion box may not be clever stuff to you, but to the
audience you may be performing miracles! The
ultimate view-point that matters is what does the
audience think of it? If they like it, then try to find
out why they like it. If it appeals as “magic”, it is
worth half a dozen tricks that are merely thought
of as clever and nothing else. If the appeal is for
other reasons, say cleverness, dramatic effect,
etc., remember to keep it by you for the right
occasion.
It may you to hear clever manipulation
surprise
being decried, but remember it is “magic” only in a
limited way. It will be more appreciated in front of
a sophisticated audience, but in most shows do not
let it usurp the place that should be taken by tricks
that invoke the audience’s conception of “magic”.
You will entertain better, and be thought more of,
THE SPECTATOR'S IDEA OF “MAGIC” IO9
if you perform “magic" in your conjuring —keep the

clever stuff in its rightful place —as a couple of
“prestige spots" only in your programme, or for
entertaining your brother conjurers, and never
never mix the two.
CHAPTER XIV
USINCx AN ASSISTANT
Should you be able to persuade a friend, wife,
etc., to become your assistant, a whole new field of
possibilities opened; it enhances your show con-
is
siderably, and a good assistant will add to the

smoothness of working.
He or she will be able to remove items with which
you have finished, and hand to you others, besides
setting the table while you are giving preliminary
patter for the next trick.
You might do the following puzzler:
Mental Telepathy
Allow the pack to be shuffled, then patter about
wonderful modem advances in mental telepathy,
and indicate your assistant with the hand holding
the cards so that she (say) can glimpse the bottom
card. Lay the cards down and blindfold your assis-
tant. Next force the bottom card (see Chapter III) on
a spectator, let him shuffle the cards and hold them
to his forehead, thinking of his card as he does so.
The assistant may now disclose the card in stages
first by pretending to feel the vibrations of the
colour, then of the suit, followed by a high or low

value vibration, then the actual value.
An assistant can help you, for example, in a
rabbit production, as follows:
no
USING AN ASSISTANT III
Rabbit from Hat

You first show a perfectly ordinary top-hat
inside and out, tapping it to show it is solid, etc.
The assistant comes on from your right holding in
her left hand a large tray with the rabbit in a black
bag hanging behind on a hook.
it,
You turn right towards the assistant with the hat

in your right hand. You now apparently exchange
—
the hat and tray in reality the hat goes behind and
below the tray for a second, and the assistant whose
lefthand goes behind the tray to take the hat,

unhooks the rabbit and drops it into the hat. You
whisk the tray away with your left hand (see Fig.
79). You naturally twist the tray this way and that
to draw attention to and its emptiness. Then
it
placing it on your table you take the hat from your

assistant, place it on the tray, and out comes the
rabbit.
The assistant has other duties to perform also,
for she can help spectators on and off the stage, if
need be, besides keeping an eye on the more inquisi-
tive youngsters during a children’s show.
It is frequently very desirable to have a watchdog
if during a trick you are either out of the room or
blindfolded, as the stray practical joker does turn

up.
One must remember, however, that an assistant
is always “suspect” in a trick where she plays an
important part. It is best, therefore, not to rely too
much on your assistant as an essential performer in
a trick until by experience you know how to use such
a person in the least suspicious way.
It must be admitted that a really good assistant
needs to rehearse almost as much as the performer
himself, so, should you persuade someone to be your
assistant, see that she knows what she has to do
and make sure that she does it passably well; if for
no other reason, it is only fair to the assistant, after
all.
Perhaps it may seem unnecessary, but the follow-

ing slight warning is given in connection with choos-
—
ing an assistant you must ensure that as the con-
jurer you are the focal-point of the audience’s
attention. This means that unless the assistant is
prepared to accept a background position, the
effectiveness of your tricks may be lost because of
counter-attraction. The point is well illustrated by
a singer and her accompanist, where the latter
accepts a background position and thereby enhances
the performance of the singer.
One last word if you are a male performer, you
;
will find a female assistant is the most useful. It

USING AN ASSISTANT 113
seems that this role is filled much betterby the

female sex, as it calls for that effacing support and
assistance which is so vital and which women know
so well how to give.
At the conclusion your show ensure that your
of
assistant is brought forward to share in the applause.
The audience will like you for it, and your assistant
will feel that her rather unglamorous part was
worthwhile after all.
CHAPTER XV
THE STAGE SHOW
The great differences between a drawing-room show
and a stage show are the distance of the audience
from the performer and the angles of sight. Ordinary
size playing cards, small tubes, and boxes become
insignificant except to the audience sitting in the
first few rows, and, as a consequence, most props
have to be large. Expense comes into the picture at
once, but the handy man can score heavily by making
such items for himself.
‘
The difference in the 'angles” is brought about by
the fact that the eyes of the audience, instead of
being largely horizontal in plane as in a drawing-
room, come up from the first rows of the orchestra
and down from the balcony, etc., in addition to the
normal view from the side seats. Even if you practise
in front of a mirror you may not be covering up cor-
rectly for stage purposes, so you must encourage
your friends to help you with their criticisms after
a performance.
If you are down stage (q.v.), the angles will be more
acute, see Fig. 80 A (i)means that the audience’s
;
this
line of sight will come steeply up beneath your
table, steeply down, and so on (see Fig. 80, A and
B), so that a servante or other item concealed
behind the table may be partially visible.
If you are up-stage the angles are less, see Fig.
PlCx, 8 oa
IILLVST CATIONS OF AINffijtUES

Il6 TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
8o A (2 ) ;
concealment is easier, as the angles of sight
are less acute. This, then, a better position in
is
which to perform when using apparatus like pro-

duction tubes where the top and bottom of the
tubes are open.
On the other hand, there is a consolation; generally
speaking, any kind of distance lends concealment,
and in many ways you will be able to do a number
of things that are impossible in the more intimate
conditions of the drawing-room.
not necessary for you to have full-size cabinets
It is
and masses of large apparatus in order to give a
stage show. You may come to that by and by, if you
have high ambitions, but it takes years to create
even a modest-sized stage show, besides being very
expensive.
The kind of prop you must use is one which is large
enough to be clearly visible right at the back of the
‘
hall. Large or ‘Jumbo’ cards look very well on a
*
stand (such as is described in Chapter XVII) every- ;
one can see them, for one thing, and they are still
a novelty to most people. The ordinary small pack
can be used for certain work card fanning, cards—
from the air, for example. As long as you realise the
importance of size, you cannot go far wrong.
The production box or tubes used in the drawing-
room can be enlarged so that not only do they look
more effective but more and larger production goods
can be produced.
If you like a certain pocket-trick, it may be pos-
sible to adapt it for the stage. It is worth thinking
about.
THE STAGE SHOW 117
As you stand by a large board and chalk up (say)
names of cards, etc., remember that the people at the
—
back of the hall want to read it too so write in
large characters.
Since experience helps so much, try out various
effects in your show, and by seeking the audience’s
reaction you will soon know whether such and such
an effect needs changing, whether it is effective, if
it is a trifle on the small size, and so on.
The more colourful you can make a stage show,

large or small, the better, but do not overdo it.
Black draping is frequently employed as a means
of concealment, and because black is a neutral
colour the apparatus must bring in the colour.
Produce some flags, etc., and hang them in festoons
across the black draping —nothing succeeds so well
in leaving a lasting impression as a colourful show.
It is for this reason that illusionists with large shows
have their own drapings for the stage and produce
masses of flowers, silks, etc. In your own modest
way you, too, must be alive to colour.
Chapter XVII deals with some useful stage props,
such as a utility stand, folding tables, etc. Try to
keep the large stuff to a minimum, as unless you own
a car the weight of apparatus will be a serious draw-
back.
Incidentally bringing people up on to the stage
usually lengthens a show, so invite members of the
audience up only if you have the time to allow —say
in a half-hour show.
Now us turn to the stage itself (see Fig. 81).
let
Imagine you are standing on a stage facing the
n8
THE STAGE SHOW 119
audience, then on your left will be the “prompt’

side, which explains itself, and on your right is the
opposite-prompt side.
There are two main features —namely the house
tabs or outer curtains (see Fig. 81, at “A”), and the
back cloth or drop, D. At both sides are the wings,
E, which prevent the audience seeing behind the
scenes.
In addition to house tabs, large stages have, for
instance, first and second tabs (curtains), see B
and C. By this means the stage can be reduced in
depth as required. A short scene is sometimes
played in front of the first tabs whilst a longer one
is being prepared behind. You will probably have
to deal with only one pair of curtains, as a general

rule.
You should try to arrange your props in an attrac-
tive —
manner on the stage if you have a table on
which you work and another holding the props, try
to makea balancing compensation on the other side
(see Fig. 82, “X”) say another table or a tall piece
;
of apparatus like the stand mentioned in Chapter

XVII.
If you require two chairs, place one at either side.
If you use an assistant, she also must keep the
general balance; do not crowd one side, for in-
stance, as at “Y” in Fig. 82.
Donot worry over much about make-up, for in
the majority of small stage shows it doesn’t matter;
it is only when you face a really brilliantly lit stage
that make-up becomes a necessity.

What happens under a spotlight, you may ask?
The natural shadows of the face disappear, and
many other characteristics of the face also disappear
or are obliterated. You must therefore accentuate
where before nature was self-sufficient.
Commence with a little cold cream rubbed over
the face and neck. A touch of powder, preferably
suntan shade, with the cheeks slightly pink (rouge
or powder) gives colour to the face. The eyebrows,
moustache, and beard need darkening, as they will
otherwise be insignificant.
The eyes need a little shadow on the lids and above
towards the bridge of the nose. A brown line round
the eye helps also to outline the shape, with a pink
spot in the corner by the nose. Eyelashes in the case
of a lady also need treatment. A tin of make-up
remover — either cream or as small pads—is the final
requirement.
All the items mentioned can be purchased very
reasonably at a variety store, department store or
drugstore. Remember, however, that the more
expensive “stage” make-up cannot be surpassed for
its particular purpose, but for more moderate oc-
casions you can make-up passably well with these

inexpensive cosmetics.
Some conjurers like to perform in “character”,
such as a Chinese, Indian, etc. In this case you might
try making, with the help of the ladies in the house,
your own costume from a “fancy dress” pattern;
your make-up will follow suit accordingly.
Your tricks can be given the right flavour by suit-
able adaptation. Besides using the Chinese Rice
Bowls and Chinese Linking Rings you can paint
THE STAGE SHOW 121
Chinese characters or a dragon on production boxes,

etc. Alternatively you can use Indian-type characters
and make your production box look like an Indian
temple. Some on the market
of the Indian brass-ware
is extremely attractive and ranges from candlesticks
to bowls and trays.

A stage seems vast after you have been used to
performing in a drawing-room, but the extra space
gives a wonderful feeling of freedom of movement.
Get as much movement as possible into your show,
and you will find yourself really enjoying it.
When you go on to a stage for your first perform-
ance you may feel nervous, but do not worry; those
at the top of the profession get that feeling too.
Remember, however, to speak out well to the
audience, they all want to hear you. Do not
forget the spectators in the circle and gallery (if
there should be one), but be sure to speak to all
parts of the auditorium.
s
>
CHAPTER XVI
SOME EFFECTIVE APPARATUS
If you purchase or make
a piece of apparatus which
can be used in more than one type of trick, you have
—
saved yourself in the long run much expense. —
In considering, therefore, the subject of effective
apparatus, we can do no better than commence with
such an item, namely that old favourite the Mirror
Vase (see Chapter XVII). Here is an object which
can be used to change more than one item; it can,
for instance, change:
(a) A knotted rope into a perfectly free rope.

(b) Separate links into a chain
(c) A red silk to a blue silk.
(d) Knotted silks to unknotted silks.
Another item is the Changing Bag. Simply a bag

of black velvet about 6 by 6 inches, with a division
down the centre. It can be used, like the Mirror Vase,
either by itself or in combination with other appar-
atus, besides having an added advantage you can—
use it to change cards, balls, and so on. You could
have several of different sizes in order to meet
different requirements.
A Box or Tubes is another “must”, for
Production
a production box finds a place in a great number of
programmes. The more gaily coloured the better,
and remember that the load can be varied consider-
122
SOME EFFECTIVE APPARATUS 123
ably, from spring goods that compress into a small
space to paper streamers, rubber goods (fruit, milk
bottles, etc.), according to the type of audience
before whom you are performing (see Chapter XVII
for constructional details).
An old derby or top-hat is desirable for children's
show production. Its effectiveness maybe gathered
from the expression “Like a Rabbit from a Hat".
For its use see Chapters XI and XIV.
Should you care to rise to a slightly more ambi-
tious level, you could purchase a
*
Dove Pan, which is usually made of aluminium.

It has three parts — a base, a lid, and a load chamber.
This latter is concealed in the lid, and upon the lid's
being deposited on the base and removed it is left
behind in the pan.
Such a piece of apparatus can be used to produce
—
not only doves, but livestock white mice, etc.,
besides other things, such as a cake, after comical
ingredients have been mixed up in the pan in the
first place.
Two everyday elements which can be used to
good effect are fire and water. The first element may
well be represented by a Lighted Candle, which can
form part of innumerable tricks, such as that where
you burn an envelope into which has previously
been put a dollar bill, or the famous vanishing candle
(see Chapter X), where it mysteriously becomes a
silk handkerchief.
For ambitious occasions, providing you have a
few dollars to spare, you might purchase the
Multiplying Lighted Candle, which is an extremely
effective stage trick —especially when the lights are
lowered beforehand.
Needless to say, for spirit-writing effects, a lighted
candle with the rest of the room in darkness is
tremendously effective and gives a truly spirit -like
atmosphere.
It is probably the suggestion of danger in a naked
flame that appeals to the audience. A really attrac-
tive ornamental candlestick is well worth acquiring
for use in such tricks.
The second element is represented by those tricks
where liquids change colour, appear or disappear.
The famous Wine to Water trick can be purchased
for a few cents (use your own jug and glasses),
has a novel appeal, and appears to border on the
uncanny when the audience sees water poured into
the glasses become port, whisky colour, etc., in turn.
Another liquid trick is known as the Disappearing
Milk in Jug. The special jug enables you to appear
to be pouring out the milk (which in fact you are
not) the level of the milk goes down, however, as
;
though you really were pouring it out. By pouring

from the jug into a paper funnel and throwing the
contents to the audience you can cause quite a
surprise. Alternatively you can open out the paper
and show it empty or find confetti, etc., in its place.
It is surprising the number of tricks in which the
use of a pistol can be very effective. It takes the place
of amagic pass much more dramatically. Use a toy
cap-gun unless you expect to do stage work, in
which case a blank cartridge starter’s gun would be
better.
SOME EFFECTIVE APPARATUS 125
For a pretty effect it would be hard to beat the
Flower Basket trick, in which a wire basket becomes,
in the twinkling of an eye (covered or uncovered),
full of flowers. As you may imagine, the flowers are
of the spring variety, and are packed flat in the •
bottom of the basket, over which swivel-hinged flaps

lay, held in place by a pin.
You could construct your own if you purchase a
plastic basket from a department store. The hinges
are pieces of cloth. Paint the base inside green, and the
flaps appear as foliage when they open out and up.
Giant Cards have already been mentioned as effec-
tive items, and in conjunction with a stand (see
Chapter XVII) have a strong audience appeal.
There is no need to buy a full pack of these cards,
just one or two tricks consisting of say three or more
cards complete in themselves are enough with which
to commence.
.Perhaps you may have thought that the conjurer's
wand has been forgotten? It has been left to the last,
but is certainly not least. A wand really is a conjurer's
requisite, like the baton of a conductor. It gives him
an air of authority, besides having uses for misdirec-
tion and in palming.
Supposing you have palmed a silk in the right
hand, what could be more natural than to hold your
wand with the same hand, thus giving a perfectly
good reason for your hand being closed?
The Rising Wand is a well-known effect, and is
very mysterious. If you purchase one, you can use it
for the whole of the show.
—
A last word of advice as magical apparatus can
be expensive to buy, sit down and think about any
item that takes your fancy before you buy it work
;
out its uses, and be sure you really do want it. When
you are sure, then buy it and, above all, look after it
carefully and it will last you for years to come.
CHAPTER XVI
APPARATUS YOU CAN MAKE
One of the drawbacks to acquiring magical appar-
atus is that it is invariably expensive to buy. There
are certain items, however, which, with a little
effort, can be made by the handy man, and this
chapter describes some useful props which will amply
repay time spent on their construction, besides
being light on the pocket.
One of the most useful of all materials is wall-paper,
preferably the type with a mass of small designs.
You might ask how such paper can be used; it can
in fact be used for covering anything from cardboard
tubes to production boxes, and looks remarkably
well for close-up or stage purposes.
Ghost Tubes
Fig. 83 shows wall-paper used as covering for a
ghost tube, with two alternative ornamentations of
the ends, one by the use of indian ink, the other by
means of wall-paper border.
To make ghost tubes, a large outer tube about
5! inches diameter and about 9 inches high is
required in the first place. The word about is used
because the dimensions can be altered to suit
—
circumstances e.g. whether you desire to produce
a lot or a little from them. This tube is simply made
from a strip of cardboard bent to shape and glued
127
at the join; then covered with wall-paper and
it is
ornamented each end as shown. Two holes 2 inches in

diameter are then cut through it one above the
other.
A second tube is also required, of the same height
but about 5 inches wide in order to fit into the first.
If another kind of wall-paper is used to cover this,

so much the
WALLPAPER better. The
T&3E33& &Border
INDIAN
1HK,<?\
two holes are
not required
in this tube.
The fake is
wallpaper
a third tube
made to fit in-
to the last
tube. It should
be 8 inches
high, about 4J
STICK INSIDE 7R£
inches wide,
BASE OP PAK&
and must have
a bottom this;
FlGr.6 3
can be a
latter
circle of cardboard with tabs which can be bent up
all round and stuck inside the fake tube (see Fig. 83).
The whole should then be painted dull black on the

outside and one-third way down inside.
The tubes are nested together, the load being in
the innermost one. First show the outer tube is v
empty and replace, then repeat with the next innet

tube. Lastly make a magic pass and produce the
load from the innermost one.
APPARATUS YOU CAN MAKE I2g
Should you wish to buy Ghost Tubes, you will
find that there are two useful types; one resembles
the kind described but has a square outer tube, and
is of metal with a fretted front the other is a single
;
tube with two rings. A piece of tissue paper is placed

on either end and a ring used to secure it, making a
drumhead. From the interior are then produced
streamers, silks, etc.
Collapsible Table
Since your show must be mobile and it cannot be

guaranteed that a suitable table will be forthcoming
where and when you want it, a collapsible table is
a necessity. Visit your

own lumber room or a
second-hand shop, and
you should be able to
procure an old music-
stand discard the top
;
rod and music holder, and Dowel & Block

9
you now have the lower
part of a tripod table.
For the top a piece of Discard
4- to 6-ply wood size 14 upper
Parts of
by 11 inches is required; Stanj;d .
round off the corners and

—
edges then centrally on Fig. 84-
to the underneath side
screw a block of wood about 2 by 2 by 3 inches. In
this drill a hole to take a piece of dowelling 5 inches
long, which should be glued in and sharpened
slightly on its end (see Fig. 84).
LOS GATOS MEMORIAL

LIBRARI
10S GATOS, CALIFORNIA
You may now place the table ‘top on the firmly
extended tripod, the dowel going into the end of
the rod. Do not use a size dowel that is too easy a
fit, or else a wobble will develop.
w A (Tl
OPEN^ Closed
t
jg)
10
\ yfS
rrrJ
Struts
beneath
to*
SIDE VIEW
WHEN
folded
FIG. 85
Four-legged Type
For more ambitious occasions, a four-legged table
may be made very cheaply as follows
From wood about \ inch thick construct a four-
sided framework (see Fig. 85). The front and back
are a length of 16 inches, whilst each end consists of
two The whole is kept
pieces each 4 inches long.
together by hinges mounted in pairs, making six
APPARATUS YOU CAN MAKE I3I
pairs altogether; the corner ones are screwed inside

at a distance of \ inch from each end, and those at
the middle of each end are on the outside this enables ;
the framework boxto fold nearly flat (see Fig. 85).

The legs are nothing more than four broom-sticks
which are cut to a length of 30 inches. The upper
(not rounded) ends are shaped off for 2 inches, thus
enabling the legs to spread outwards when mounted.
Each pair of legs is now screwed to a long side if
inches from the end at the upper part and 1 inch at
the lower part (but be careful not to coincide with
the ends of the hinge screws), and at an angle so that
the legs spread out sideways to 20 inches at the
feet ;
this gives stability to the table.
The top is a piece of 3- or 4-ply wood or other thin
but strong material, size 23 by 15 inches. It is secured
in position by means of two struts of wood 1 by
ij inches, and in length an easy fit to go inside
(between the front and back) of the framework (see
Fig. 85). They will probably be in the region of
inches long, but make a good fit by trial and error.
Round off the edges and corners.
By means of two small panel pins knocked
through the top in the approximate positions, the
two struts can be adjusted in position so that when
the table-top is placed on the framework, they will
lie just inside each end. These pieces of wood keep
the table apart, and hold the top firmly in position*

Having settled the correct position, the top can
be securely affixed to its two struts by means of
screws (use a small washer for each screw). An
edging to the top is desirable, as 3-ply wood will
fray and split. Gummed-back brown paper strips i
inch wide will hold the edge quite firmly. If there is
a tendency to warp, affix a length of squared wood
along the under edge.
It is not desirable to move the table by its top
except when not loaded; the top can, however,
be locked in position by drilling a hole through each
end of the framework and continuing into the table-
top spacing struts drill the holes to one side of the
;
centre so as to clear the hinges. A small metal rod,

wire, etc., slipped through both holes will then hold
the top firmly in position.
When the table is folded, the top can rest vertically
on the legs hanging by one of its struts from the top.
Should you make two tables, then, with a little
care, one may be placed on top of the other in the
folded position; the second top will rest on the
opposite side in that case.
Utility Stand
Another piece of apparatus which will come in
useful for several purposes is a stand with folding
feet (see Fig. 86).
The central pole is 68 inches high by i \ inches thick
and is the heaviest part of the whole construction.
This pole is important, so do not go beyond this
limit in size. The three feet (A), (B), and (C) are of
light wood in the region of J by § inch planed and
form together a triangular shape which can be con-
structed away from the central pole and then
screwed to it later.
The vertical length (A) is 15 inches, the sloping
t
HOOK a 6.yeu6T Block, placed

•Attachment &6N6ATH 6NO
FIG.8b
133
length (B) 16 inches, and the horizontal (C) is
is
io inches. Small hinges of the variety shown in Fig.

86 are screwed on the inside at the lowest corners;
a small block is screwed to the top end of the verti-
cal length of wood as a stop for the top end of the
sloping strut (B), see Fig. 86 (inset i).
The block at th'e outer extremity of the hori-
zontal length is an important part of the construc-
tion as, by making this the only part of each leg to
touch the floor, the whole weight of the pole sits
snugly into its legs on account of its weight; see
Fig. 86 (inset 2).
When the three legs have been made, they can be
screwed to the base of the pole by two screws each,
as shown. Any adjustment to make the pole stand up-
right may be made by readjusting the stop block (to
which the hook is attached), a trifle higher or lower.
In order to be able to lift the stand so that the
legs do not fall open, a small hook and eyelet is fixed
as shown to the upper ends of the triangle. Particular
care should be exercised to get them in a working
position (see insets to Fig. 86).
The pole and legs can be painted black as neces-
sary, and two or three holes drilled through at the
top as required to hold accessories.
Some uses of the stand are
(a) For holding a cross-bar on which lanterns or
other production goods can be hung.

(b) For holding a large target for a “Robin
Hood” illusion.
(c) For holding a framed picture, a spirit slate,
and so on.
APPARATUS YOU CAN MAKE 135
Its uses will grow the longer you have it. If you
fix a small black-
board to it, you
can write a card
prediction on it
(faced away from

the audience), then
force the card in
question on a spec-
tator, finally turn-
ing the stand round
to show how right
you were
Production Box
By the use of a
double-sided mirror
and a few pieces of
wood, a small pro-
duction box can be
made quite easily
(see Fig. 87).
The dimensions
(mine was 4 inches
square) rely on the
size of the mirror,
which should not
project above the
top of the front
edge. Such a mirror
is purchasable at a
variety store, and is

held at an angle of 45 degrees by means of a saw cut
(see Fig. 87). The top and front door should be
lid
hinged with brass hinges with a small knob on the
front door. The interior should be painted black.
—
The outside after it has been painted blue, gold,
etc., to taste —
can be improved wonderfully by
using several real paint transfers now on the market
Ones with a flower design are best. The upper
chamber is loaded and the box shown empty by
opening the front door; after passes, the top lid is
raised and out come your silks, etc.
wi
DOUBLE-S 10 £0
MIRROR
CUT TO
Glass vase. SHAPE, DEcoratom
Fig, 88
Mirror Vase
There is a useful tumbler on the market with a
metal insert which enables it to look empty from one
side when the other side is loaded.
A larger version can be made by buying a flower
vase —preferably
with a bell-mouth top and with
cut-glass ornamentation.
APPARATUS YOU CAN MAKE I37
Cut a cardboard form to go down the centre, and

then take it to a mirror shop where, from scraps of
double-sided mirror, the necessary shape can soon
be cut for a few cents. Glue into position, as shown
in Fig. 88, down the sides of the vase; where the
edge of the mirror might be visible can be painted a
strip design with a corresponding ornamentation
down the centre of the front and back. Into this
prop you may place single silks, cover the vase,
reverse front to
1- -^ *»
CARD
back, and then <
PROJECTS
remove the silks
knotted together.
Another of its
many uses is for
making a handful
of links change in-
to a chain, and so
Grooved VJood
on.
Card Stand
Should you do
SHovOiMG? .
THE.
the three-card
HlU&ED SOPPORTS
trick using the
large-size Jumbo Ft&.89
cards (it looks
better that way), a stand to hold three cards can
be made (Fig. 89) as follows:
First a piece of plywood 16 by 6 inches
needed; is
then using J-inch-square wood affix a strip along the

bottom, and four strips 4\ inches long vertically as
shown, rounding off the top edge. Along the bottom
to form a lip affix a strip of plywood about f inch
wide. Use panel pins throughout. A folding support
can be made from J-inch wood about 5J inches long.
It should be hinged to the back centre of the stand.
The stand will be firm and, when folded to carry,
pack flat. For normal-size cards reduce the sizes
accordingly.
Recapping the chief methods employed for orna-
mentation, we have:
{
a Wall-paper, with use of wall-paper border
and black indian ink, and
(6) Real paint transfers for a near professional
look on painted boxes, etc.
Never pass a second-hand shop without glancing
round, for you may come across a vase, bottle, box,
etc.,which, although costing little, can be turned to
good use and look really good with a little effort.
Need it be added that a perfectly good Magic
Wand can be made from a suitable size dowel rod
14 inches long, painted black with 2|-inch painted
white ends. In thickness it should be at least J inch
in diameter, so that it can be comfortably seen at a
distance.
PART FOUR
CHAPTER XVIII
POCKET AND CLOSE-UP TRICKS
To be able to perform close-up magic is an accom-
plishment that every conjurer worthy of the name
should acquire; in fact, unless he is able to do such
conjuring, he will not be an accomplished or
effective performer in other fields of the art.
Consider the difficulty of close-up performance;
no aloofness such as a stage will give, nor, indeed,
those few precious feet that a drawing-room per-
formance usually enjoys. The audience's eyes are
upon every move; concealment is at its trickiest;
no wonder a good close-up worker is as popular
and as respected by his magical friends as by his
audience.
Many close-up effects are, in fact, pocket tricks
and, since manufacturers have mass-produced scores
of these tricks costing but a few cents, there is no
reason why anybody who so desires should not
acquire a few.
Like all things, there are skilled and less skilled
tricks; those relying on a mechanical device should
not be despised on that account alone, for such
tricks may often be as effective as those using
unprepared objects and employing sleight of hand.
There are innumerable occasions when a trick
which can be carried in the pocket is useful you may
;
be in a group of friends anywhere and be called upon

139
suddenly to do something, and of course you will
find delight in having a trick or two handy to tan-
talise a brother magician on a club night.
As regards close-up pocket effects requiring
apparatus, you should go cautiously; choose two or
three that appeal to you, and try out their effect.
One of the most effective is the Okito Coin Box by
means of which a coin, placed in this box, appears
to drop through the hand. The Three Card Trick
appears in many forms, mostly consisting of three
cards, two of which are unprepared and one prepared.
This effect relies on a slight movement of the fingers
as the displayed cards are turned over and held out
for selection. There is also the Magic Bottle made of ,
—
wood. It will lie on its side when you know how!
Try to keep off puzzles pure and simple in your
selection, as there are plenty of worthwhile tricks.
Now for those requiring a little more skill. Firstly
why not carry a piece of tape with you and do the
Cut and Restored Rope trick (Chapter II).
Another favourite is the
Penny and Nickel Turnabout

The and a penny, each held
effect is that a nickel
through a handkerchief, change places under the
eyes of the most lynx-eyed of spectators.
It is accomplished by secretly placing a second
penny up one sleeve. Theand the first penny
nickel
are displayed on the table. After showing a hand-
kerchief and allowing the secret penny to slip into
the hand, the nickel is taken up and apparently
placed under the handkerchief. In reality it is
POCKET AND CLOSE-UP TRICKS 141
changed with the penny, the nickel being slipped into
the sleeve (Fig. 90).
The penny next picked up, and under cover of
is
a second handkerchief is changed with the nickel.
LEFT
HAND
Right hamt^
Fig. 9o
The reason for the sleeving is that the hands can be

shown empty in between the moves of the trick.
A portable close-up version of the Cup and Balls
can be performed as the:
Nut-shells and Peas Trick in which three half

walnut-shells are used with peas in place of metal
cups and larger balls. Similar moves can be made,
besides additional ones.
The principle ot the Cups and Balls is the conceal-
ment of a ball whilst appearing to place it under a
cup, by palming as shown in Fig. 91.
In -the case of the smaller pea it can, for instance,
also be nipped between the upper ends of the two
fingers. Remember to keep the back of the hand

uppermost, and in curling it when slipping a pea
under a shell, etc., keep the back to the audience as
far as possible.
A couple of dice are easily carried about, and
provide the wherewithal to perform the trick known
as:
Changing Dice
Hold the two dice together as in Fig. 92, so that
they are held between finger and thumb.
Keeping the fingers in the same position, twist
POCKET AND CLOSE-UP TRICKS I43
over the hand so that the opposite side of the dice

can be seen.
Bring back the hand and repeat the movement
again, but at the same time roll the dice forward
across the thumb. The effect will appear to be a
change of spots on the backs of the dice as first shown.
This trick relies on the fact that the majority of

people do not know that the spots at opposite faces
of dice total 7. Needless to say, armed with this
information you should be able to think up some
baffling tricks.
A miniature Paddle Trick can also be carried about
comfortably, and this small version is sometimes
called
The Cricket-bat Trick

The bat can be made by you from a piece of wood
about z\ inches long. There appear to be three holes
running right through with a stump of matchstick
in the centre one (both sides). At a wave of the hand
the matchstick jumps into the bottom hole.
The secret is as fol-
I lows :
I I On one side the

bottom hole isa fake
one, made with a red-
hot wire pressed only
•
0
0
— 0
half-way through. On
the back the bottom
hole corresponds to the
centre one on the front
— the top hole being a
fake one (Fig. 93). After
showing one side, the
bat is held vertically as
FRomt 3ACK in Fig. 94, and as the
F»G. 95 other hand is passed
across in front the finger
and thumb twist the bat round. Removing the
matchstick and showing both sides slowly discloses
no clue as to the secret. Alternatively the move can
be the normal paddle twist, i.e., pretending to show
both sides you twist
the bat slightly in the
act of so doing, show-
ing in reality the same
side twice.
The Disappearing
Pencil trick is also a
useful one. It has been
described in Chapter II.
Perpetual Pellets has
tormented many small F1&.94
gatherings, so why not include this trick if it appeals

to you? Chapter IV gives the details.
A fake matchbox will enable you to perform the
Vanishing Matches
The box is prepared as
follows
The drawer is removed
and a false bottom half
the size fixed to one end
(see Fig. 95). On to this
are stuck a number of
half matches (head ends) in two layers leaving one
;
match out at the side. This space is for a full-length

match to be placed. The lower part of the drawer
has some four or five matches only in it.
To commence, push open end A showing a full
box and remove the single proper-length match. As
—
you strike it say, “H’m don’t think much of these
matches. Til be glad when I get down to the last
few.” Then, pushing open the other end to disclose
the four or five matches, you say, “Oh I seem to be
there already” and empty them out.
Try not to rattle the matches during the first part
of the trick, and remember to open the drawer half-
way and no farther.
A miniature version of the Four Ace Trick can be
prepared under the title of
Catch Those Crooks

For this you will need nine pieces of card about
2 by inches; on three of them you draw a black
mask to represent the crooks, and on the rest a
policeman’s helmet (Fig. 96). In addition, draw a
mask on the back of two cards bearing a policeman’s
helmet.
FIG .9(o
The cards are stacked, face up, as follows:
(Top) 1. Crook card.

2. Crook card with helmet on the back.
3. Crook card with helmet on the back.
4. Helmet card.
5. Helmet card.
6. Helmet card.
7. Helmet cardy
8. Crook card.
9. Crook card.
You commence to a little tale about three
tell
crooks setting out on a midnight visit to a bank. So

saying, you lay the first three cards on the table;

all showing masks.
Casually you show the first few of the helmet
cards, explaining they are the police. (Do not dis-
close cards 8 and 9.)Explaining that the crooks
broke an invisible ray and warned the police, thereby
bringing six policemen along, you turn over the
cards in the hand face down. Lay the first two on
top of card 1, then two each on top of cards 2 and 3
on the table. “You see the police have cornered the
crooks already. In fact, they are now driving off the
first two crooks in a black maria/ 'So saying, you
pick up all the cards on and including card 3, and
the same for card 2. You now say, “I expect you are
wondering what has happened to the three cards
left. Well, strangely enough, they all seem to be
—
crooks: as for the black maria when it arrived just
look what was inside!” Here you count out face up
the six cards, all showing helmets.
If you care to carry a pack of cards about with
you, any number of close-up effects may be per-
formed. In the majority of cases a certain skill is
necessary, for cards are comparatively tricky things
for close-up work.
The double-lift and turn-over described in Chapter
VI is a useful sleight, for its moves are practically
indetectable.
Forcing the bottom card (see Chapter III) is also
a good close-up sleight. With a little thought several
ways of announcing such a chosen card can be
devised, suitable for close-up and pocket per-
formance.
As palming is even at the best of times, it
tricky,
should not be attempted for close-up tricks unless
you are really proficient, when it can be used with
striking effect.
The use of prepared packs is but as the
helpful,
spectators around you invariably expect, as a natural
course of seeing you perform under their noses, to
handle everything, it is best to keep such a pack for
more safe use (and, of course, keep the secret of the
pack!).
Well-performed close-up effects are the hall-mark
of a good conjurer, and since no one becomes a good
conjurer without practising tricks assiduously before
showing them, be sure you do so before performing
any pocket and close-up trick.
CHAPTER XIX
ENTERTAINING CHILDREN
Such a lot of entertaining for children is done by
means of conjuring, that this line is, in fact, one of
the best sources for those who wish to take it up in
a professional or semi-professional capacity.
If he likes children, a children's show will give a
conjurer as much satisfaction as everything else put
together. "Above all, children want to believe in
magic, and that is half-way to its consummation.
The explanation of a trick will be, to a child, a
simple and direct one. If the ball that has just
vanished is not in that hand, and not in the other,
it is up the conjurer’s sleeve. Perhaps it is, but the
conjurer who knows children will deliberately act

suspiciously with his arm to draw attention from the
real place of concealment.
He may, if he has an impish sense of humour, agree
that the ball is up his sleeve, and then pull from it
not the ball (elsewhere) but a rubber banana, spring
sausage, etc. Under cover of the laughter, the ball
can finally be disposed of in the desired place.
It is true to say that it is more difficult to deceive
an intelligent youngster than an adult, and for this
reason a high level of performance is necessary. Do
not make the mistake of thinking that a performance
for children is either easy or needs less practice — it
is not and it does not.
149
As age-groups vary, so must the magic you per-
form; for very young children tricks simple to
follow are the best: a glove puppet performing
conjuring tricks is usually immensely successful.
Slightly older children these days demand nearly
adult tricks, but do not include complicated card
tricks or mental thought reading, as there are plenty
of other tricks which are more suitable.
Suppose you have more than one age-group to
entertain. In such a case you must not attempt to
entertain both groups at the same time. The best
way is to come right out into the open, and tell the
older children that you are going to do something
for the younger ones; then they will not think that
they are being treated too childishly. They will
watch you, nevertheless It works in reverse too if
!
;
you tell the tiny tots that you are doing something
special for the older children, they will at least be
quiet in anticipation of coming treats.
The awkward child is the headache for those
conjuring before children. Here are a few examples
with the right way to deal with the awkward child.
A. “I know how that one is done, mister/’
B. “Oh yes —and what is your name? Tommy
Brown. Well, Tommy (in a loud whisper), I know
how it is done and you know too, but I do not think
the others do, so do not tell them, will you” (and
wink hard).
This will make a bond between the awkward
child and yourself, and he will keep the secret as if
his life depended on it.
A. “You say it is empty —prove it.”
ENTERTAINING CHILDREN 151
B. This usually follows a faux pas on the part of

the performer. He probably started by saying,
“Here I have an empty box/’ It is better not to
make a statement which needs proof. In this case it
would have been quite enough to open the box
without saying it was empty. It will appear to be
empty as far as the audience can see — which is good
enough.
A. “I have seen it done before.”
B. “Remember some children who have
there are
not, so be a good sport and close your eyes!” This
will cause a laugh and pass over the embarrassing
moment.
A. “I can do that trick, mister.”
B. “Well, sonny, would you like to come and do
it, or would you rather I showed you my way?”
Needless to say, such a direct challenge is usually

not accepted and you proceed smoothly.
A. “I do not think much of you as a conjurer.”
B. “Now, now —you know you should not say
things like that, sonny. (To the rest of the audience)
What shall we do with him, children, turn him into
something? Ah well! not this time.”
An appeal to children's better nature is never out
of place, for they can be extremely generous if you
—
make a bad slip even on your very first trick.
Apologise quickly to them, and carry on straight
away; they will forgive you.
Whilst on the subject of awkward customers,
never have the mischievous child up on the stage;
he will be poking about amongst your apparatus, and
trying to trip you up as you do a trick.
Do have children up though, because they love to
help. As you are so tall and they are slightly shy of
your powers, make them feel at home, bend your
knee to talk to them, and above all do not make
them look foolish, for, if you do, the rest of the
audience will be against you en bloc .
One of the finest children’s conjurers was the

late David Devant, of the famous “Maskelyne &
Devant” Shows. Those who had the good fortune to
see him performing never forgot the way he had with
young children, and how happy and delighted he
made those whom he had up on the stage with him.
Here is an episode from a children’s show given by
the author, as an example of handling a child. A
young boy came up on to the stage and was made
thoroughly at home by being asked his name, what
he wanted to be when he grew up, etc. The idea was
to work in whether or not he would like to be a
soldier, and he was subsequently given a fine paper
soldier’s hat to see what he looked like in it. He then
had a wand penetrated into his ear, and was allowed
to handle the wand afterwards; during this latter
the author was on one knee so as to talk to the boy,
not over him. The final trick was to show him how to
push a penny through a handkerchief. When the
boy went back to his seat, he had the “magic” penny
and a fine soldier hat as souvenirs.
Some of the curious things that delight children are
the “bits of business” as they are called; these are
short moments of by-play such as nearly tripping
over the corner of the mat on the floor two or three
times, then passing it later on without falling, then
ENTERTAINING CHILDREN 153
returning again for the explicit purpose of making
good the omission
Another winner —balancing an egg on a wand
is described in the next chapter. The general princi-
pal is have a recurring little mannerism. You
to
might, again, keep reaching up into the air for some-
thing and, looking disappointed, show your hand
empty. Towards the end of the show you could
really produce something say an egg. —
Productions are usually the highlights of children’s
shows, and you will always score if you produce a
handful or two of sweets for the audience. The effect
is greatly in excess of the cost of the sweetmeats
concerned. Do not, however, let them rush out for

the sweets tell them they must wait until the show
;
is over. If you have more boisterous children, give

the sweets to one of your little helpers. You will not
be thanked by the organiser for introducing a species
of riot into the entertainment.
Throwing out paper streamers always gives a
striking effect, and spring flowers have a pretty look.
Most of all, never forget the rabbit. You may think it
is rather old-fashioned and hardly necessary these
days, but you will never be a conjurer unless you do

produce a rabbit. There is no need to have a live
animal, as there are several substitutes in the
form of glove puppets, spring ones, etc., which can
be bought. Remember, children expect a conjurer to
have a rabbit in his show, and for it to come out of
a hat, if possible.
One last word; keep everything as bright as you
can because children adore bright colours. In fact,
when you have finished painting with red, yellow, and
blue, you may think everything looks rather loud,
but do not worry; it will be tremendously effective
and, in any case, you can keep it out of the sight of
adult eyes
CHAPTER XX
SOME CHILDREN’S EFFECTS
As mention has been made of the “bits of business’’
so effective for inclusion in your programme for
children,you could not do better than select one or
two. The egg balancing on the wand is a mechanical
device, and here is its description and use.
The Egg on Wand

The egg is a wooden or celluloid one, the latter
requiring a piece of dowel glued inside it, as shown.
Drill a small hole
at one end. The CELLULOID /A, ÔWEL
wand is hollow; it
£<*Gr / DRILLED
can be made from WOODENl
a thin length of .PlUCr ~
aluminium tubing, DRILLED
and about three-
quarters of the
way down a ver-
tical slit is cut
through to the wire
centre a length of
;
US.*" End
wire runs from the
top down to the Tl»®6
slit, where it is
bent so as to pro-
trude slightly. FIG. 97
155
To operate you try balancing the egg on the top
of the wand two or three times, and each time.
fail
Last of all you place the egg on top, and with your
thumb push up the end of wire, which goes up into
the egg (see Fig. 97).
Showing a great deal of satisfaction, you now point
to the balanced egg and swing the wand at 45
degrees both ways. Wait until the audience have
laughed and accused you of trickery, then, holding
the wand upright, ask them to blow. As they do so,
move the wire down with your thumb and the egg
will topple off.
The tricks following are arranged in age-appeal
order, starting at the youngest first.
Changing Silks
For you need two red silks, two of blue, and

this
one each of red and blue paper hats. In addition,
you will require two paper bags, which will need to be
prepared as follows:
Take two more paper bags and cut the upper half
away. Insert a red silk and a blue in each of the
complete bags and glue into the necks one each of the
half bags (see Fig. 98). Make a mark on the bags so
that you know which colour is in each bag. Now make
a small hole through each part bag into the lower half.
Ask for two children to help you, and when they
come up place a blue hat on one child’s head and
give him the bag with the red silk concealed in it.
You now show a blue silk and press it into the bag
with the tip of your wand the hole will enable you
;
to appear to be pressing the silk right down to the

SOME CHILDREN’S EFFECTS 157
bottom of the bag. Tie the neck with a piece of
ribbon and give it to the child to hold. Now place
a red hat on the other child’s head and give him the
other bag to hold, into which you place a red silk.
F1G.S8
Explain that the red silk is held by the red-hatted

and the blue by the blue-hatted child; then make a
magic pass.
Take each bag in turn and tear off a portion of th'e
bottom so that the concealed silk can be pulled out,
showing that the silks have apparently changed
places. Quietly dispose of the guilty bags in a safe
place.
Three Hungry Mice

For this you will need a stand (as described in
Chapter XVII) and nine white cards, 7 by 4J inches.
On draw a mouse wearing a bow of
three of these
—
ribbon colour them differently, say red, brown, and
blue (Fig. 99). On the back of the brown and blue
mouse draw a black cat. On the four of the cards
left draw a black cat whilst on the last two of them
;
draw a duplicate brown- and blue-bowed mouse.

You commence by having the three original mice
cards on the stand (two of them have cats on the
back). Casually show the six cats in your hand;
actually showing the front two or three (the duplicate

mouse cards are at the back) (see Fig. 100).
The story is this
The three mice who live in the country get rather
hungry and decide to raid the king’s pantry, so they
go into the palace one night. They do not know,
however, that the king keeps six fierce cats, and so
the poor mice are being stealthily followed, each by
two cats.
Turn over the cat cards, face to yourself, and place
two at a time in front of the mice. By this means
the two duplicate brown and blue mice cards are
first
placed on the red mice card. Show the third card

in your hand as you place it in position, as it is a cat
card. Show also the last one, to give the impression
they are all cat cards.
Explain now that the cats comer two of the mice
(take up the two sets of cards containing the original
‘Two Mice.
CARDS
(BRown & Blue)
Four CAT
Cards
FIG. 100
brown and blue mice cards) and have waited for day-
light to come. But what of- the third mouse? Will he
escape! Here lift up the two cards upon the red
mouse card and say it looks as though the other two
also escaped, and turn the cards round and place in
the stand.
As you continue “They had to face the
to the cats
angry king.” Then turn round all the cards (six in
your hand) and fan to show six cat cards.
The story is simple to follow, and should not be
drawn out too long.
Wolves and Sheep

This trick makes use of a principle well-known to
conjurers, namely, only three faces of a block can
be seen at once, providing a corner is facing in the
direction of the audience.
All you need are (a) two boxes, which should be
large enough to hold comfortably five of the blocks
PIGJOI
concerned ,
made up to look like barns with aremov-
able roof (see Fig. ioi), and (b), seven blocks about
i inch square; five of these are painted yellow all
over, and the remaining two are painted red on
three faces and yellow on the other three.
To commence you have the blocks in a row on the
SOME CHILDREN S EFFECTS 161
STAC.C WO 4-
£
777777? 777777,
Orv toMj, RED RED

| |
mu 'um
FIG.I02
table,comers to the children, so that five of them are

yellow and the last two show their red sides. The red
ones, you say, are wolves and the yellow ones
represent sheep.
The following moves are made as the story pro-
gresses, and can be followed in Fig. 102, For the sake
162 teach yourself magic
of convenience the left hand barn is called “A”, and
the right hand one “B”.
“Here, children, is a story of the farmer who had
five sheep which he kept in two bams.
“These two red blocks are wolves, and one evening
they decided to have a nice sheep for supper, so they
—
parted one into each bam.” Place one in bam A
and one in barn B. “Later the farmer put his sheep
away for the night.” Place a yellow block in A, one
in B, etc., so that at the end you have three in A
(plus a red block) and two in B (plus a red block).
“Well, during the night he had a terrible dream.
He dreamt that wolves had eaten some of his sheep.
He rushed down and took out the sheep to count
them.”
Bring out a yellow one from barn B, a yellow one
from barn A, a red one (turned to show yellow)
from B, and a red (to show yellow) from barn A and
another yellow one from bam B.
You have apparently counted out five sheep, but
really there are two yellow blocks left in bam A.
“He counted they were all there,
five and, seeing
placed them back.” Place a yellow one in A, a yellow
(red) one in B, a yellow one in A, a yellow (red) one
in B, and the fifth in A.
There are now two yellow/red in B and five
yellow in A.
“Towards morning the farmer had another dream
in which he saw two wolves after his sheep, so he got
up as soon as it was light, loaded his gun, and went
down to his bams. He opened bam A and counted
—
out good gracious, five sheep! Then he went to
barn B and saw two wolves. They hadn’t got any of

the farmer’s sheep; instead they did not live to try
again.”
The subtlety lies in the moves follow them slowly,
;
and you will see how the switch is effected.

Here is a close-up trick that will interest most
children, and many adults too. It is called the:
Disappearing-knot Tube
A cardboard tube about 9 inches by 1 inch diam-
eter is required and should be covered with wall-
paper; add some Chinese characters in Indian ink.
You will require also
a length, say 2 feet, of
soft white rope. You
may buy this at any
magic shop, and as rope
is used quite a lot, a
long length is always

handy to cut up as
necessary.
After showing the
rope and tube, you tie
a knot as seen in Fig.
103. Now take end A
and push it through
the tube, then push up
the knot to the top
of the tube, and quickly push it in also. Do this
quickly because as the knot comes to the top of the
tube, it disintegrates. The audience, however, think
that it is in the tube, whereas it is merely loops.
After a magic pass, pull the rope right through the
tube. The next time, you ask someone to do it
himself, and when you have the child up, you
give him end B to push
through the same end;
the knot remains put.
While he watches you
can tie several knots on
the tube then slide
;
them off into it and ask

him to watch while the
knots go (see Fig. 104).
Let the child dis-
appear another single
knot, and he will be
happy. In addition to
the above, you could buy
two old favourites, the
Egg Bag and the Linking
Rings, and neither will cost you very much. Here are
some tips regarding these tricks:
The Egg Bag

Quite a few children know that the egg is either
concealed in the bag to start with, or is placed in
and must be there even when the bag is subsequently
turned inside out. Fig. 105 shows the size, should you
wish to make one yourself. Use black velvet. The
illustration shows the inverted pocket, inside, into
which the egg goes and which prevents it falling
out when the bag is turned inside out, and upside
down.
The best method is to pop the egg up your sleeve,

and let them feel the bag is empty. Then take it back,
pretend to examine it yourself, let the egg drop in
and turn the bag inside out your production of the
;
egg will be unexpected.

Last of all, pretend to place the egg in the bag,
but really place it behind. Hold up the bag, double
FIG.105
it round the egg, and someone feel the egg in it.

let
Then undo the bag, at the same time palming off the
egg into the trouser pocket. The bag can then be
turned inside out, and it really is empty and can be
felt all over.
The Linking Rings

Although some of the rings are already linked
beforehand, they can be made to look very much
separate by holding them in the left hand and
i66 TEACH YOURSELF MAGIC
letting each one drop about 2 inches into the right
hand held just below.
Remember, you must work with the gap of the
split ring comfortably wide, so that you can slip
rings on and off easily through the gap. The thumb
and finger can easily conceal the gap on no account
;
try to work with a tiny gap (see Fig. 106).
A good routine is to have the rings in this order

(reading from front (first) to back)
Two linked, two loose, three linked, and the key
ring.
Throw up two and apparently they come down
linked. Let the children examine them. Then hand
out the two single ones for examination.
Now throw up the three and link them. Take the
key ring and, asking for one single ring back, hold
SOME CHILDREN’S EFFECTS l6 J
them together and link them now drop the second

;
ring and they apparently link in mid-air.

Further link the rings on, remembering to ask
all
the children to blow on the rings as you link them

remember your thumb and finger are good conceal-
ment, and the necessary moves can be done under
their noses.
Finally let all the rings fall off the key ring, and
quickly drop it on to the others.
SPLIT SIN6L& SiN(sL&
Linker Uin/kSO
Rings RinOtS
PIG.! 07
Another way is to have them in the order shown in
Fig. 107. In this method the first ring can be taken off
and examined. It is then placed back, a magic pass
made, and the two linked rings next to this ring are
—
slipped down and off leaving the first single ring held
as originally. It appears as though the first single ring
has been joined to the next one.
Then hand the two single rings to one of the audience
and ask him to join them. It is great fun watching
him try
Now count off your last three rings and throw them
into the air where they join. Hand them out for ex-
amination.
Take back the two single rings and join them to the
key ring still held.
Combinations are almost unlimited in this trick so
why not experiment on your own account ?
Paper-tearing Trick
f>T> HO
In Chapter IV details of how to make a paper mat,
ladder, etc., were given. These novel visual trans-
formations with paper
never fail to intrigue
and delight children,
and you should include
one or two paper-
tearing tricks when-
ever possible.
Use the items al-
ready given, and
merely alter the story
work in a giant and
beanstalk angle, i.e.
for example, thus:
“Here is the magic
mat that took Jack to
the land of giants.
f 1G.I0S
Here is a giant-land
tree. Here is the magic ladder by which Jack
escaped from the giant (close up ladder). Now the
SOME CHILDREN'S EFFECTS 169
giant could not follow Jack and he was safe at home.
Here are the village girls who all wanted to marry
Jack."
For this last here are the directions for the:
Ballerinas
Using a strip of paper 5 inches high by 18 inches

long, fold it several times so that you have *a packet
5 inches high by about 2 inches wide.
Now cut the paper as shown in Fig. 108. If you

have very thin paper you can fold once more see —
—
dotted line in which case only one side of the figure
is cut.
When stretched out all the figures are joining
hands —a pretty effect.
If you two animal shapes (shown

lightly pencil the
on previous page and below) on to a fairly stout
coloured paper, with the fold as shown, you can

make a stand-up Giraffe as in Fig. 109, and a Bull-
,
dog as in Fig. no.

,
The eyes are made afterwards by pressing the

point of the scissors through the paper.
Why not work out a few animal designs yourself?
Children love to take these animals home, so dis-
tribute them after the show.
CHAPTER XXI
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER
From time to time, as you continue to practise
magic, come back to this chapter and refresh your
memory from it.
Never perform any trick, no matter how simple it
is, until you are sure that you have performed it
correctly in practice.
One of the best and most satisfactory ways of
—
practising is before a mirror the largest you can
find. Although criticisms from your family are
helpful, nothing gives such self-confidence as seeing
yourself perform.
When you buy a trick from a magic shop, remem-
ber that you are sold the tools for the job, and what
you make of it is up to you. Others have also bought
the same trick so after you have mastered its moves,
;
introduce your own individual style into it.
Remember the difference between conjuring for

your magical friends and conjuring for a lay audi-
ence. The two types are poles apart, and must never
be confused with one another.
It is better to do three tricks well and know them
inside out than to do ten tricks only fairly well.
Do not disclose the method of any trick to non-
magical friends and acquaintances you never know
;
how far the information may be spread, and it will

spoil the trick for those who may not have seen it.
171
Remember, there are always a certain number of
people in any audience who do not know how you
do a certain trick, even if you have known about it
for half your life-time.
The simple means by which an effect is achieved
is no excuse for giving it away or disclosing it be-
cause you have not practised enough. Some of the

greatest tricks have simple secrets.
Six tricks tucked away on your shelves are not
worth as much as one trick when that trick is
actually being used in your show.

If you find a certain trick is well applauded,
analyse it audience appeal it may
afterwards for its ;
help you to improve your other tricks which are not

so effective.
Try to make up two or three different styles of
show, so that in the event of doing an encore per-
formance at a later date, or in the same area, you do
not repeat too much.
Always ensure that you are neatly dressed, for no
organiser or host will ask you to perform again if
you do not look smart. Here is a Useful guide to what
to wear at more select functions. Up to 12 noon,
morning dress; 12 noon to 6 p.m., lounge suit
(afternoon dress); 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., evening dress,
dinner jacket; 9 p.m. onwards, full tails.
Buy a good suit, keep it specially for wear during
a performance and you will look well at any time.
Today there are so many tricks and books on
conjuring available that you must be selective in
your choice. Never buy a book unless a good propor-
tion of the tricks in it are the kind you will wish to
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER I73
do. Broaden your knowledge by borrowing books

from your local library and/or a magical society
(see Chapter XXII) and make notes of interesting
tricks.
Think carefully before buying magical apparatus.
A few pocket tricks are inexpensive and useful, but
when you are considering buying larger apparatus,
do not acquire too many of the latest items they—
will date. Keep more to apparatus that has proved
its worth in the past, but by all means purchase the
modern version of it.

Keep your shows Don’t throw cards or
tidy.
screwed-up paper on the floor; put them into a box
attractively covered with wallpaper. There is no
excuse for untidiness.
Keep a sturdy box in which to carry your appar-
atus. If you prefer to, why not buy a suitable case
—
not too large and carefully print on the side your
name and the entertainment you are presenting; it
will look smart and business-like, besides providing
some free advertisement.
Be pleasant with your conjuring and insert a joke
or two if you wish, but remember that an audience
cannot believe in your magical powers if most of
their time is spent in laughing at wisecracks. You
must never offend good taste; that doubtful joke
will keep for another, more appropriate time.
—
No matter what your style be a gentleman.
Becoming a Semi-professional
When you feel that you are becoming well-known
locally and are asked to give shows by other than
your friends and relations, you might consider the
question of a fee.
Be modest in the early stages and charge a
reasonable sum, and increase it only after you
have had more experience and feel you are worth a
better one. Remember, too, that people take you at
your own valuation.
When you have received the fee, inform the organ-
iser that you will send a receipt to him. This you do,
but take the opportunity of writing a covering
letter something like this
Dear Sir/Madam,
In enclosing the attached receipt I would like
to say how muchenjoyed performing before the
I
children/guests at the party on the

and hope they enjoyed it equally well.
Yours sincerely,
There isno need to elaborate on the details; just a

brief note is all that is required. A book of receipt
vouchers costs very little to buy.
Afford a visiting-card if you can, so that inquirers
may be given your address and telephone number.
An example is given on the next page.
Many other styles are available at printers' or, if
preferred, they may be

ordered at certain stationers'.
Carry about half a dozen such cards with you, and
ensure that they are always clean.
Opinions vary as to the need for a stage name. In
the author’s case the name “Mystico” proved of use in
place of a surname which was difficult to remember or
to hear correctly over the telephone.
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER 175
[Telephone No. here)
[or Surname)
[Address here)
Some surnames may not be conducive to the idea of

conjuring and in such cases a more appropriate name
is useful. One known performer uses the
well name
Masoni, based on his own surname which is Mason.
An Indian- or Chinese-style act does, of course, need
an appropriate name, but in other cases your own
personal inclination must be your guide.
~ Should you feel so inclined, you might advertise
yourself in the local newspaper. Here are some

examples
Magic? Then why not ring (Name) at (Telephone

No.). All types of shows —
fees moderate.
Party Time here again so why not book (Name)

is
at (address or phone) while there is still time?
Entertainer and Conjurer. Let (Name) make

your Parties, Dinners, Receptions, School Treats,
the success they deserve. Ring (Telephone No.).
176 TEACH YOURS EX F MAGIC
Note the last example, where the accent is on
entertainment first; remember that people want to
be entertained and that is what you are going to do
,
with your conjuring.

Some shops have small advertisement boards in
glass cases; why not put one of your visiting-cards
in there for the season? Say six months from October
to March. Got the idea? Now it’s up to you.
CHAPTER XXII
JOINING A MAGICAL SOCIETY
There are a number of good reasons why you should
join a magical society. In the first place, there may
be times when, through lack of interest in your own
family circle, etc., you may feel like giving up all
ideas of continuing with conjuring; in such circum-
stances mixing with fellow conjurers in an informal
and friendly atmosphere revives and sustains your
own enthusiasm.
In addition, it is valuable to be able to discuss
questions relating to local possibilities in the con-
juring field, and to have an opportunity for settling
personal problems relating to performances and
routine.
Best of all, most societies provide two great
benefits: the first is that of a lending library which,
by putting conjuring literature into your hands that
would be expensive to buy and some of which you
may never have known existed, repays the subscrip-
tion many times over.
Secondly, there are very often lectures and
demonstrations in the art of conjuring which assist
in improving your own shojvsV If the society gives
facilities for actual participation in a conjuring show,
the added advantage of experience is gained.
Subscriptions vary of course according to the size
and importance of the society; it is worthwhile
177
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA '
1
>

therefore to join a smaller society first, and get the
feel of the society membership. Some conjurers join
more than one society, and gain a still wider experi-
ence and enlarge their circle bf friends.
Most societies publish a monthly magazine, which
keeps its members fully informed of current trends
in the conjuring field and notifies them of society
facilities available. The advantage of such a publica-
tion will be apparent at once.
Above all, you will make many new friends, and
by so doing add immeasurably to the enjoyment of
life. Do not believe what you have read in this
respect; join a magical society and find out for

yourself. You will never regret it.
INDEX
Advertising, examples of, 175 by rising from pack, 20
Afghan Bands Trick, 28 by selection, 21
Apparatus to make: by thought reading, 17
card stand, 137 by thought reading (2nd
changing bag, 122 method), 18
collapsible table (tripod), by use of gimmick, 19
129 Card Fanning
collapsible table (four- choosing a pack, 58
legged), 130 the ordinary fan, 60
ghost tubes, 127 the reverse fan, 61
fan from armpit, 62
\ magic wand, 138
mirror vase, 136 Card, forcing the bottom
^..production box, 135 behind the back, 21
utility stand, 132 by ‘step' method, 22
(additionally most of the Card, forcing the top, 24
items mentioned through- Card Sleights:
out the book) the double lift and turn-
^ Arranging a small show, 41 over, 50
the injog, 49
palming the top card, 51
Ball sleight:
the pass, 47
the throw-up vanish, 71
the riffle, 47
Ball Tricks
Card Stand, 137
catching balls from the air,
Card Tricks:
73 /Mind the jack, 55
multiplying billiard ball, 72 'magical detective, 54
Vanishing billiard ball, 71
magnetic cards, 52
Ballerinas (paper tearing), 169
three card trick, 140
Box, flip-over, 95
(additionally many others by
production, 135
using the sleights, etc.,
Broken and restored match-
described)
Ns stick, 10
Cards, Giant (or Jumbo), 116,
^b urnt and restored dollar
125
bill, 33 Catch those Crooks’ Trick, 145
Bulldog (paper tearing), 170
Catching balls from the air, 73
Children’s Effects:
Candle, using a, 123 changing silks, 156
Candles, multiplying. Trick, disappearing-knot tube, 163
123 egg bag, 164
Card(s), Disclosing chosen egg on the wand, 155
by dealing, 20 linking rings, 165
by reversing in the pack, 15 paper tearing, 168
i8o INDEX
—
Children’s Effects continued Egg, silk handkerchief, 90
three hungry mice, 157 Egg Bag Trick, 164
wolves and sheep, 160 Egg on Wand, 155
Children, Entertaining:
need for colour, 153
'“’^Find the
Jack Trick, 55
the awkward child, 150
Finger Palm, The (coins), 68
‘bits of business’, 152
Flip-over Box, The, 95
the rabbit, 153
Flower Basket, The, 125
Chinese Inexhaustible Box, 97
French Drop, The, 66
Cigarette Sleight:
the thumb palm, 79
“Cigarette Tricks: Ghost Tubes, 127
lighted, through silk hand-
kerchief, 80
Handkerchief Tricks, see under
production from the air, 81
‘Silk’
the vanishing, 82
Coin Sleights:
Hat Production, 96, in
the ‘French drop', 66
the ‘classic palm’, 67 Injog, The, 49
the finger palm, 68
Coin Tricks:
'"•'the miser’s dream, 69
Jumping Thimble Trick, 76
the Okito box, 140
the penny and nickel turn- "Ladder, The (paper tearing), 39
about, 140 “"•’Lighted Cigarette through silk
vanishing, in glass of water, handkerchief, 80
69 Linking Rings Trick, 165
Confetti to Silks Trick, 94
Cricket-bat Trick, 143 "
“’Magical Detective Trick, 54
Dice, changing, Trick, 142
Magnetic Cards Trick, 52
Die in the Hat, 102 Make-up for the stage, 119
Disappearing-knot Tube, 163 Mat, The (paper tearing), 38
Thimble Trick, 77 Match Tricks:
Milk in Jug, 124 broken and restored match-
stick, 10
Double Lift and Turnover, 50
Dressing in ‘character^ 120 vanishing matches, 145
Mental Tricks
Effective apparatus:
mental telepathy (cards),
candle, lighted, 123
no
disappearing milk in jug, 124 two to one prediction, 35
dove pan, 123 X-ray eyes, 36
Misdirecting the audience, 101
flower basket, the, 125
^'‘Miser’s Dream, The, Trick, 69
giant cards, 125
Multiplying Billiard Ball Trick,
mirror vase 122
production box or tubes, 122 72
rising wand, 125
wine to water trick, 124 *^Nut-shells and Peas Trick, 14
INDEX 181
Okito Coin Box, The, 140 Rope Tricks:

One-handed Knot, 88 cut and restored, 8
disappearing-knot tube, 163
wandering ring, 12
Palming the Top Card, 51 Woo Lung’s bead, 6
a silk handkerchief, 84
Paper Conjuring Tricks:
Afghan bands, 29 Semi-professional, becoming a,
ballerinas, 169 173
bulldog, the, 170 Servante, The, 92
burnt and restored dollar Silk Handkerchief Tricks
bill,33 changing silks, 156
ladder, the, 39 silk to egg, 90
mat, the, 38 one-handed knot, 88
perpetual pellets, 29 sympathetic silks, 89
torn and restored newspaper,
s
^ -vanishing silk and candle, 87
32 Silk Vanishing:
tree, the, 39 by means of palming, 84
Pass, The, 47 ^ by using a pull, 85
Pencil, The Vanishing, 9 Spectators’ idea of “Magic”,
Penny and Nickel Turnabout 106
Trick, 140 Stage Show, The:
Pocket and Close-up Effects: angles, importance of, 114
catch those crooks, 145 parts of a stage, 1 1
changing dice, 142 make-up for, 119
cricket bat, the, 143 Stand, a Utility, 132
disappearing pencil, 9
nut-shells and peas, 141
Okito coin box, 140 Tables, to make:
penny and nickel turnabout,, tripod type, 129
140 four-legged, 130
perpetual pellets, 29 Thimble Sleight:
three card trick, 140 the thumb palm, 78
vanishing matches, .145 Thimble Tricks:
Production Items: jumping thimble, 76
feather flowers, 99 disappearing thimble, 77
rubber goods, 99 Three Card Trick, 140
solid goods, 100 Three Hungry Mice Trick, 157
spring goods, 98 Throw-up Vanish, The, 71
Programmes, Two Short, 45 Thumb Palm, The, 78
how to link items on, 43 Torn and restored Newspaper,
Reminder Card for, 46 ,
32
Publicity, examples of, 175 v Tree, The (paper tearing),
v 39
Pull, The, 85 ‘NT wo to One Prediction, 35
Rabbit from Hat,

Riffle,The, 47
m Using an assistant, no
Using prepared cards and
'Rising Card, The, 20 packs, 25
182 INDEX
Vanishing Billiard Trick, 71 Vase, The Mirror, 136
Cigarette Trick, 82
coin in glass of Water, 69
vwMatches Trick, 145 Wand, The Rising, 125
"Pencil Trick, 9 to make a Magic, 138
>?Silk and Candle Trick, 87 '^Wandering Ring Trick, 12
Vanishing and Producing, Well, The, 93
methods of: Wine to Water Trick, 124
Chinese inexhaustible box, Wolves and Sheep Trick,
97 160
flip-over box, 95 Woo Lung’s Bead, 6
using a hat, 96
the servante, 92, 94
the well, 93 X-ray Eyes Trick, 36
L/J
teachyourselfmagOOtuff
teachyourselfmagOOtuff
— — —
CARD TRICKS FOR EVERYONE By ELLISSTANYON
Introduction by JOHN MULHOLLAND
“A readable manual giving instructions in legerdemain for the novice
who wishes to learn how to perform magic tricks as a recreational pastime
or an enjoyable hobby. Several new methods of performing some of
. . .
these tricks have been included for the more skilled magician.” Ameri-
can Library Association Booklist. Illustrated $3.95
CARD TRICKS FOR BEGINNERS By HARRY BARON

"A book designed for the amateur enthusiast. Card
clearly written
tricks with a borrowed pack, sleight-of-hand tricks, tricks using appa-
ratus, and a number of miscellaneous tricks are described. Favorite
tricks of some professional English magicians are included. Contains a
glossary and numerous photographs.” American Library Association
Booklist. Illustrated $4.95
BRAIN PUZZLER’S DELIGHT By E. R EMMET

A treasury of unique puzzles that can be solved by straight, logical
thinking and reasoning. No specialized math. Offers the pleasures of the
use of ingenuity, imagination, insight, and logic. Stimulates and refreshes
the mind. Fascinating, entertaining puzzles, arranged in order of diffi-
culty, with — —
some amazing! solutions and full explanations at end of
book- Illustrated $5.95
*
THE MATH ENTERTAINER By PHILIP HEAFFORD

“A varied offering for the person who enjoys recreational mathe-
matics.” American Library Association Booklist.
“When he through, the reader will have had a lot of fun
is all and is —
likely to have a better grasp of mathematics and mathematical reasoning.” •
— Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary-School Principals.

Answers and complete explanations are given for all problems.
Illustrated $4.95
MATH IS FUN By JOSEPH DEGRAZIA, Ph.D.
“Contains a great variety of problems ranging from the very simple to

many that require logical thinking and very careful analysis for their
solution. The amateur as well as the experienced mathematician will find
plenty of food for thought. The author is to be congratulated.”
. . .
—American Mathematical Monthly.

Solutions for all problems are included, with detailed explanations
where needed. Illustrated $3.9~
EMERSON BOOKS INC. 251 West 19 Street New York 10011

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TEACH YOUR.

LOS GATOS PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 3518 00075 3378

Teach yourself magic*

Los Gatos Memorial Library

A fine of LO cents a day shall be paid for each day a

EMERSON BOOKS, INC.

Second Printing, 1970

Manufactured in the United States of America

have kept the torch of conjuring burning

Above all, with gratitude to my Father,

listen and read as much as you can, and be sparing

desire to become a conjurer and most conjurers are

I The Origin and Entertainment Value

II Some Simple Miscellaneous Effects 6

XII Misdirecting the Audience 101

xiii The Spectator’s Idea of “Magic” 106

XVI Some Effective Apparatus 122

XVII Apparatus You Can Make 127

XVIII Pocket and Close-up Tricks 139

XXII Joining a Magical Society 1 77

THE ORIGIN AND ENTERTAINMENT

its roots in mystic rites of one kind or another rather

than in entertainment. In the days of ancient Egypt,

its complete dissociation from mystic rites had yet

during the reign of Elizabeth I. The principles of

with his mass-produced apparatus, conjuring came

is all trickery but — —

the combination of them all that gives conjuring its

high place in the realm of entertainment values. Do

round you in no time.

inations seize upon the colourful boxes and tubes

SOME SIMPLE MISCELLANEOUS

about 24 inches long, and a small tube 1 inch long,

Woo Lung’s Bead

Well, you broke the

The Cut and Restored Rope

This precludes the idea that you subsequently cut

suddenly catch hold of the long rope with the right

The Vanishing Pencil

With the hand remove a handkerchief from

The Broken and Restored Match-stick

Immediately after the right hand has been with-

the right, the left hand drops to the side (palming

hand into the open right so that the match-stick is

displayed in the centre of the handkerchief, the

or small stage requires the following two items, viz.

armhole and give each to one assisting spectator to

tighter, gentlemen”. As the

ring on the rope, but by sliding the loop, X (see

they pull the rope.

EASY CARD TRICKS

certainly enable you to do wonders, but remember

Reversing in the Pack Two Chosen Cards

show it to those near them. This saves argument

pass with the hand or uttering a magic word.

for invariably a person will look at your face whilst

ence see one trick. If you can find a chosen card by

Finding a Chosen Card by Thought Reading

one to be selected and examined. Break the pack at

bring it back and feel it again. Turn it over and say,

Second Method [without looking at the bottom card )

This is a useful repeat of the above. Bend the

the hand with the