Part 24 (1/2)

THE REVOLVING PINS

Take a piece of elastic which is not covered with silk or wool, and through the middle of this stick a pin, which you have bent as shown in the ill.u.s.tration.

Now hold the elastic between the thumb and first finger of each hand and twirl it round, stretching it a little at the same time. The rapid movement thus caused will make the revolving pin look like a gla.s.s object, and if you have a strong light falling on the pin and a dark background behind it, the resemblance becomes very much stronger.

After a little practice you will be able to represent many things in this way--cheese dishes, vases, champagne gla.s.ses, etc.; and if the bent pin should fall into a horizontal position while revolving, on account of its shape, you can tie one end to the elastic with a piece of white thread, which will not in any way interfere with the working.

This trick looks well in a darkened room, when the pin is illuminated by a ray of sunlight coming through a hole in the window shutter.

THE MYSTERIOUS BALL

This seems to be a plain wooden ball with a hole bored in its center, through which a string is pa.s.sed. The ball will move lightly up and down this cord, but let some one who knows the trick take the string in his hand and it becomes quite a different matter; the ball will move quickly, or slowly, at command, and, if told to do so, will stand still until ordered to move on again.

The reason for this peculiar behavior is that inside the ball there are two holes, one of which is quite straight, while the other is curved, and turns out of the straight hole.

It is through this curved pa.s.sage that the cord is pa.s.sed, and you can easily see that to regulate the movements of the ball, it is only necessary to hold the string more or less tightly. If you hold the cord perfectly tight, the ball will not be able to move at all. The ball can be purchased at any top shop.

THE MAN WITH HIS HEAD THE WRONG WAY

Put on a coat and vest so that they fasten behind. Then fix a mask over the back of the head and a wig over the face. The effect is very curious.

TO FIND AN OBJECT WHILE BLINDFOLDED

To play this trick, you must take one of your friends into your confidence. Borrow a watch and put it in your pocket, and then ask your audience to sit at the end of the room, blindfold your friend, and lead him outside. Now say: ”Ladies and gentlemen, if you will give me some small object to hide, I promise that the blind man will find it, although I shall not even tell him what he is to look for, and I shall lower the gas, so that if the bandage should slip, he will still be unable to see.” A key, pencil, or any small thing having been handed to you, lower the gas and proceed to hide the object, at the end of the room, mentioning where you have put it, but not mentioning that you have placed the watch close beside it. You then request ”Silence” and lead in the blind man and ask him to begin his search.

He is guided, of course, by the ticking of the watch, and knows that whatever he finds close to it is the object hidden. When he calls ”Found,” he must slip the watch into his pocket. You then turn up the gas and quietly ask your audience if they do not think your friend is a very clever fellow?

CHINESE SHADOWS

Here is a simple way of making shadow pictures: Place a candle on the table and fix a piece of white paper on the wall at the same height from the ground as the light is. Now place some non-transparent object, as, for instance, a large book, between the candle and the paper, and on one side of the table place a mirror so that it will reflect the light of the candle on to the paper on the wall. If you now put little cardboard figures between the candle and the mirror, a shadow will be thrown on the white paper and you can move your figures about just as you please.