FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 10 July 1913, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS. (Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.) \. ■ A Very Effective Trick.— : is a new form of the popular ' Rising card trick.' Two cards are prepared by having a piece of strong elastic connecting them so that they are about two inches apart. These two cards are then put together into an oblong envelope and you are ready to perform. Have a card selected,' and push this into the envelope between the two prepared cards. The chosen card will carry the elastic down with it and is held in position by the pressure of the thumb and finger of the left hand. The right makes some mystic passes above the card, and the conjuror commands it to rise. By slightly relaxing the pressure of the finger and thumb the card will emerge slowly from the envelope. It may then be replaced and made to jump almost to the ceiling by suddenly releasing the hold upon the envelope. The Four Robbers.—Show four knaves fanwise in the right hand. Three other cards are concealed behind the second knave. Remark: Here are four robbers about to rob this house.' Close up the cards and replace on top of pack. Remove the top card, and' throwing it face upwards on the table, say 'This one remains on guard at the hall door.' Take the second card, which will be one of the ordinary cards from the pack, and remark, ' This robber enters via the basement, (insert card near bottom of pack) ; the next (one of the odd cards) through the drawing-room window (place in centre of pack); the next via the attic window (insert under the three knaves which are now on top). The guard hearing the watchman approach, follows (pick up knave from table and place on top of pack), gives the signal (ruffle the pack), and all four robbers assemble. Deal the four knaves upon the table. Two Cards Placed in Centre of Pack Found on Top.—The trick depends upon the fact that very few people will remember for any length of time the suit and value of two cards, say the eight of spades and the nine of diamonds, without confusing them with other cards alike in value but of opposite suits. The difficulty is rendered greater by the fact that the person upon whom the trick is played is unaware of its existence. All will be made clear by the following experiment. Secretly arrange the eight of diamonds and the nine of spades on the top of the pack, then offer the eight of spades and the nine of diamonds to one of the company, asking him to remember them for a few moments, then to replace them in different parts of the pack. Ruffle the pack, and show what will appear to be the same cards on the top of the pack. An improvement on this is to attach one pair of cards by means of a clip to your coat tail. Give the other pair for examination and to be shuffled into the pack. Then place the cards behind your back and produce what will purport to be the two cards just shuffled into the pack. An Excellent Cark Trick.—-Punch a clean hole, about the size of a pin's head through the centre of a picture card. This card you place on the top of the pack. Have a card freely selected and, while this is being noted, slip the card with the hole in it to the centre of the pack, and receive the chosen card on top of it. Seem to replace the upper half on the lower but really pass it quickly behind same. This leaves the two cards on top of the pack. Raise the two top cards together as though they were one and announce boldly that the picture card is the one which was chosen. This will of course be disowned. Whereupon the performer says : ' Very well; we will despatch it.' Here he takes up a needle in which is a length of thread knotted. This he passes through the hole in the picture card. It of course passes at the same time through the chosen card at the rear. The needle is then passed through the centre of a borrowed handkerchief,'which is then allowed to fall over both cards, replaced upon the pack on the table. When the thread is again raised the chosen card only is lifted under the handkerchief, the picture card passing over the knot being left upon the others' on the table. Thus, when the contents of the handkerchief are examined a wonderful change has apparently taken place.