FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 13 November 1913, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS* (Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.) The Juggler's Joke.— a little ball in each hand and stretch your hands as far apart as possible. Then tell the company that you will make both the balls come into whichever hand they please, without bringing the hands together. If any of the onlookers should challenge your ability to perform the feat, all you have to do is to lay one of the balls upon the table, turn round and take it up with your other hand. Both the balls will thus be in one hand, without either approaching the other, according to your promise.

A Card Trick.-—Here is a little trick which you can work at your next party. Ask your friends to arrange twelve cards in rows in such a manner that they will count four in every direction. When all have had a good try to do this you can show them how it is done. Place nine of the twelve cards in three rows, so as to form a square. Then place the remaining three cards as follows: The first on the first card of the first row, the second on the second card of the second row, and the last on the third card of the last row.

Another Card Trick.—For this trick you must employ a confederate. Before commencing the trick you place in one of your pockets a card, say the ace of diamonds. You let your confederate see this. You are now ready to commence. Ask the confederate to take a card and remember its value. He does so, returns the card, and the pack is placed on the table. You then make a few passes with your wand over the card and say: ‘Tell me the name of the card you chose.’ The confederate of course says ‘ Ace of diamonds,’ and you say ‘ Will you please show me that card?’ He thereupon deals all the cards face upwards of course cannot find the card. Then saying ‘Hearts are troublous things at times,’ you produce the card from your pocket. The effect is one of the most' deceptive in the whole range of card tricks, no one ever dreaming that you have a confederate.

The Travelling Card. — card is chosen and placed back in the pack. The performer now lays the pack on the table, and suddenly the chosen card is seen to leave the rest and run along the table away from the conjuror. The explanation of this trick is simple. One end of a fine piece of silk thread of suitable length is attached by means of a piece of wax to a button of the performer’s waistcoat. The other end is attached by the same means to one end of his wand (which is merely a short length of wood painted black with white ends). This wand the performer places under his arm. When the card has been chosen and'returned, it is brought to the top of the pack. This pass may be worked as follows; —Divide the pack in two and have the chosen card placed on top of the bottom half of the pack. Now place the tip of the little finger on top of this card. Replace the top half of the pack. The pack is thus divided at the chosen card by the tip of the little finger. The pack may then be shuffled and it will be an easy matter to bring the chosen card to the top. The end of the thread attached to the performer’s waistcoat button is now affixed secretly to this card. The performer now tilts the table, passing his wand, with the other end of the thread attached, under the side legs, apparently to prove ho connection, but in reality to pass the thread over the front edge of the table, top and back, and under same to rear. The cards are now spread on the table, and by moving the wand the chosen card is made to travel to the edge of the table opposite the performer.