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New Zealand Tablet, 21 May 1914, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS. (Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.) The Floating Hat.—For this trick an ordinary bowler hat and a piece of black thread are the only requirements. The effect is this: The conjuror makes a lew ' passes' towards the hat with his hand, and then, touching the crown gently with the tips of his fingers, causes the hat to rise in the air and float mysteriously about without visible support. The piece of black .thread is made into a loop and passed right over the hat. The conjuror places his fingers under the loop and thus causes the hat to rise. A Safety Match Trick.—The conjuror asks for a box of matches of the safety variety, and puts this question to the audience: 'lf you have a safety match, but no box to strike it on, how are you going to light the match If someone says that a safety match may be struck on a glass frame, or mirror, the performer will reply, ' Quite right, but can you strike a safety match on your boot?' The answer will be in the negative, and the conjuror sits down immediately, and strikes the match on his boot. The match is not exchanged, and it is quite unprepared. The boot may be examined. Now for the secret. Before the performance the conjuror takes a new safety match-box and rubs the striking part on the waist of the solethe thin part which does not touch the ground. The conjuror will have no difficulty now in striking the match on that part of his boot. This is a really ' striking ' trick. The Disguised Apple.—The conjuror brings forward an orange and an apple. He shows both freely and then cuts the apple into eight equal parts, which he asks eight members of the audience to eat. He then takes the orange and places it openly in a borrowed hat. Now,' says the man with the-wand, 'I wish to suggest that you were mistaken when you thought you were eating that apple, and that you were also mistaken if you thought you saw me place an orange in the hat. The fact is the apple is in the hat and the orange has disappeared in the usual way, that is to say, it was the orange which you ate.' To prove his words the conjuror goes to the hat and removes from it the apple. Surely a most wonderful trick and one calculated to set the most learned thinking. The secret is this: First of all two apples, as nearly alike in color and shape as possible, are obtained. Next an orange is taken and cut into eight equal parts. The fruit is scooped out, and while the eight pieces of skin are yet damp they are placed round one of the apples, to which they may be securely held by a piece of cotton. All is now ready. The performer having shown the apple, cuts it up and hands the pieces round on a plate. When the eight pieces have been eaten, the performer takes up the sham orange and places it in the hat, at the same time slipping off the.pieces of peel ,and hiding 'them under the leather band of the bat. The rest of the trick needs no explanation.