FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 20 August 1914, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

TRICKS, ILLUSIONS, AND INDOOR AMUSEMENTS.

(Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.)

A Good Card Trick. Ask someone. to think of a card and to remember its position (not to exceed, say twenty) from the bottom of the pack. This done, announce that you already know the card, and to prove this you undertake to place it at any desired number in the pack, provided such number is greater than the number at which it now stands. You may leave the room while the arrangement is made. We will suppose the card stands fourteen from the bottom of the pack, that it is the ten of diamonds, and that the number at which it is to appear is twenty Take the pack and say : ‘ It is not even necessary for me to see the cards — an excuse for holding them under the table. Count off twenty-six from the bottom and place them on the top of the pack, next hand the pack to the person with instructions to count off cards from the top, commencing at the number at which his card originally stood. Thus having selected the fourteenth card, he will commence counting fourteen, fifteen, etc., and the twenty-sixth card will be the ten of diamonds. A Variation of the Above Trick. Repeating the trick, say, ‘ I will choose a number myself this time your card shall appear at 47.’ It will now only be necessary to pass the difference between 47 and 52 (five cards) from the top to the bottom of the pack, shortening the operation, and the chosen card will be the 47th. You mention the high number for the reason that it is easy to see at a glance the difference between such number and the total 52 cards and to pass such number (five) to the bottom. • A Marble Vanishes from a Handkerchief. —Procure a small rubber band and place it over the tips of the thumb and first finger. Taking a handkerchief you throw it over this hand and place a marble in its centre. By pressing the rubber band over that part of cambric which holds the marble this latter is hidden in a kind of bag. The handkerchief may now be shaken out and to all appearances the marble has vanished. The handkerchief may now be drawn through fthe closed left fist apparently to show that it has absolutely gone, but in reality to again obtain possession of the marble so that the cambric may be examined. The hand containing the marble may be plunged into the trousers pocket and the marble produced. A Spiritualist’s Trick.— This trick may only bo done with one person at a time for a reason which will be presently apparent. Ask your ‘ victim ’ to sit in a chair facing you. Close both your hands tightly excepting for the first finger in each hand which you extend to their full length. Now point these fingers at the sitter’s eyes. Inform him that when your fingers are within an inch of his face he is to close his eyes very tightly. When his eyes are sealed you place the first finger of your right hand on his left eyebrow and the first finger of your left hand on his v right eyebrow. This is repeated once or twice, but finally you direct your hands towards his eyes and just as he closes the latter you spread out the second finger as well as the first finger of the right hand and place the first finger on his right eyelid and the second finger on his left eyelid. Your, victim of course still thinks that a finger of each hand holds his eyelids down. Now the ‘spirit manifestations ’ take place. With the disengaged hand you may tap him on the back, pull his hair, and in other ways manifest to him your spiritualistic powers. Now you again close the left hand except for the first finger and close also the second finger of the right hand. When he opens his eyes he will find your hands in the same position as they were before he closed them.