FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 10 December 1914, Page 62

FAMILY FUN

TRICKS, ILLUSIONS, AND INDOOR AMUSEMENTS.

(Special to the N.Z. Tablet by Mahatma.) The Attached Sevens.— the first place have three eights palmed or at the' bottom of the pack. The remaining eight is not required, but you must remember its suit. You next select the four sevens and throw them out upon the table, faces uppermost, so that all may see them, and then gather them up, taking care that the one of the same suit as the missing eight is at the bottom, so that it may be at the top when you place them on the pack. You now secretly place the three eights upon the top of the sevens, and, drawing upon your inventive powers, make some statement about it being impossible to separate the four sevens, which everyone knows are together on the top of the pack. In case they doubt it, take up the four top cards, which are the three eights and a seven, and exhibit them fanwise. Of course the one seven being the lowest will’be the only whole card visible when spread' out, and will, hide the eighth spot of the card behind it. The other two eights will be hidden in the same manner, so that the audience, seeing one genuine seven, will imagine that the others are sevens also. You now close the fan, put the Cards upon the top of the pack, and then offer to prove your statement regarding the difficulty of parting the sevens. Taking the first card, you enquire how many from the bottom you shall place it, likewise the second and third. The fourth, you observe, cannot be placed further from its fellows than by remaining where it is, on the top. You continue, that the company have seen the four sevens placed in different parts of the pack, one nine from the bottom, for instance, another twenty, and a third thirty-six, whilst the fourth is still on top of the pack.' The card is shown, and someone is then asked to cut the pack. The four sevens will now be in the middle, and, commanding them to gather together, you may touch the pack with your magic wand and the audience will find your command obeyed.

The Dancing Handkerchief.—The performer attaches a piece of fine black silk thread, about sixteen inches in length, from leg to leg of his trousers, just below the knees. The only additional piece of apparatus necessary is a sharp black pin bent into the shape of an S hook. Till needed this may be hooked to any convenient part of the performer’s clothing. . Borrowing a handkerchief, he ties a loose knot in one corner, and in so doing manages to hook the pin into it, point tipwards, the necessary consequence being that the other bend has its extremity pointing downwards. The handkerchief thus treated represents an elementary sort of doll, the knot forming the head. Taking a seat facing the company, with his- legs wide apart, the performer announces that the doll is about to dance. He accordingly places it in position two or three times, but each time the handkerchief falls to the floor. After a moment or two of pretended embarrassment he discovers the reason. The doll will not dance without music, and , someone is accordingly asked to play a lively air. Again he places the doll in position, but this time with the hook over the thread ; and now, when the music commences, it does not fall but commences to wriggle about in a most uncanny fashion. In handing the handkerchief back, the performer removes the bent pin, when the secret will be safe from detection.