“Ladies and Gentlemen, — In an age so enlightened as our own, it is
really surprising to see how many popular fallacies spring up from day
to day, and are accepted by the public mind as unchangeable laws of
nature. Amongst these there is one which I propose to point out to you,
and which I flatter myself I shall very easily dispose of. Many people have
asserted, and amongst others the celebrated Erasmus of Rotterdam, that
a material object can only be in one place at one time. Now, I maintain,
on the contrary, that any object may be in several places at the same time,
and that it is equally possible it may be nowhere at all.”
“I must beg you to observe, in the first place, that I have nothing in my
hands – with the exception of my fingers; and that between my fingers
there is nothing save a few atoms of the mysterious fluid which we call the
atmosphere, and through which our jolly old earth spins so merrily along.
But we must leave the commonplace regions of astronomy and return to
the mysteries of hermetic science.”
“I have before me, as you will have noticed, three little cups or goblets.
The metal of which these are composed is an amalgam of costly minerals,
unknown even to the most profound philosophers. This mysterious
composition, which resembles silver in its solidity, its color and the
clearness of its ring, has over silver this great advantage, that it will at
pleasure become as impalpable as air, so that solid bodies pass through
these goblets as easily as they would through empty space. I will give you
a curious illustration of this by making one goblet pass through another.”
(Here the performer will execute Sleight 10, already described. He will
then continue, taking up the wand in the left hand and secretly palming a
ball in the right hand)
“This little wand, you are possibly aware, ladies and gentlemen, goes
by the name of Jacob’s Rod. Why it is so called I really don’t know; I
only know that this simple looking wand has the faculty of producing
various articles at pleasure. For instance, I require for the purpose of my
experiment a little ball. My wand at once supplies me.”
(Ball produced from the wand by Sleight 3 and laid on table)
VARIATION
“Formerly I never used anything but cups made of solid gold. Later,
however, it became necessary for me to try silver; even that was not entirely
satisfactory, and now I never use anything but the metal the alchemists
attributed to Jupiter and Mars, in other words common tin, as I find this
saves me quite a lot of trouble and, incidentally, other people as well.”
Having delivered the whole or part of the above, or some similar oration,
the performer will proceed to exhibit a series of mysterious appearances
and disappearances of the balls from beneath the cups. Each effect is
known as a “Pass”, and the arrangement is usually in accordance with his
own taste; the following may serve as a guide, and form which a selection
may be made to occupy, say ten minutes; longer routines will weary an
audience, and repetition possibly expose your methods. Further on, one
or two complete professional routines from start to finish will be given.
From the performer’s left, cups are A. B. C.
PASSES WITH ONE BALL
(No duplicate)
Pass 1. To Place a Ball under each Cup and to Remove all without
Lifting the Cups
This pass is given a detailed explanation to familiarize readers with the
feints and subtleties used. To save space other passes will be given more
or less in the vernacular.
The performer continues : “You will kindly notice that I have nothing in
my hands and that there is nothing under either of the cups.”
(Lifts and replaces each cup in turn, then takes up the ball.)
“I shall place this ball under one of the cups.”
(Seems to place it in the left hand, really palming it in the right which
forthwith lifts “C” while the left hand simulates the action of placing the
ball under it. Sleight 6)
“I now take another ball from my wand (the same ball, of course) and
place it under the middle cup.”
This is actually done this time, the performer duplicating the actions
employed when apparently placing the ball under the first cup.
He continues : “I take still another ball from the wand – I beg your pardon.
No ! I certainly have nothing concealed in my hands”
(shows hands, fingers apart)
“I think I also heard someone assert that I only pretended to place the
balls under the cups – that’s really very unkind.”
(Raises the middle cup and picks up the ball at the fingertips of the right
hand, holding it up that all may see it. He then, immediately, seems to
replace the ball under the cup, but merely simulates the action by Sleight
6, the ball remaining in the right hand.)
He continues : “We now have a ball under each of these two cups – we
want just one more. I take that also from my wand (produces the one from
palm) and place it under the third cup.” This is actually done.
“We have now a ball under each of the three cups, the next thing is to
remove them. A would-be ‘wit’ once remarked “Nothing in that, just lift
up the cups and take up the balls”
Suiting the action to the word, the performer lifts “A” and picks up the
ball, then when seeming to replace it, palms it as before, and continues “A
very good solution but not magical. The balls must be removed without
raising the cups — like this.” Passing the right hand over “C” the ball
being palmed by the second method (in the palm proper) that the fingers
may be spread wide apart, he lowers the ball onto the top of the cup, then,
raising the hand, picks it up by the fingertips, the effect being that it is
actually pulled through the cup.
“Having no further use for this ball I return it to the wand.”
Does so by Sleight 4.
“I remove the second ball in the same manner (movement repeated at
“B”) and return it also to the wand. There is no necessity for me to handle
the cups, I will merely touch this third one with my wand and the ball will
instantly appear on the end of it.”
The ball supposed to be on the end of the wand is, of course, invisible, but
is nevertheless removed thence by the right hand, the palmed ball being
dropped to the fingertips at the right moment.
“I shall pass this also into the wand to join its companions. No ! I am
forgetting, we shall want it for the next experiment, so will leave it here
on the table.”
(To be continued)