Tricks with Hankerchiefs

BURNING A HANDKERCHIEF IN A SMALL WAY-HINTS ABOUT APPARATUS-HOW TO PULL A HANDKERCHIEF THROUGH THE LEG-THE KNOT UNTIED BY MAGIC-THE CONFECTIONER HANDKERCHIEF-FEATS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS

To Pull a Handkerchief through the Leg.-This is a trick which will bear exhibition in any company. It recommends itself especially for drawing-room purposes. Take a very long handkerchief, and, seating yourself, pass the handkerchief (apparently) twice round the leg, just above the knee, and tie the two ends securely together, or have them tied for you. Take hold of a single thickness of the handkerchief, and jerk it sharply upwards, when it will appear to pass through the leg. The secret of the trick is thus explained: When you pass the ends below the leg, for the purpose of ostensibly crossing them, so as to bring them up on opposite sides, you rapidly make a bend in one, and pass the other firmly round it. By this means, a temporary junction is formed strong enough to bear a slight strain. By distending the sinews of the leg, the folds are compressed, and additional security is thus obtained. The ends are of course brought up again on the sides on which they descended, and the knot tied above the thigh-not beneath it. The formation of the bend and loop round it must be practised assiduously, for I do not know of any trick of the same magnitude requiring more skill in execution than this one. The hands should not remain an instant longer under the leg than one would require to merely cross the ends, and there must be no fidgeting observable, For performing this trick, Dobler (the original one) received a diamond ring from the Emperor of Russia.

To Untie a Knot by Word of Command.-Tie a knot with two ends of a handkerchief, but in such a. manner that one end is always quite straight; in fact, one end should be tied round the other, and not the two ends tied together. If you take the extreme end of the straight portion, anyone may pull as hard as he likes at it from the other side of the knot without making it any tighter, although you must lead him to believe that he is doing so. When he has pulled to his heart's content, take the knot in one hand and cover it with the rest of the handkerchief. Whilst doing so, work, with the concealed hand, the straight end through the folds of the other, but do not destroy the folds, which give to be held, of course under cover of the handkerchief. Command the knot to come undone, and then shake the handkerchief out. This is the groundwork of a trick on a much larger scale, which will be treated of in Grand Magic. It is a very effective little trick, and should never be despised.

To Find Sweetmeats in a Handkerchief.-For this pretty trick the performer will require a conical bag, made of fine calico, cambric, or any other substance resembling a handkerchief. The length of the bag should be about 5in.; and it must be furnished at the apex with a bent pin a black one. The mouth must be fitted with two pieces of flat watch or crinoline spring, sewn in the stuff in such a manner as to keep the opening closed. This bag must be filled with sweets, and suspended, by means of the bent pin, on the edge of the table-out of view of the audience, as a matter of course. Borrow a handkerchief, and say that you will now find something that will please the juvenile portion of the audience. Wave the handkerchief mysteriously about, and then spread it out upon the table. Wave your hands over it, take it up delicately by the centre with one hand, and squeeze it with the other over a plate with which you will be provided. Naturally, nothing will come of it, so you repeat the operation, this time at a different part of the table. At the third or fourth attempt, the handkerchief should hang over that portion of the table where the bag is suspended, and when it is raised the bent pin should be included ill the grasp. On squeezing the handkerchief this time, the hand should compress the ends of the springs, which will open, and allow the sweets to escape and fall upon the plate with a great clatter. Do not empty the bag at once, but give it two or three squeezes, allowing a little to fall out each time, which will greatly heighten the effect. When the bag is empty, the next thing to do is to remove it from the handkerchief. If a chair is handy, the bag can be dropped on it; but the best way is to boldly introduce the hand beneath the handkerchief, and, whilst calling attention to the sweets, hang it again on the edge of the table, which can easily be managed behind the handkerchief. The sweets used should be small round or oval ones, they being best suited for the purpose.

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