A Great Production
By Blackstone

THIS is presented as a Chinese effect. If the performer wears a Chinese hat and robe, it will help the illusion, but the hat alone will suffice. A Chinese walk and a little Chinese talk will help as well. The performer takes a shawl and carefully spreads it out upon the stage (or upon the floor, for this effect can be used for a floor show). pattering all the while. He takes a second shawl, brings it out open until he is right over the one on the stage. He kneels on the first shawl, and, as he rises, whips away the second to disclose a tub, from which shoots up a spray of water and from which jump a couple of ducks. Being ducks, they will stay right under the spray, which shoots out about a foot beyond the tub.

The shawls, or foulards, are sixty inches square and innocent. They should be of different colors and, if possible, Chinese. At the beginning of the trick the shawls are hung, one on top of the other, over the back of a chair. The shawls cover and hide the tub, which hangs from the top of, and behind, the chair.

The drawings of the tub speak for themselves. The tub legs, of three-fourths inch strap iron, are crescent-shaped, with the ends pointed inward. At the top of the tub, at a point on the rim immediately above one of the legs, is the hook by which the tub is hung to the back of the chair. When the magician picks up each shawl he walks behind the chair and, stooping over, picks up the shawl by the two top corners. The second time this is done as he leans forward he hooks the leg of the tub on his vest or belt. He then walks forward holding the shawl well extended. Kneeling will allow the tub to disengage itself. There is a canvas covering over the tub to hold in the ducks. This has a rope edging. The rope should have a loop on one end to be used as a slip knot to hold the canvas under the wire edge of the tub. A slight pull win release the canvas.

As soon as the tub has been released, as the magician kneels on the stage, he whips off the canvas and reaches in to turn the long handle for the spray effect. The bottom shawl, by the way, will absorb the water which goes outside of the tub. The illustration shows the compartment for the water and cornpressed air at the bottom of the tub. Experiment will show the quantity of water to use and the amount of air pressure necessary to produce the best effect. There is a water-tight screw at the bottom of the tub which may be taken out, so that you may put water in the compartment.

Also at the bottom is the air valve for the compressed air, which is put in by hand pump. The space between the bottom of the tub and the lower end of the spray pipe should be one-quarter of an inch. There is a long handle on the spray so that you can reach it quickly and turn it on without fumbling during the production.