Magical Originalities
Ernest E. Noakes
Previous | Next | Contents

Wine and Water

MY METHOD of working this trick is considerably cleaner than some methods already in use. The first form of presentation is to use a glass jug of water and four glasses. Haying assured your audience that the water is quite pure and the glasses dry and clean, you fill each glass and stand them in a row on a book. A half-sheet of note-paper, without any preparation, is passed over each glass. No. 1 becomes "sherry"; No. 2 "red wine"; No. 3 "green chartreuse"; No. 4 "blue-black ink." The second form is to use one glass only, and in passing the paper the first time you get "sherry"; the second time "dark red wine"; the third time "dark green chartreuse"; the fourth time "stout"; and the fifth time "clear water."

Fakes The fakes are of thin xylonite, cut to the shape of tumbler, pale yellow, red, green, and dark blue. Each fake is placed to project about an inch from the back of the table, or in a book, and the glasses are placed in front, see illustration. When you draw the half sheet of paper over the top of the glass from front to back, the fingers grip the fake, which is brought up and dropped into the glass of water as you make the second pass over the top with the paper. You proceed with the other three in the same way.

Book and Fakes If using the second form of presentation, you simply drop the fakes into the glass one before the other, and for change back to water the fakes are gripped together, lifted from the glass, and servanted as the paper travels from front to back. It is a curious thing, but no illusion is created by dropping the fakes into an empty glass; but when the glass is full of water, the colour is diffused evenly. When the fakes are all in the single glass, the water causes them to adhere together, and there is no difficulty in lifting them out to servante them. The fakes want to be a nice loose fit, and the water should reach to the top of the fakes when they are in the glasses. The fakes being very thin, admit of back-palming should the performer wish to emphasise that the paper is quite innocent. The fakes do not "talk," and are quite clean to handle.

Previous | Next | Contents