Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
Previous | Next | Contents
The New Glass Vase and Appearing Balls
THE performer introduces a large goblet-shaped glass vase with cover, the same kind that is used for the display of candy in most confectionery stores. Over the vase is placed a borrowed handkerchief and its cover is then put on. Placing a number of parti-colored balls in a box (drawer box) the performer causes them to disappear and appear in the glass vase.
The construction of the drawer box and the vanishing of the balls by this means being familiar to my advanced reader, I shall confine myself to the explanation of the appearance of the balls in the covered glass vase, which in itself is free from trickery.
Previous to the performance a quantity of spring balls are pressed together and tied crosswise with a strong, black thread. The thread is tied by one knot and a loop, which when opened causes the balls to become released. By means of this loop the parcel of balls is suspended on two headless nails driven in the rear edge of the table top. These nails are about four inches apart and are in line with each other.
One end of the thread which surrounds the balls is cut off short, a knot being made in its end to prevent the loop from opening before the proper time, while the other long end of the thread is secured to a small screw eye fastened in the floor.
After having borrowed the handkerchief, the performer spreads it out on the table, allowing a small portion of it to hang down over the rear edge of the latter. He then introduces the vase and cover, freely showing them around. In picking up the handkerchief he introduces the first finger of each hand in the loop behind the table and holding the handkerchief with the balls suspended behind it, spread it out in front of his person, deftly allowing the parcel to slide into the vase under cover of the handkerchief. The cover of the vase is next put on, and holding the latter by cover and foot, the conjurer goes forward with it, ostensibly to place it on a chair or table. By this process the thread fastened to the floor and tied around the balls is drawn taut, causing the loop to be opened, the. balls expanding and filling the vase.
Previous | Next | Contents