Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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The Floating Ball of Paper
THE Floating Paper Ball Trick is a genuine Japanese feat which up to the present time has been known to two or three performers only. For an unfathomable and mysterious trick it can hardly be surpassed, for in seeing it performed the saying that "the more you look, the less you see," will only become too true.
The performer shows a sheet of soft tissue paper of about a foot square, crumpling it up into a ball, which, as he states in his patter, he will suspend in the air without any support whatever. He proceeds to do so and the paper ball is seen to remain suspended in the air. To prove that nothing sustains it, the conjurer passes both hands above, below and all around the ball. Finally he takes the right hand and holding it some six inches above the ball, by raising and lowering the band, causes the ball to ascend and descend, being seemingly attracted in some mysterious way by the fingers, whose every move it obediently follows. During all this time the performer passes his disengaged hand above, below and all around the ball, even passing it through between hand and ball, while the latter is ascending.
The ball is then placed on an ordinary plate, which the performer holds with his left hand. The right band then approaches the center of the lower side of the plate, and the moment it does so, the ball rises up in the air, dancing up and down according to the movements of the right hand under the plate. Once more the performer suspends the ball in the air and with the left hand holding the plate some six inches above it, places the right hand on the upper side of the plate. By raising and lowering this hand he causes the ball to repeat its mysterious performance. Finally the paper forming the ball is unrolled and after being shown from all sides, is passed for examination.
The author has no doubt but that during the perusal of the effect of the trick, his readers' face will assume a somewhat incredulous look, but nevertheless the effect described is exactly the one produced upon the audience.
The secret of the trick is simplicity itself, depending upon the use of an extremely fine silk thread, which is no thicker than a hair. (Although the author is a dealer in magicians supplies, he does not consider it fair to advertise his wares here, but as it will be practically impossible for the reader to obtain the proper thread, without the use of which the trick loses half its artistic beauty, the author shall be pleased to furnish this thread at cost price to the readers of this volume).
To one end of this thread is fastened a pellet of adhesive wax, which is then attached to the back of the conjurer's head, the other part of the thread being allowed to hang down. To the other end of the thread is fastened another pellet of wax by means of which this end is fastened to the performer's shoulder. This arrangement is necessary, as by its use any accidental breakage of the thread, which is quite long, is thereby avoided.
When ready to perform the experiment, the performer picks up the paper, at the same time moving a chair or table out of his way and secretly sticking the end of the thread which he took off his shoulder to the back of the chair or rear edge of the table top, thereby completing his arrangement. Turning his side to the audience, the chair standing in direct line with his person, he carefully walks backwards until the thread is drawn almost taut. He now places the sheet of paper around the thread, forming it into a ball, which he suspends in the air as described by simply regulating his position so that the thread is drawn fairly taut. The ascending and descending of the ball is accomplished by the raising and lowering of the head, which looks perfectly natural as the performer takes care to make it act in perfect unison with the movement of the right hand, which seems to be the cause of the movements of the ball.
The use of the plate is not necessary, but makes the trick much more mysterious, besides strengthening the audience in the belief that it is the right hand which is the attractive power. As this is "misdirection" upon which the success of all tricks depends, due attention ought to be paid to this part of the trick.
For the passing of the hands around the ball, no special directions can very well be given at the first thought one would believe that the passing of the hands would be limited on account of danger of coming in contact with the thread, but such is not the case, as with a little practice the hands can, to all intents and purposes, be apparently passed around the ball in any direction.
The use of the special thread is recommended, because it makes the trick practically undetectable and admits of its performance in the parlor under the very eyes of the spectators. However if desired, a fine black thread, or what is better, a dark grey thread, which is of the same color as the atmosphere, may be substituted in stage performance.
End of "Latter Day Tricks"
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