The Magician’s Bite
Take an ordinary piece of string or thread, and offer to cut it in two if somebody present will guarantee to join it into one piece again without any knot. You may announce at the same time that by wizardry you are able yourself to do this by a simple bite of the teeth.
Fig. 34.—Showing string passed round hands.
Fig. 34a.—Showing ends of string looped together.
The trick is done in this way. Appear to pass the string round the hands twice, as in [Fig. 34], whereas by a deft movement, which can be acquired with a little practice, you really loop the two ends round each other, as in [Fig. 34a]. Holding the point where they cross each other between the finger and thumb (see H, [Fig. 35]), you request some person to cut the two ends at G, promising to join these ends with your mysterious bite.
Fig. 35.—Showing point where to cut string.
Place the string in both hands into your mouth, and whilst making a mumbling movement, contrive to catch the short doubled piece, G, H, in your teeth and retain it there, whilst extending your hands to the company you show a whole piece of thread, as in [Fig. 36]. The little piece which you have kept between your teeth can be easily removed without exciting suspicion, and there are few people critical enough to measure the string and find there is a piece missing.
Fig. 36.—Showing whole piece of thread.