The Mysterious Bands
Take a full sheet of a large newspaper, e.g. the first and last pages (which make one sheet) of a paper like the New York Times, and cut three straight strips (a, b, c) about three inches wide, as shown in [Fig. 23]. Now join the ends of these strips in the following manner in order to make three loops.
In the strip a bend round D, and paste it on to the under side of E.
Make a loop of b in a similar manner, but giving the strip a half turn, and pasting the under side of F to the under side of G.
In the third strip this twist is replaced by a full turn of the paper, so that H is pasted on the under side of N, as in the first instance.
When making these bands it will be quite easy to conceal from the spectators the twists you have given to the paper; and, indeed, the success of the trick depends upon this part of your preparation not being observed.
Now comes the exhibition of the trick. Cut each of the loops into two, in the direction of the dotted lines in [Fig. 24], when the following astonishing result will be obtained.
The band a will be cut into two equal loops, as in [Fig. 24a], the loop b will turn into one large loop twice the size of the original as in [Fig. 24b], whilst the loop C will be transformed into two links of a chain, as in [Fig. 24c].
Fig. 24.—Showing where to cut loops of paper.
Fig. 24a.—Band cut into equal loops.
Fig. 24b.—Showing large loop twice the size of original.
Fig. 24c.—Showing loop C transformed into two links of a chain.
It need hardly be remarked that the twists given to the original bands are responsible for this strange result.