MAGICIAN OF MOROCCO.
The Magician of Morocco is a hand performance similar in character to those described under the headings of the Apple Woman and the Dancing Highlander. He is made (see Fig. 1) by holding up a hand, bending down the fourth and little fingers, placing the thumb in front, holding the first finger straight up, and the middle finger slanting half-way between the first and fourth fingers. The top joint of the first finger is to be dotted to represent a face, and on the tip of the finger a handkerchief, knotted at one corner to represent a cap, is to be placed, the remainder of the handkerchief being draped about the hand to do duty for the robe (see Fig. 2). This robe looks more effective if the handkerchief out of which it is made is of some bright colour or colours; an Indian silk handkerchief makes both a capital robe and cap combined; the cap may, indeed, then be easily made to look very like an ordinary Turkish fez.
It will thus be seen that while the first finger in the hand does duty for head, shoulders, and bust, the middle finger, when the whole figure is held sideways to the company, shows as the arms, and the body is made full by means of the position of the thumb and other two fingers.
It is necessary that the Magician of Morocco should have some long outlandish name, and to ensure his success that he should be very voluble with quackeries, divinations, tricks, jests, prophecies, conundrums, scandals, and nonsense of every sort and description; his conversation being accompanied by judicious nods and twists of the head, as it will not be easy to impart much of a twinkle to his eyes.
Fig. 2.—The Magician of Morocco.