Have two gallipots or earthen jars, of a size to go easily into a hat, but of such dimensions that the one reversed will fit closely over the other. Tie worsted or a strip of linen round the smaller gallipot, so as to insure the larger one holding firmly round the smaller one. Have ready some thin, fluent dough, some sugar, and a few currants, enough for two or three pancakes or a small plum cake; also a spoon to stir the ingredients up.
Have at hand two or three warm pancakes that have just been prepared by the cook for you, with the same ingredients as mentioned above. Let them be firm and free from grease. Have also at hand two small plates, with knives and forks.
Commence the exhibition by borrowing two hats, to give you a choice with which to perform. You can remark that as you should be sorry to injure your friend’s hat, you will secure it from being soiled by placing some paper in it as a lining. Hold up the paper to show it is only paper, and then openly place it in the hat, and lay the hat down on its side on the table near you, having the brim towards you.
Have the ready-prepared pancakes lying near you, and whilst taking off the attention of the spectators by pretending to arrange the articles on your table, slip the prepared pancakes or plum-cake into the hat.
Fig. 9.
Unobserved, also place the smaller gallipot in the hat, and while doing so, if requisite, add some remark, such as: “Please to shut, or open, that door,” or any words that will draw off the attention of the spectators from what you are doing. You must next, with some parade, mix the fluent dough with the sugar and currants in the larger gallipot. It must be fluent enough to pour out slowly, apparently into the hat, but really into the smaller gallipot, which has been already concealed inside the hat. Show you have emptied the larger gallipot, all but a little; then, placing it over the smaller gallipot again, empty the very last of it, and press the larger gallipot firmly down over the smaller one. Then, with it, lift the smaller gallipot also, with its contents, while you appear only to take back the larger gallipot. Remove the gallipots, as supposed to be empty, out of sight. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, I must request your patience a few minutes for the process of cooking.” Put two or three candles near one another, and move the hat at a safe distance above them for two or three minutes, making in the meantime any laughable remarks that may occur to you, such as: “My young friends will find this capital way of supplying themselves with a delicate dish when they have lost their puddings from being in the black books of their teacher or parents,” or any similar humorous remark; but take care not to burn the hat whilst the (supposed) cooking is going on. After a short interval, place the hat on the table, and with some little ceremony take out the real pancakes or plum-cake. Let it be cut up and handed round to the juveniles who may be present.
REMARKS.
A more finished or surer arrangement for holding the dough, etc., can be made with a tin apparatus, which can be prepared by any tinman, upon the same principle as the gallipots, taking care not to have it made larger than the inside of a youth’s hat.
