In order to save the invisible hen trouble and delay, it will be advisable to have eight or ten egg-shells, (as described in Trick 3;) or some light imitation eggs, painted white, may be bought at any depot of conjuring apparatus. A linen or camlet bag may also be procured from the same depot, though I think a bag made at home, according to the following directions, to be preferable.
It must be about the size of a small pillow, two feet three inches across, and one foot nine inches deep. It has one of its sides of double cloth, (x,) the other single, (z,) in the same way as leather writing-cases have a pocket on one side, and a single cover on the other. The double side is stitched together all round, with the exception of an opening at A, which must be about five inches long, or large enough to admit easily a hand to put in or take out the eggs. This double side of the bag must always be kept towards the performer, whereas the single side must be always kept towards the spectators; and the only opening between these two sides is between C and D. On the interior of the side of the double cloth bag, a strip or kind of frill of the same cloth must be sewn, with an elastic binding round the pockets or cups for eggs. The elastic binding will keep them in these pockets, unless they are pressed by the thumb or finger, so as to release them and let them fall into the centre of the double bag. The strip has the appearance of a string of inverted egg-cups, thus:
Fig. 21.
The position of it in the bag is indicated in Fig. 21 by the dots running across the bag; but the strip itself is never seen by the spectators, for it is placed on the inner side of the double bag, which is always towards the performer.
Having carefully prepared the above apparatus, commence the exhibition of the trick by holding up the bag by the corners C and D, as represented in Fig. 21. Shake the bag well while so holding it, showing it to be (apparently) empty.
After having thus exhibited the bag, thrust both your hands down inside it to the corners A and B. Holding those corners, pull the bag inside out, and again show it to be empty, in this reversed position, represented in Fig. 21.
As the spectators have now seen it thoroughly, inside and outside, you may put the question to them, “whether they admit it to be empty, as they ought to know.”
While holding the bag by the same corners A and B, you must now gather the bag a little closer together, and holding it well up—see Fig. 21—press with your thumb one of the eggs out of its elastic cup. This can be easily done without any one observing the movement. This egg, with a little gentle shaking, will fall into the large bag made by the double side; but it cannot fall to the ground, however much you shake it, for there is no opening but at A, and that is upwards towards your right hand, so you may shake the bag boldly.
