The Eleventh Practice brings us to one of the neatest, prettiest, and most effective feats in ball juggling. It is called
The Shower.
This, undoubtedly one of the most fascinating of all juggling feats, is an art easily acquired by so practised a juggler as you have now become. Take two balls, one in each hand, throw the one in the right hand into the air towards the left, as in [Fig. 4], and while it is in the air, ‘pass’ the left-hand ball to the right hand, as in [Fig. 5], and immediately throw it to follow the course of the first, continuing this play as quickly as possible, so that there may be one ball always in the air. You will find very little difficulty in showering two balls in this manner with one hand, as it is really nothing more than a Double Inside Fall ([Fig. 2]); in fact, some expert jugglers can shower three balls with one hand, but this is a very difficult feat, and the balls have to be thrown very high. You can make the attempt if you please, but I do not wish to enter upon matters which may confuse and possibly dishearten you, and will ask you therefore to perfect yourselves in this feat before proceeding to the Twelfth Practice, viz.,
The Triple Shower,
which is accomplished in the following manner. Take two balls in the right hand and one in the left. Throw one after the other in very quick succession in the direction of the Inside Fall ([Fig. 2]) with the right hand, and as each reaches the left hand, ‘pass’ it from the left to the right, as shown in [Figs. 11] and [12], and continue the Shower as long as you please. From the swiftness of their motion, the balls appear to multiply, and your audience will almost be inclined to believe that you are playing with fifty balls, instead of with only three. When you are very expert in this you can proceed to the Thirteenth Practice,
The Quadruple Shower,
or Grand Shower, as it is sometimes called. This is the same play as the last but with four balls, three of which must be held in the right and one in the left hand. It is hardly necessary to say that the difficulty is greatly increased, as the balls must be thrown much higher, so that there may be more space between them in order to allow time for the rapid passes. In all the Showers, but in this especially, it is advisable to keep the right hand a little higher than the left, as shown in [Fig. 13]. The Fourteenth Practice, which is the last of the present series, is
The Fountain.
Fig. 11