Now say, “I’ve covered the three balls.” Then turn up one cup, and say, “There is the first ball;” then turn up the other, saying, “There is the second ball.” Then take up either of the balls, and lay it on the top of the third cup, and cover it with the cup that has the tin bottom, clapping the third cup in the place of the other two; say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, there is one ball at the bottom, one in the middle, and the third and last ball I strike through the board, saying, ‘Presto, be gone.’”
Now, you must understand, the third ball you drop, the second sticks to the tin grater, and three balls appear under the lowermost cup; then place your three balls on the table, and your cups opposite the balls; then say, “I cover this ball with this cup, and I cover this third ball with this one cup.” Then turning up one cup, take up the ball, and say, “Presto, I command you under the second cup;” but at the same time you must retain the ball, for the ball that was sticking to the tin is dropped, and makes two; then clapping the cup down, with the ball that you have retained, turn up the cup, and say, “I’ll strike this ball to the other two;” and drop that ball, being three before.
Next place the balls and cups as they were before; then clap the first cup on the first ball, and the second on the second; then take up the cup with the grater, which generally is in the middle, saying, “I’ll put this cup in my bag;” and take up this ball, saying, “I’ll put this ball in my bag;” and take up the next ball, saying, “I’ll put this ball in my bag too,” clapping under the cup at the same time the ball you have retained. At last, say, “I shall have too many balls,” or something to that purpose; seem in a fury, and toss your cups away; then put them into your juggling-bag, that, when you show the other three, the company may think they were the first cups.
CONVEYANCE OF MONEY, &c.
The conveyance of money is not much inferior to the tricks with Cups and Balls, but much easier to perform. The principal place to hold the coin is the palm of the hand; and the best piece to play with is a sixpence. But, by practice, all coins will be alike, unless they are very small, and then they must be kept between the fingers, almost at the fingers’ ends; whereas the ball is to be kept below, near the palm. The coin ought never to be too large, as that will considerably impede the clever conveyance of it.
To convey Money from one Hand to the Other.
Hold open your right hand and lay therein a sixpence, and on the top of it place the top of your left middle finger, which press hard upon it, at the same time using hard words. Then suddenly draw away your right hand from the left, seeming to have left the coin there, and shut your hand cleverly, as if it still were there. That this may appear to have been truly done, take a knife, and seem to knock against it, so as to make a great sound. This is a pretty trick, and, if well managed, both the eye and ear are deceived at the same time.
To convert Money into Counters, and the Reverse.
Another way to deceive the lookers-on is to do as before, with a sixpence, and, keeping a counter in the palm of your left hand, secretly, seem to put the sixpence therein, which being retained still in the right hand, when the left hand is opened, the sixpence will seem to be turned into a counter.