Some performers have the silk thread attached to one of the buttons of the coat. This arrangement will be found greatly to facilitate the working of the trick.
The paper for the butterflies is better torn than cut, and should be as nearly as possible of the shape of a St. George’s cross, and about two inches square.
The Wizard’s Omelet. (Borrowed Rings and Live Doves produced from an Omelet.)—This is a trick which always produces a great sensation, whether performed upon the stage or in the drawing-room. Its effect is as follows: The performer produces either naturally or magically (e.g., from the egg-bag, or from the mouth of his assistant, as described at page [329]) three eggs, which he hands round for examination. His assistant next borrows from the audience three ladies’ rings, receiving them, in order to prove that he does not tamper with them in any way, on the performer’s wand instead of in his hands. The wand, with the rings still upon it, is laid upon the table. The assistant next brings in an omelet pan, and places it, with its lid beside it, on the table. The performer breaks the eggs into it, dropping in shells and all—then pours some spirits over it, to which he sets fire, and while it is still blazing drops the rings from the wand into it. He brings it forward to show that the rings are really in the flames; and on returning to his table, claps the cover on the pan, and fires a pistol (any ordinary pistol) over it. Without a moment’s interval, he again removes the cover. All traces of the omelet and egg-shells have vanished, but in their place are found three live doves, each with a ribbon round its neck, to which is attached one of the borrowed rings.
The explanation of this surprising result is simplicity itself. The reader, with his present knowledge, will readily conjecture that, as to the rings, a substitution is effected; but he may not so easily guess the manner of such substitution. It will be remembered that the rings were collected by the assistant on the performer’s wand. This arrangement, which is ostensibly adopted to prevent, in reality facilitates an exchange. The assistant makes his collection with three dummy rings placed beforehand on the lower end of the wand, and concealed by the hand in which he holds it; which, we will suppose, is the right hand. In returning to the stage, he takes hold with the left hand of the opposite end of the wand, and allows the borrowed rings to run down into that hand, at the same moment releasing the dummy rings from the right hand, and allowing them to run upon the middle of the wand in place of the others. He now has the borrowed rings in his left hand, and (laying the wand with the substitutes on the table) carries them off with him to prepare for the dénouement of the trick.
Fig. 233.
The only other matter which will require explanation is the construction of the omelet pan. This is a shallow pan of brass or tin, about ten inches in diameter, by two and a half in depth. Within this is an inner pan, also of brass or tin, fitting tightly within it, but about half an inch less in depth. The lid is made with a very deep rim or shoulder all round, and just fits within the lining, though less tightly than the latter fits within the pan. (See [Fig. 233], in which a represents the pan, b the lining, and c the lid.) The assistant, as soon as he gets behind the scenes, loops the borrowed rings to the ribbons, which are already tied round the necks of the three doves, and places the latter in b, immediately putting on c (the two together having the appearance of a simple cover), and brings forward the pan and cover. The performer now makes his omelet, and drops the substitute rings into it. In bringing forward the pan to show that the rings are really there, he takes care to avoid the owners of them, who would alone be likely to detect the substitution. When he claps on the cover, the trick is really done, the firing of the pistol being merely for effect. When the cover is again removed, the lining remains in the pan, concealing the omelet beneath it, and revealing the doves, with the rings attached to their necks.
The Rose in the Glass Vase.—The ingenious piece of apparatus which we are about to describe was, we believe, the invention of Robert-Houdin. It consists of a glass vase, on a foot, and with a glass lid, standing altogether eight to ten inches in height. This is placed on a square box-like plinth or pedestal, of wood covered with morocco, and measuring about eight inches square by six in height. The lid is placed upon the vase, which, being transparent, is clearly seen to be empty. A borrowed handkerchief is for a moment thrown over the whole, and again removed, when a handsome rose (natural or artificial) is seen to have mysteriously found its way into the vase; whence it is removed, and handed to the company for inspection.
Fig. 234.