Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

by Professor Hoffmann

The disappearance of the cage, which is of the form shown in [Fig. 253], will be readily understood by any reader who has followed the description of the “flying glass of water” described at page [367]. The handkerchief used is double, and contains in its centre, stitched between the two surfaces, an oblong wire frame, in size and shape exactly corresponding with the top of the cage. When the performer throws the handkerchief over the cage on the table, he takes care to bring this wire shape immediately over the cage. When he apparently lifts the cage under the handkerchief, which he does standing behind his table, he really lifts the handkerchief only, distended by the hidden wire, and with the other hand he gently lowers the cage out of sight upon the servante.

Fig. 255.

So much for the disappearance of the cage; but it yet remains to be explained how the bird comes to be found under the cover in place of the die. This is effected as follows:—There are two dice, the one solid, the other of hollow tin, and having one side wanting, but capable of being closed at pleasure by means of a sliding lid, also of tin, which supplies the missing side, and is painted accordingly. The outer edge of this lid is folded over outwards in a semicircular form. (See [Fig. 254]). The tray used (see [Fig. 255]) is of tin, japanned, and of ordinary appearance, but has a square piece of tin, of the same size as one of the sides of the die, soldered upon its centre at about one-sixteenth of an inch above the surface. Three of its sides are soldered to the tray, the fourth being left open. The centre of the tray is ornamentally japanned, in such manner as to conceal this special arrangement.

Fig. 256.

A duplicate bird is beforehand placed in the hollow die, which is then closed, and placed either upon the servante or in one of the secret pockets of the performer, who, having borrowed a hat, secretly slips the hollow die into it, and places it on the table mouth upwards. He now brings forward and offers for inspection the solid die, the cover, and the birdcage, placing the latter when returned upon his table, rather towards the hinder edge. “The die,” he carelessly remarks, “I will place in this hat” (suiting the action to the word); “or, better still, I will place it upon this tray, so that you may be able to keep sight of it throughout the trick.” So saying, he again takes out apparently the same, but really the hollow die, and places it on the tray with the moveable side downwards, in such manner as to hook the turned-over portion of that side into the open edge of the corresponding square upon the tray, and places the cover over it. Handing the tray to his assistant, he proceeds to cause the disappearance of the birdcage from the handkerchief, as already described. This done, he advances to the tray, and lifts the cover with the hollow die within it, first, however, sliding away cover and die together towards the opposite end of the tray (see [Fig. 256]), and thereby leaving behind upon the centre of the tray the moveable slide, the interior of which is japanned so as to correspond with the centre pattern of the tray, and thus does not attract any attention.

The solid die, having remained in the hat, may readily be produced when required.

The Decanter and the Crystal Balls.—The routine of this trick, as practised by different performers, varies a good deal. We propose to describe it in two forms, the first being as nearly as possible that which was adopted by Robert-Houdin.

First Method.—The apparatus in this case consists of four glass balls (two of plain glass an inch and a half in diameter, one of ruby-coloured glass of the same size, and one of plain glass, three-quarters of an inch in diameter) and a decanter of clear glass, with a hollow or “kick” underneath it just large enough to admit one of the larger balls. The decanter is two-thirds filled with port or claret, and is brought forward with the red ball beneath it, in the hollow we have mentioned, and is placed on the performer’s table. The remaining balls are disposed as follows: the two large balls in the performer’s left pochette, and the small one in the pochette on the other side. Thus provided, the performer comes forward, wand in hand. Taking the wand carelessly in his right hand, he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have already given you some proofs of the singular powers of this wand, but I do not know whether I have drawn your attention to one remarkable faculty which it possesses, viz., that if I strike anything with it, at the same time mentally calling for any object, that object is instantly produced from the article touched. Let us put it to the test.” (He pulls back his coat-sleeves, showing indirectly, by a careless gesture, that his hands are empty.) “For the purpose of the trick I am about to show you, I require a crystal ball. Now, observe, I give but one gentle touch, not here upon the table” (he raps the table with his wand), “where you might suspect some mechanism or preparation, but here in my empty hand, and instantly, you see, a ball appears at my bidding.” As he touches the table with the wand, thereby drawing the eyes of the spectators in that direction, he carelessly drops his left hand to his side, and takes from the pochette and palms one of the plain glass balls, which as soon as the wand reaches his hand he produces at the finger-tips. “The ball, as you see, ladies and gentlemen, is of solid crystal, without crack or flaw” (he takes it in the right hand, tosses it up, and catches it again). “The hardest steel would fail to chip it, and yet, by my magic power, I am able instantly to divide it into two equal portions, each round and true as the original.” At the moment of tossing the ball in the air, all eyes are naturally attracted to it, and the performer has ample opportunity to again drop the left hand to his side, and palm the second ball. Keeping this in the palm of the left hand, he transfers the first ball to the finger-tips of the same hand. Drawing the wand across it, he allows it to drop into the palm, and to strike against the ball already there. Rubbing his palms together, as if to mould the divided ball into shape, he shows the two balls, professedly the divided portions of the first. Taking one in each hand, he continues, “I undertook to make the divided portions exactly equal, but I have not succeeded so well as usual. It seems to me that this one is rather the larger, what say you, ladies and gentlemen?” He places the two balls on the table, side by side, as if for comparison, and carelessly dropping the right hand to his side, palms between the second and third fingers (see page [273]), the small ball. “Yes, this one is certainly the larger, but I can easily rectify the mistake by pinching a little piece off.” Taking the ball in the left hand, he pretends to pinch off a portion from it with the right, at the same time letting the little ball fall to the finger-tips of the latter. He replaces the large ball on the table, rolling the little ball between the fingers, as though to give it roundness. “No, that one is still the biggest, I haven’t taken quite enough yet. I must take a little more; or, better still, I will add this little piece to the smaller one.” Taking the supposed smaller ball in the left hand, he pretends to squeeze the little one into it, presently letting the latter fall behind it into the palm of the left hand, and replacing the two larger balls side by side on the table, dropping the little ball at the first opportunity into the pochette. He continues, “I think they are now about right. The reason why I have been so particular about it is that I am about to pass one of these balls into the other, which I could not have done unless they had been of exactly the same size. Now which of them shall I pass into the other? It is for you to decide.” He has meanwhile moved so as to be behind his table, standing sideways, with his right side to the table. Whichever ball the company decides is to be passed into the other, he takes in his right hand, immediately afterwards taking the other in the left hand, which he holds aloft, following it with his eyes. Stretching back the right arm, as though to give an impetus to the ball, he drops it into a padded box, or basket, placed upon the servante to receive it, immediately afterwards bringing the right hand with a semicircular sweep upon the left, and rolling the ball the latter contains between the palms, as though to press the one ball into the other; and presently showing that the hands now contain one ball only.