To perform the trick, place six real pence on the little shelf, and have the sham pence on the table. Take them up and rattle them, and put them down as in [Fig. 2], No. 1. Keep a sixpence in the palm of your hand, pick up the sham pence, and as you put them down, slip the sixpence under them, as you do the ball in [trick 6]. Take the cover, and put it over the sham pence, make a short speech, and knock the cover with your wand, at the same time pressing the pedal with your foot, which will cause all the six real pence to tumble down with a great crash. Take up the cover and false pence together, put the end of your wand into them and hold them up triumphantly, showing the spectators that the six pence have been replaced by a silver sixpence. While you are picking up the pence, slip the sham ones out of the cover into your left hand, and take some opportunity of letting the empty cover roll towards the audience, one of whom you ask to pick it up and bring it you. This manœuvre generally disarms all suspicion, for the picker-up is sure to examine it very closely.
I have only given mere outlines of this really excellent trick, which may be varied in a hundred ways, and is capable of combination with other tricks to a large extent. It will add to its complicity, if a set of six half-pence is also made like the pence. For the pedal may be substituted a lever running immediately under the surface of the table, if the performer prefers to have a short cloth on it. There should be always two cloths on the table,—the lower one thick and soft, to prevent jingling of objects, and the upper one white, as it displays everything better than a coloured one. The ingenuity of the young conjuror will easily find methods of varying this trick.
21. THE DOLL TRICK.
Get a comical looking doll, and cut off his head diagonally, taking care to do it very neatly. Drive a peg into the neck, and bore a hole in the body, into which the peg fits, as in the [cut]. Paint his body and head carefully, and if you put a gold chain or two round his neck, it will conceal the line of junction. Make also a coat of silk, and sew a pocket inside the edge of the skirt.
Take up the doll, and say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, here is a very learned man. Observe the development of his forehead, the sagacity of his nose, the eloquence of his lips, the dignity of his spectacles, and the philosophy of his pigtail. He is professor of astronomy at Timbuctoo, and here is his gown of office. See how handsome he looks in it. He is going to Amsterdam to see the eclipse of the last new comet. He has the honour to wish you all farewell before starting on his journey. Now, professor, we are waiting to see you go. Oh! you want funds, do you? I beg your pardon; here is a shilling for you.” So saying, you take your right hand from under the gown, taking with it the body, and put the body into your pocket, while you jingle some silver. The head is now supported by your left hand. Pretend to give him some money, and then say, “What! you won’t go unless you have more! Get along!” Hit the head a hard rap with your right hand, which drives it into the pocket, which you hold open for it with your left thumb and little finger. “Oh dear! the doctor is dead, and cannot be found.” Saying this, you grasp the gown by the place where the head is, and shake it about to show that it is empty. If you like, you can make another oration and hold a dialogue, making the doctor resuscitate himself, which is of course done by taking the head out of the pocket with the left hand, and working it about by the peg.