“And that isn’t all, either,” went on the performer. He looked closely into the hat, a puzzled look came over his face, and he asked: “Have you a permit to carry live stock about with you?”
“Live stock?” repeated the man, wonderingly.
“Yes. I see something alive in here. Here it is,” and, putting in his hand, which was seen to be empty, while the other grasped the hat by the brim, the professor pulled out a live and kicking guinea pig.
The audience laughed heartily at this, and the professor tried to put back into the hat the heap of paper ribbon, flowers and the live animal. Of course, they would not fit.
“Well,” went on the performer, with a puzzled air, “you may be able to get all those things in your hat, my dear sir, but I can’t, though I was able to get them out.”
He then piled the paper ribbon and flowers on the head covering and passed it to the man. The guinea pig was taken in charge by the young assistant to be used on the next occasion.
It need hardly be explained that Professor Rosello put all the articles in the hat (“loaded” it, to use the magician’s term) as he walked back with it from where he had borrowed it to the stage. The guinea pig, which had been used so often in the trick that it was very tame, and would lie quietly where placed, was first put in the bottom of the hat while it was held close to the lower part of the performer’s vest. He had the little animal under there, putting it in its hiding place just before he was ready to work the trick.
The paper ribbon and flowers he had concealed in a secret pocket, and these he slipped into the hat with the pig on his way up the stage steps. He was now ready for the trick.
Paper ribbon for this purpose comes wound in tight rolls, and can be bought in any conjuring-goods store. It rolls up into a very compact mass, but when unwound, and fluffed up, occupies much greater space, so that what seems to be a bushel or more can be taken from an ordinary derby.
The paper flowers are in the same class. They come in compact form, in bundles. A bundle, which can easily be palmed, is dropped into the hat. A pressure of the thumb breaks the binding, and the tiny wire springs in the petals of the flowers cause them to expand, thus occupying a much larger space than before, so that the hat seems to be overflowing with them. Under the paper ribbon and the flowers was the guinea pig. The outside wrapping of the compact bundles of ribbon and flowers is made black, so that it is not seen against the dark background of the hat’s interior.