Home Entertaining: Amusements for Every One

by William Eastman Chenery

The “Thirty-five” Trick. An envelope, handed to any person in the company at the outset, contains a slip of paper, bearing the number 35. This is kept in the person’s pocket until the close of the trick; or the number 35 can be written on the inside of a trick slate, or elsewhere, for production in due course.

The performer now goes around with a slip of paper, which he hands to some one, with a request to place any single figure thereon. This done, he gives the paper to a second person to place another figure under the first, and so on to as many persons in succession as necessary. As each figure is written, he secretly adds all together until the total reaches 26 or over; when this is the case, he stops calling for more figures and, retaining the paper, remarks, “That will do, thank you, but I would like to place this gentleman’s initials on the paper for the purpose of identification.” The initials are given and written on the paper by the performer, who at the same time takes the opportunity thus afforded of placing another figure, to make the sum total 35, at the foot of those already written. This done, the paper may be handed to any person to add up the sum, for the simple reason that the trick cannot now fail. Of course no one ever thinks of checking the number of figures on the paper with the number of persons who wrote them. The envelope containing the slip of paper is now opened, and the two amounts compared.

An Ink Shock. Cut a piece of black paper to imitate spilled ink. Lay it flat on a white table cover. Beside it, place an upset dry ink bottle. This will shock the mistress of the house.

Reading from Folded Papers. For this trick, you enlist the service of a friend. Each one is given a slip of paper and told to write on it a question. Fold up well and drop into a hat. Mix them up, and, holding the hat over your head, pick out any paper, and without unfolding it, answer the question, doing the same with the rest.

In order to do this, you must know your friend’s question, and as you collect the papers, slip it under the band inside the hat. When performing, take any slip, but answer your friend’s question first. Now open, to prove yourself right, and thereby see another question. This is answered while the next is held, and so on until the last, when all and the one in the hat are mixed and left for the audience for investigation.

Blind Man’s Buff with Dominoes. Sit opposite another player, each placing his right foot on the other’s left. Turn the dominoes face down and the game now begins. Of course each one must look at his domino before he plays it, but he does not show it to the other. The pressure of your foot on his shows the number with which you begin, without the possibility of a blunder, although playing the dominoes face downward. He now counts the movements of your foot, which indicate the number he is to match. He then presses your foot with the number you are to match. This is continued until all the dominoes are played. When the game is finished, turn the dominoes over to show that the numbers have been played with perfect exactness.

“My Aunt Has Arrived from Paris.” A circle is formed, all kneeling on the floor. The leader says to the one on his right side, “My aunt has arrived from Paris,” and the one addressed, asks the question, “What did she bring you?” The leader answers, “A pair of scissors,” and at once imitates the opening and shutting of the scissors with two fingers. This same question is asked, answered, and imitated by each one around the circle.

The leader again says, “My aunt has arrived from Paris,” and the one addressed asks, “What did she bring you?” The leader, still keeping up the scissors motion, says, “A fan,” and at once imitates fanning with the other hand. This goes around the circle as before.

The leader then announces in the same way, “A Japanese doll,” and imitates by bowing his head backward and forward, which goes around the circle. Then a rocking-horse is announced by the leader, and is imitated by moving the body up and down, all the while remaining on the knees. This also goes around the circle.

Finally in the same manner the leader announces a cuckoo, and immediately gives the imitation of a cuckoo, which is also done in turn around the circle. All five imitations are to be kept up continuously by each one until the players are exhausted. The one holding out the longest is the winner.