SIMPLE TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS, RINGS, CANDLES, ETC.
A Knot that Cannot be Drawn Tight 44 To Tie an Instantaneous Knot in a Handkerchief 45 Half a Burnt Message Found Restored in a Candle 46 Two Good Ring Tricks 47
To Ascertain a Number Thought of 49 How to Name a Number which has been Erased 51 A Lesson in the Correct Formation of a Figure 52 Four Nines Problem 53 An Answer to a Sum Given in Advance 53 An Arithmetical Puzzle 54 An Arithmetical Mystery 55 How to Tell Her Age 55 A Race in Addition 56 To Predict the Hour Your Friend Intends to Rise on the Following Morning 57
Experiment with Ten Matches 59 The Magic Nine 60 Triangles with Matches 61 Match Squares 61 Your Opponent must Take the Last Match 62 A Shakespearean Quotation 63 Numeral 63 Six and Five Make Nine 63 The Artful Schoolboys 64 What are Matches Made of? 66 A Sheep Pen 66 Post and Rail Puzzle 67
A Good After-Dinner Trick 68 To Remove a Serviette Ring from a Tape Held on the Thumbs of Another Person 70 An Experiment in Gravity 71 A Scissors Feat 71 Another Trick with a Pair of Scissors 72 An Indestructible Cigarette Paper 73 To Cut an Apple in Two with Your Finger 74 A Trick with Dominoes 74 An Escape 75 Cigarette Papers and Serviettes 76 Four Cigarette Papers 77 A Hindoo Swindle 77 The Elusive Match--a Capital Impromptu Trick 79
AN EASY METHOD OF FINDING A SELECTED CARD
Throw the pack on the table and request some one to select a card. Then gather up the rest of the cards and request your friend to show his card to his neighbour, to avoid mistakes. While this is being done bend the pack slightly while pretending to shuffle it, and cause the card to be returned and the pack shuffled. The selected card can then be easily detected among the bent cards by its being perfectly straight. A good way to finish the trick is to bring the card to the top of the pack and cause it to project about an inch over the right side; cover the front end of the pack with your four fingers so that the edge of the projecting card is concealed, and, with your thumb at the other end, hold the pack firmly about eighteen inches above the table. Request the person who drew the card to call it by name. On this being done, drop the pack on the table, when the projecting card will be completely turned over by the air in its descent and lie perfectly square on the top of the pack. Another good finish is to bring the chosen card to the bottom of the pack, and requesting the person who selected it to hold the pack by pinching it tightly between his finger and thumb close to the corner, you give the pack a sharp rap, when all the cards will fall excepting the one chosen.