SNAKES AND CROCODILES
The best trick I have ever seen in India during my 23 years in that
country, was one that was performed especially for my benefit twice
before I tumbled to the way in which it was done.
We were in our own compound or garden in a military station not far
from Bombay, having tea on a small lawn--green grass--of which we were
inordinately proud. Suddenly we heard the chanter of the itinerant
Jadoo-wallah, and as usual I called him in to ask him if he had
anything new. I wanted a really wonderful trick.
"Yes Saheb" he replied "I have something really good, that few sahebs
have seen before."
"What is it" said I, thoroughly aroused by his earnest manner, and
hoping that at last I should have an opportunity of seeing an oriental
miracle worthy of the spurious reputation held by Eastern Magicians.
"It is a trick with some snakes and a crocodile" said our friend "and
if the saheb will sit down with the memsaheb, and will call the
orderly, I will show it now." No sooner said than done. We sat down
and called Aba Nalaode, our Mabratta orderly.
[Illustration: Filling the Assistant's hands with earth.]
While he came from his quarters, the Jadoo-wallah proceeded to divest
himself of all his clothing, with the exception of his dhotie or loin
cloth. On the arrival of our orderly, he too was made to take off his
shirt, leaving him dressed in a similarly neglige manner to our
entertainer. The Jadoo-wallah then took some earth and made our
orderly hold it in his two hands held together in front of his body.
He then pranced round the orderly two or three times, making, as he
did so an imaginary circle round his assistant. He next called our
attention to the fact that he had nothing concealed about his person.
[Illustration: The Performer showing that he has nothing concealed
about him.]
[Illustration: The actual moment of the appearance of the Snakes and
Crocodiles.]
We could see that this was so as regards his bare chest, arms and
waist, and to convince us that he had nothing hidden in his dhotie he
showed us one bare leg at a time, avoiding barely any immodesty.
Concealing our blushes, we felt satisfied that his dhotie was the
only worldly possession that he had with him at the moment. He picked
up his chanter and continued to circle round and round our orderly,
gradually closing into him. Suddenly he ran towards the outstretched
hands with a crouching movement and struck them a smart blow, causing
the orderly to pull his parted hands away and a small cloud of dust to
appear from the falling earth. The cloud faded in a moment and there,
to our intense astonishment, on the ground at our retainers feet were
three snakes, two of which were cobras, and a baby crocodile! Needless
to say that as soon as our orderly saw these unpleasant creatures
writhing at his feet he cleared off to a safe distance. The
Jadoo-wallah caught the reptiles and placed them in his snake basket.
I took him aside and asked him to divulge the secret of the trick.
"Ha! Ha! saheb" said he "at last I have shewn you something that you
do not know. I will not tell you how it is done, but will come again
in a week's time and will perform it once more for your benefit."
I agreed, and after the usual remuneration or bucksheesh, with a
little extra, had passed hands, away went our friend down the road to
the bazaar.
The following week he sent word that he was coming on a particular
day, and that if I got some friends to come he would repeat the trick.
The more friends, the more bucksheesh!
I gathered a few people in to have tea, and in due course the magician
arrived, and with our head servant again performed the trick with the
same wonderful result.
This time I solved the mystery. I told the performer my impressions of
it and was glad to get his corroboration.
There was of course no collusion with the volunteer assistants.
The secret of the trick lies in a bag suspended mouth downwards from a
string round the magician's waist so that it lies between his legs.
This bag contained the three snakes and the small crocodile. The
mouth of the bag was threaded with a string, and naturally remained
closed until the string was pulled right away when the weight of the
wriggling contents caused the mouth to open and the reptiles to fall
upon the ground beneath. The crouching position of the magician
enabled him to get his legs spanning the ground immediately beneath
the orderly's hands, and the earth falling in a dust prevented the
possibility of our seeing the snakes during the brief interval of
their falling from under the dhotie to the ground. Needless to say
that the cobras had had their fangs extracted, that the third snake
was harmless, and that the baby crocodile was too small to inflict any
damage, though all four participants could hiss like a young steam
engine.
It was, as I say, the best trick I have ever seen in India, and from a
magician's artistic point of view, the beauty of it lies in the fact
that the bag is concealed through the modesty of the performer, and
that in consequence the trick is not likely to be found out except by
reasoning and the careful watching of all his movements.