THE PASSE-PASSE TRICK
This is a very old trick, but one which is seldom performed in its
original and proper form. After being out of fashion for a number of
years the trick has been recently revived, and there are now several
versions of the trick. To the best of my knowledge, however, all the
modern versions of the passe-passe trick omit one important detail--some
water or other liquid.
In the original version of the trick the performer comes forward with a
bottle and a glass--if these things are not already on the table. (As a
matter of fact, it is a good plan to have two small tables on either
side of the stage for the presentation of this trick.) Two cardboard
cylinders, one fitting inside the other, are also required, together
with a small tin funnel. The bottle may be of the champagne kind, or a
wine bottle, or a beer bottle; the latter is generally the most
convenient; a Bass's label on the bottle serves as a kind of guarantee
that the bottle is "genuine."
The performer pours water from the bottle into the glass; in fact, he
fills the glass with water. Finding that he has a little too much water
for his purpose he pours a little back into the bottle, using the
funnel to aid him in the task of getting the water into the bottle. He
then places the bottle on the table on his right and the glass on the
table on his left.
The next thing to do is to show the cardboard covers to the audience,
and in doing this some little amusement may be caused by pretending that
you have something concealed in one of the covers. Thus, you lead off by
nursing the smaller cover carefully under one arm and showing the larger
cover. When this is returned to you slip it over the smaller cover,
withdraw the smaller, and hand that out for examination. The audience
will at once jump to the conclusion that you have concealed something in
the larger cover and will demand to be allowed to "look at the other."
Then the argument begins.
"But you have already seen that one," you say.
"Ah," comes the quick reply, "but you've slipped something from the
other one into that since we saw it."
Take back the smaller cover, pass it through the larger one, and hand
that out for examination. The audience, being now convinced that there
is "some trick" in the covers, will demand to see both of them at once,
and with a show of reluctance you hand out both covers at once and the
audience laugh at themselves for being "had." Possibly, however, some of
the more knowing ones will still think that the covers "have something
to do with the trick"; if so, all the better for you, because in that
case those persons are on the wrong scent altogether.
Having received the covers again you can assure your audience that the
covers are made in that way to save space in packing--a remark that is
sure not to be believed--and you go on to demonstrate the real use of
the covers. One covers the glass, the other the bottle.
The trick is, of course, to make the glass of water and the bottle
change places. You pronounce the magical word, lift the covers, and show
that your command has been obeyed. Having done that it is as well to
raise the glass to let the audience see that there is water in it. Then
you cover the glass and the bottle again and cause them to return to
their original places, and once more you show that the two covers are
empty.
Unknown to the audience the conjurer uses two bottles for this trick and
two glasses. The bottles are made of tin and are painted black to
resemble dark glass bottles. Neither bottle is quite "ordinary." One of
them has no bottom to it, and is therefore a mere shell. The other has
the bottom fixed in about half-way down, leaving room for a small glass
to be hidden in the bottle under the bottom. Close up against the neck
of this bottle there is fixed a tiny tin tube which passes down the neck
and then through the centre of the bottom. Therefore, if you merely pour
water into the neck of the bottle it remains in the bottle, but if you
insert a funnel into the top of the little tube and pour water into the
funnel you are really pouring the water into the glass hidden under the
bottom of the bottle.
[Illustration:
_Hole in back of bottle_
_BOTTLE NO 2._
{special bottle with straw to glass inside,
and hole in side so finger can hold glass against edge of bottle}
_Finger thro' hole_
_FRONT._
_LIFTING BOTTLE AND GLASS._
Fig. 7]
Of course, both bottles must be exactly alike and the label on one must
match the label on the other; it is a good plan to have a little piece
"accidentally" torn off the label. At the outset of the trick a glass,
similar to the "visible" one, is placed in the small bottle (the one
holding the water); the shell bottle is placed over that bottle. To
enable the conjurer to pick up the bottles and glass together two small
holes are made in the backs of the bottles; the tip of the middle finger
passes through both holes and holds the glass against the interior of
the bottle. In order to prevent the glass from "talking" (making any
sound by knocking against the inside of the bottle) it is a good plan
to line the lower half of the bottle with cloth.
The working of the trick will now be clear. Hold the bottle in the right
hand and the glass in the left. Pour out the water and stand the bottle
down, taking care to keep the side with the hole away from the audience.
Then apparently pour some of the water back into the bottle, but by
using the funnel you pour it into the glass below. When you are
practising the trick you can find out by experiment just how much water
to pour back in this way, and if you make a little scratch on the glass
you will guard against the fatal mistake of pouring in too much (because
you cannot get it back again) or pouring too little. Obviously, the
water you pour into the bottle (really into the glass below) should be
equal in quantity to that which you leave in the glass.
Having settled this matter to your satisfaction place the glass on the
other table or, if you are performing with only one table, keep the
bottle and glass as far apart as possible; if they are close together
some members of your audience may be confused and forget on which side
is the bottle and which the glass.
Now comes the business of handing round the cardboard covers for
examination. When you get them back again take care to hold the larger
one in the right hand. While pattering to your audience you quietly pass
the larger cover over the bottle, raise it, and then put the smaller one
over the bottle. In raising the larger cover you should nip it slightly
and so get the shell bottle inside it.
A word of caution is here necessary. Do not forget that there is a hole
in the back of the bottle; when you place the cover containing the shell
bottle over the glass--which you do immediately after you have covered
the bottle with the smaller cover--you want to make sure that the hole
in the shell bottle is still at the back. Therefore, note carefully the
position of the hand when you raise the cover with the shell bottle
inside it, and when you place the cover over the glass see that your
hand assumes the same position. You will probably find it convenient to
stand behind the table and to keep your thumb at the back of the cover.
Now the bottle and the glass are covered, and all you have to do to
cause them to change places is to raise both covers; you grip the one on
the right rather tightly, thus raising the bottle inside it and
disclosing the glass, and you hold the other loosely, thus leaving the
bottle in view. Cover the glass and bottle again and to cause them to go
back to their original positions first pick up the one on your
left--gripping tightly to hold the shell bottle inside it; then walk
over to the other and raise it, showing the bottle.
This leaves you with the shell bottle inside the larger cover, and you
naturally have to get rid of it. Drop the cover over the bottle quickly
and then apparently attempt to put the other cover over it. It is
impossible to do this, of course, because the cover which held the
shell bottle is the larger of the two; therefore you raise the larger
cover again, leaving the shell bottle in its original position over the
other bottle. Then put the smaller cover inside the larger one, pick up
the bottle, taking care to hide the glass inside it, and place it behind
your screen or on a side table. Then take away the glass and you are
ready for the next trick.
A word as to the appearance of the bottles and the covers. These can be
bought at a conjuring shop and you will find that, as the Scotsman said
of various brands of whiskey, "Some are better than others." You want a
bottle which looks exactly like the real thing, and the only way of
making quite sure of getting it is to take an empty bottle with you when
you are buying the trick. Note the slope of the "shoulder" of the
bottle. The labelling you can do yourself.
As to the covers, take care that they fit properly and are not too
stiff. If the larger one is really a shade too small for the shell
bottle and is also too limp you will have difficulty in raising the
cover quickly and leaving the shell bottle on the table; the bottle will
get jammed in the cover and then--well--perhaps you had better tell the
audience that the trick has not happened yet, but you hope it will in
time! It is better to guard against such a catastrophe by having covers
of the right size; they must not be too large or too small.
Although the trick is quite an easy one it requires more than a little
practice. The most important move of all is that which enables you to
get the shell bottle into the larger cover. You will find that the knack
of putting the cover quickly over the bottle and then lifting it up as
quickly with the shell bottle inside it is not learned in a moment; at
any rate, you cannot learn to do that in a natural way in a moment. To
get the move quite right put the cover over the shell bottle and lift it
without the shell inside; keep to the same movement when you lift the
cover with the shell bottle inside it. To guard against the dropping of
the shell you can place your little finger under the cover.
I give a few suggestions for "patter."
"A trick with a bottle and a glass. All kinds of tricks are done with
bottles and glasses, but this is not one of those tricks; this is a
perfectly harmless trick. At the risk of disappointing the male members
of my audience I may say at once that this bottle contains water. I
mention that because I noticed that one or two men seemed rather anxious
to come on the stage and assist in this experiment. They don't look so
anxious now. (_This as you pour out the water._) Just ordinary plain
water, the stuff that farmers and gardeners always want when they
haven't got it, and always grumble about when they have. If you live in
a town you grumble because you have to pay for it, whether you use much
or little; some people don't run any risk of using too much. I'm afraid
there's a little too much there--better put some back; it will do
another time. (_Pour with funnel into bottle._) There, that's just
right; now we can begin. I put the glass over there and the bottle here.
There are two other things used in this experiment; you see, this trick
ought to be done in the dark because it's rather dangerous, but as we
cannot have all the lights put out I have to put the glass and the
bottle into these little dark rooms; perhaps you would like to have a
look at them. (_Then follows the business, already explained, of having
the two covers examined._)
"You will notice that both the covers fit over the bottle and,
therefore, over the glass, but as we have to cover both we put one on
the bottle and the other on the glass. If we were to put one on the
glass and the other over the bottle we could not do the trick.
"Now I want somebody to say the magic word, because it doesn't always
work if I say it. Will someone please start talking about the weather.
That's easy. If you just say the word 'weather' I daresay it will do.
(_Look inside one of the covers._) It must have heard me; you see, the
weather is so changeable--it always is; that's why the word is so useful
to conjurers, although I once knew a conjurer who used a shorter word
when his trick went wrong. I don't think this trick has gone wrong so
far because you see the bottle and glass have changed places. (_Lift
covers and show them._) The worst of our magic word is that it works
only once in a trick. You might keep on saying: 'weather, weather,
weather, weather, weather' all day to the trick, but nothing would
happen--unless, of course, a kind policeman, thinking that you were
temporarily insane, took care of you. No, if we want the rest of the
trick to happen we have to whistle to the bottle to come back. You know
that beautiful song--'Whistle, and I shall hear.' Well, the bottle
always hears. (_Whistles._) Here it comes and here it is, and very
possibly we shall find that the glass has returned to its original
position." (_Show it._)