Bend a piece of wire into the form of a ring, having previously
sharpened both ends. You have a real ring made of the same sort of wire,
and, concealing the false ring in the corner of your hand, offer the
real one to be inspected.
When it is returned, borrow a handkerchief, and while taking it from the
lender, slip the real one into your left hand, and take the false one at
its point of junction. Throw the handkerchief over the ring, and give it
to some one to hold between his finger and thumb. Let the handkerchief
fall over it, and give a piece of string to a second spectator,
directing him to tie it round the handkerchief about two inches below
the ring, so as to inclose it in a bag, and tell him to do so as tightly
as he can.
While he is doing this, take up your conjuring wand--a rod of some hard
wood, about eighteen inches long--and when the knot is tied, step
forward, passing the rod into your left hand, taking care to slip over
it the real ring, which has lain concealed there. Slip your left hand to
the centre of the rod, and direct each of the two persons to hold one
end of it in his right hand. Then tell the one who has the ring and
handkerchief to lay them on your left hand, which you immediately cover
with your right. Then tell them to spread another handkerchief over your
hands, and to say after you any nonsense that you like to invent. While
they are so doing, unbend the false ring, and draw it through the
handkerchiefs by one of its points, carefully rubbing between the thumb
and finger the place where it came through.
Hang the empty handkerchief over the ring which is on the rod, and take
away your hands, which you exhibit empty, as you have stuck the false
ring inside the cuff. Take away the upper handkerchief, and let a third
person come to examine, when he will find the ring gone out of the
handkerchief, and hung upon the rod.