HAT TRICKS
The uses to which that piece of headgear, the much abused silk hat,
lends itself in "l'art magique" are almost innumerable. The chief,
however, and the one immediately under consideration, is the production
therefrom of a host of heterogeneous articles, of which the following
list will give an idea:
_Fifty yards of sash ribbon, eight inches wide._--The ribbon should be
folded over and over, in large pleats, so that it can be readily taken
from the hat.
_Two dozen fancy cardboard boxes, three and three-fourth inches by two
and one-half inches by two and one-half inches._--These are made to
fold flat, the size of the parcel when ready for introduction being
five inches by three and three-fourth inches by one and one-half
inches.
_Two hundred flowers, known as spring flowers._--Each flower when
closed is very little thicker than brown paper, but immediately on
being released expands to the size of a full-brown tulip. One hundred
of these flowers, when closed, can easily be hidden in the hand.
_A string of sausages._--These, it is hardly necessary to remark, are
imitation, being made in silk of the required color.
_A bundle of wood._--This is made hollow, consisting of a cardboard
case with pieces of wood glued on the outside and on one end, the other
being left open. It is usually filled with baby linen, together with a
feeding-bottle containing milk.
_One hundred yards of narrow, colored ribbon._--This is made in coils,
machine rolled, similar to that used for telegraph purposes. A coil of
this ribbon can very well be placed in the bottom of the sham bundle of
wood. When producing the coil it should be unrolled from the centre.
_Four pound weight of playing cards._--These make a tremendous show
when strewn about the stage. A good plan, also, is to have a number
joined together in a long string by means of cotton.
_A cannon ball._--This is usually made in zinc, five inches in
diameter, hollow, and provided with a sliding lid. It can be filled
with various soft goods, such as handkerchiefs, ribbons, etc., also
sweets and bonbons for distribution.
_A solid wooden cannon ball._--This should have a three-quarter inch
hole, two inches deep, bored in it toward the centre, for facility in
introducing it into the hat.
_A barber's pole, about thirty feet long and four inches to five inches
thick at the base._--This is made with stout colored paper, and pulls
out from the centre. If the pole be constructed of red, white, and blue
paper the performer, when introducing the trick, may announce that he
is about to erect the American Colors at the North Pole.
[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Bowl of Gold Fish]
_A bowl of gold fish._--This really consists of two bowls, one within
the other. The space between the two contains the water and fish, which
are inserted through a hole in the bottom of the outer bowl, the latter
being afterward corked. The inside bowl is filled with bonbons, etc.
(Fig. 27). The fish used are imitation, being made from pieces of
carrot cut to shape.
_A large cage containing a live canary._--The cage, which is telescopic
in action, the upper part sliding down into the lower, is nearly twice
the height of the hat, and when once taken out cannot be put back. This
is owing to the fact that the seed boxes, which in their normal
position are on the inside, revolve on spring pivots, as the cage is
withdrawn, thus making it impossible to return it to the hat until they
are replaced.
_Twenty pint tumblers, ruby and green._--These are made in celluloid
and fit one in the other. They are all of the same size, but being very
thin occupy very little more space than a single one.
_Six champagne bottles._--These are not quite so substantial as they
look, being merely half-bottles in thin metal, japanned black, and
decorated with labels taken from the genuine article. A bottle with a
horizontal division in the centre, the upper part containing wine, and
the lower part a tumbler, is generally introduced with the shells.
_A small rabbit._
_A Chinese doll._--Obtain a doll's head, five inches in diameter, from
any Oriental store, and drape it with a silk skirt. If a hole be cut in
the top of the head it can be utilized in the same manner as the cannon
ball.
_A skull which rises spontaneously from the hat._--This is a model in
papier-mache, and being hollow, is very serviceable. It is caused to
rise from the hat by means of a black thread, which is carried through
a staple in the flies immediately over the performer's table, thence
through another staple behind the wings, and down to the assistant.
It is not my intention to give directions for making these goods, as
they can be bought at a very small cost from any of the dealers in
magical apparatus. I have found by experience that this is the best
course to pursue. Amateur work is, as a rule, very commendable, but
scarcely so as regards conjuring, clumsy and ill-made apparatus being
absolutely useless, and consequently dear at any price. Apart from this
I have another, and what I believe to be a more important object in
view, viz., that of giving instruction in the actual working of the
trick.
It will be at once obvious to the reader that the chief element in the
magical production of articles from a borrowed hat, is the manner in
which they are secretly introduced, as, should this be detected, the
trick would fail ignominiously. The main secret lies in the combination
of the looks and gestures of the performer to misdirect the audience.
The articles for the most part are introduced under cover of natural
movements, quickness being of little or no avail.
I will now describe one or two methods employed to effect this
desideratum.
LOADING.--Under this heading I shall endeavor to give the working of a
hat trick as actually presented to an audience, using for the purpose
articles selected from the preceding list. The following preparations
must be made:--
A small rabbit is placed in the right hand profonde, and a billiard
ball and a small dinner plate are laid on the table.
[Illustration: Fig. 28.--Double Wire Loop]
A packet of one hundred spring flowers, secured by a band of tissue
paper, must be in the hands of the assistant at the right wing; and
another similar packet must be placed in the profonde on the left side.
The sash ribbon, folded as instructed, is tied round the fancy boxes
together with the string of sausages, with black tape. The parcel is
suspended behind the back of a chair by means of a pin and a double
loop of florist's wire (Fig. 28), the tape being passed through the
small loop, which is then hung on the pin. This leaves the large loop,
the use of which will be noted in due course, sticking up over the back
of the chair, where, however, it is quite invisible at a few paces.
The twenty pint tumblers are wrapped up in a piece of colored
sash-ribbon and tied round with tape to which is attached a loop of
wire. Thus prepared they are placed in the capacious breast pocket on
the left side, the loop projecting so that the thumb of the right hand
can be passed through it and the package withdrawn.
The bundle of wood, containing the coil of ribbon, baby linen, and
feeding bottle, must be in readiness on the servante at the back of a
second chair.
The skull, cannon ball, or globe of gold fish, whichever the performer
intends to use, is located on the servante at the back of the table.
The next thing to do is to obtain the loan of a hat, and having done
so, it is well to perform a preliminary experiment with the same. A
very good one is that known as
THE MAGNETIZED HAT.--The performer places his hand, perfectly empty, on
the crown of the hat, which forthwith adheres to the palm, and in this
position it can be moved about and turned over in any direction. The
finger tips are then used in place of the palm with the same result.
Finally, a silk handkerchief is thrown over the hat, and the palm of
the hand placed thereon, but the effect is still the same.
[Illustration: Fig. 29.--Apparatus for Magnetized Hat]
This seeming impossibility is accomplished with the aid of the little
piece of apparatus illustrated in Fig. 29. It consists of a brass plate
fitted with two bent pins as shown, the whole being painted black. The
pins should be situated so that by placing the two middle fingers
between them the hat can be raised. The working of the trick will now
be readily understood. The clip must be pressed into the crown of the
hat while returning with it to the stage, the pin on the left of the
figure being inserted first. The clip is removed, with the
handkerchief, in the final stage of the trick.
The ball and plate are now given for examination, and while all
attention is riveted on these two articles, ample opportunity will be
found to introduce the rabbit unobserved, which should be done while
amongst the audience. The hat is then covered with the plate, in which
condition it is carried back to the stage, and placed on the table.
The performer now takes the ball, and vanishes it by palming; appearing
to pass it through the plate into the hat. The plate is then removed,
and the ball taken from the hat with the right hand, followed
immediately by the rabbit.
The hat is now taken in the left hand, and the rabbit handed to the
assistant at the wings with the right. The assistant takes the rabbit,
and at the same time, under cover of the wing, gives the performer the
packet of flowers; the hat being immediately placed in the right hand
to conceal their presence.
While drawing attention to the outside of the hat, the tissue paper is
broken with the fingers, and the flowers are released. They are then
shaken out slowly on to a large sheet of black alpaca, which should be
spread over the stage to receive them. While this is being done, the
package is obtained from the profonde, the hat being changed over into
the left hand, and the second load thus introduced.
When the flowers have all been shaken from the hat, take it in the
right hand, fingers inside and thumb out, and approach the chair (this
should be on your right) on which is the bundle of ribbons, etc. Take
the top of the chair in the hand holding the hat, and in doing so, push
the forefinger through the loop of wire. Now move the chair away a few
paces, and when removing the hand from the back bring away the load,
which will fall into the hat unobserved. Leave the hat on the chair,
and take up the alpaca containing the flowers, putting it on one side.
Up to this point, no one will suspect that the hat contains anything,
as what you have done has been but natural in the preparation of the
stage for the next trick.
The boxes are now taken from the hat and placed on the table, followed
by the sausages. When removing the latter, some amusement may be caused
by referring to them as "an indefinable, condimental amalgamation of
membranaceous disintegrations."
The ribbon is next pulled from the hat in long lengths with the right
hand, and when the hand contains a large quantity, the thumb is slipped
through the wire loop attached to the tumblers in the breast pocket.
These are introduced when inserting the hand to take out the next
length of ribbon. The introduction of the tumblers cannot be detected,
owing to the presence of the ribbon in which they are wrapped. When the
whole of the ribbon has been extracted, it is thrown over the back of
the chair, behind which is the bundle of wood.
The tumblers are now taken from the hat, and placed on the table.
The performer then takes up the ribbon from the chair, and makes an
effort to return it to the hat, thereby drawing attention to its great
bulk, and remarking, "Now, how do you suppose I am going to get home
with this? Why, I shall require at least two cabs."
It is needless to say that under cover of the ribbon the bundle of wood
is introduced into the hat. The baby linen, feeding bottle, and coil,
are now produced, and finally the wood itself. It is usual when taking
the ribbon from the hat to spin it out on the wand.
Holding the hat by the brim, fingers inside and thumb out, the
performer lowers it for an instant to the rear edge of the table, and
by inserting the middle finger of the hand into the hole in the cannon
ball scoops it up into the hat, which is forthwith raised and placed
crown downward on the table.
This movement should be executed with the left hand while the right
lays the bundle of wood down on the table, and, if necessary, makes
room for the next production.
The fish bowl, or skull, would of course be worked in a similar manner.
* * * * *
From the foregoing it will be seen that with a little expenditure of
ingenuity and trouble a hat trick can be carried on to an almost
indefinite period. It should not, however, in any case exceed fifteen
minutes. I have taken the preceding list simply as an illustration of
the way in which the various movements are combined to appear natural
and thus avoid detection, also as a basis on which the student may
arrange a hat trick of his own. Any articles can, of course, be
substituted for those given, or the list may be supplemented by others,
or cut down as occasion may require. An amount of sang froid and
boldness, only acquired from years of actual practice, is necessary to
execute a good hat trick faultlessly; but this should not disconcert
the reader, as it is only in accordance with what must be expected in
the acquisition of an art.
TO PRODUCE A NUMBER OF EGGS FROM A HAT HELD CROWN UPWARD.--For this
purpose you must be provided with a black linen bag, oval in shape, and
large enough to contain the required number of eggs. To one end of this
bag is sewn an ordinary tie clip, the other end being cut off and
provided with a piece of elastic so that eggs placed therein cannot
come out unless pressure be applied with the hand. The bag is loaded
into the hat by one or other of the methods described, and attached to
the lining of the same by means of the clip. Under these circumstances
the production of the eggs from the inverted hat will be an easy
matter. The eggs used should be blown ones.
The bag should be allowed to remain in the hat after the last egg has
been taken from it, and removed later under cover of some other
article.