Clever conjuring with common objects. Illustrated with 134 photographs.
From the introduction:
The following chapters will be found to be practical lessons in conjuring. Many people have the erroneous idea that if they know how a trick is done they are quite capable of presenting it to an audience. I have always found that a very little experience will show such persons that the mere knowledge of the secret of a trick is not of much value to a beginner unless it is accompanied by some simple instructions showing him the best way of using his knowledge. Therefore, I shall not merely give away secrets of tricks, but shall endeavour to make my explanation of each trick a complete lesson in its performance.
- INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I. TRICKS AT THE WRITING TABLE
- The Wandering Pencil
- The Flexible Pencil
- The Vanishing Ruler
- The Floating Trick
- A Trick With A Point
- Curious Paper Patterns
CHAPTER II. TRICKS IN THE SMOKING-ROOM
- The Broken Match
- Balancing A Cigarette Paper And Cigar
- The Cigarette Paper Trick
- A Joke With A Match
- The Penny Through The Hat
- The Mysterious Cigar Bands
- The Magic Match Boxes
CHAPTER III. TRICKS AT THE WORK-TABLE
- The Scissors Trick
- A New Drying Machine
- The Colours And The Coin
- A Knotty Problem
- Silk From Paper
CHAPTER IV. TRICKS AT THE DINNER TABLE
- A Trick With Visiting Cards
- A Counting Race
- The Thirty-One Trick
- The Wine Trick
- A Water Problem
- The Dancing Plates
- A Strong Muscle
CHAPTER V. MORE TRICKS AT THE DINNER TABLE
- The Vanishing Penny
- The Mysterious Threepenny-Bit
- A Mere Catch
- The Ring And The Handkerchief
- A Mysterious Glass
- A Weird Orange
- A Thought-Reading Trick
CHAPTER VI. TRICKS AT THE CARD-TABLE
- A Cardsharper’s Dodge
- The Two Aces
- A Thought-Reading Trick
- The Conjurer’s Nap
- The Three Heaps
- No Trick Here
- The Magic Slap
CHAPTER VII. TRICKS AT THE CARD-TABLE (continued)
- A Knowing Card
- A Good Memory
- The Rising Cards
- Fancy Flourishes
CHAPTER VIII. TRICKS IN THE GARDEN
- Any View You Like
- A Sympathetic Audience
- The Waistcoat Trick
- Making Money Go
- The Sack Trick
CHAPTER IX. TRICKS IN THE BILLIARD-ROOM
- The Travelling Balls
- The Shot Rabbit
- Making A Ball Vanish
- A Colour-Changing Ball
- Balancing One Ball On Another
CHAPTER X. THOUGHT-READING TRICKS
- Concentration Of Thought
- An American Trick
- The Power Of The Eye
- Over The Telephone
- Cigarettes In The Case
- A Silent Test
- Hide And Seek
- The Marked Penny
- Reading Hidden Messages
1st edition 1909, 136 pages; PDF 124 pages.
word count: 37143 which is equivalent to 148 standard pages of text
