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The
TRICK
BRAIN

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

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Undoubtedly, by now there should be mutters of discontent. "Yeah, sure, THE TRICK BRAIN develops trick plots. But how are you going to work out methods so they can be performed?"

Brace yourself. Here comes some more fun. I'm going to show you how you can work out methods as well.

There is a large section of THE TRICK BRAIN devoted to very generalized suggestions as to basic methods. While it would be a foolhardy person indeed who would make a claim to having listed all of the possible methods of accomplishing a given effect-and as a foolhardy character I can claim considerable distinction. As I started to say, while it would be a foolhardy person indeed who would dare to say positively that all of the basic methods for every effect are listed, I still have the temerity to assert that almost all of the possible methods of accomplishing any of the several effects are listed in THE TRICK BRAIN. At any rate, all that I could collect over a considerable length of time devoted to the research are there.

I must remind you again that the method suggestions are generalized. I explained before that such generalizations were for the purpose of stimulating your own ingenuity, to bring out your own originality. So you merely get the suggestion as to how to go about it. You must work out the specific details as to the final method. I could write volume after volume, giving trick plots and methods of my devising, but that isn't the purpose of this work.

Now for the first time I'm really going to tell you why I have written this book. This isn't a book of tricks. If you bought it with that idea, you wasted your money. The purpose of this book is to teach you how to invent your own tricks. I'm trying to give you the information and equipment with which to accomplish this objective. So far as I know-and I'm really quite familiar with a lot of books on magic-there has never been a magic book quite like this. Parenthetically, I might say that magicians, after seeing it, might add fervently, "Thank God for that!"

Well, let's try our luck on that first needle trick, the one where the knitting needle changes from the performer's hands to a square of knitting within a sewing basket. We select two methods, as suggested in the instructions under the transposition effect. The first, No. 9, suggests a secret compartment for the vanish. And the second, No. 4, suggests a secret hiding place combined with a pulled thread or cord.

Certainly the sleeve makes a good fixed secret compartment. The needle may be disposed of there-either by a sleight or by means of the reliable elastic pull. A pull, leading up under the coat instead of into the sleeve, will still carry the original needle to a secret hiding place. Incidentally, the use of an elastic pull wasn't suggested by our selection at all. It suggested itself. And because it seemed practical it was adopted. If we were to limit ourselves literally to the limitations of these suggestions, free rein to our imaginations would be impossible. Ideas that come to you should be considered. If they are definitely useful, avail yourself of them, by all means.

So we're now rid of that needle.

Knitting needles are flexible. They can be bent to the contour of the perimeter of the sewing basket, particularly if the basket is of the round variety. We can build a secret compartment in the lining. Leading from the more blunt end of the needle is a thread that has been woven in and out of the knitting, which may be quite loose. By pulling the end of this thread, the needle may be brought into view. You may have to provide some method of retaining the knitting in position.

Of course, it will be necessary to get some excuse for pulling this thread. It could go off stage. Or, tied to a chair, the performer could lean against it. But it could also be rigged to be pulled in the act of putting the cover on the sewing basket.

Perhaps you prefer the second needle trick plot. This is the one where the fan of needles vanishes from the hand and reappears in the folded packet. All right. We select number 32. This calls for a collapsible object taken to a secret hiding place by means of a guided movement. We do not need the collapsible feature in this particular case, as the needles are already small enough. We consider the method without the collapsible feature. In view of the size of the needles, this doesn't seem necessary. So we select another number.

The new selection suggests the use of a spring reel. This is better. But we'll have to make some provision for holding the needles together. What's the matter with soldering them together at one end, as they come in the package. Then, pinching them between the thumb and forefinger, they may be removed from the package all at once. We place the ordinary card rising reel beneath the coat on our left side. As we reach to pick up the package of needles, we grasp the button on the reel. This is held in the left fingers, Since the needles are in one piece, the individual needles extending out like the teeth of a comb, we wrap the reel thread around the back of the comb, between the needles at the center. The vanish is then accomplished in the mere action of tossing the group in the air.

Obviously, a sleight of hand vanish may be used also.

For the reappearance we select number 2 1 from the appearance list. This suggests a secret exchange of containers. At first thought we interpret this to men a sleight-of-hand exchange of the folded empty packet for a folded filled packet. This is eminently practical. It could be accomplished through a move similar to the familiar sliding billet switch.

But there is another way this could be done. How about cementing two packets of needles back to back, with the folded side out? Then all you'd have to do would be to reverse the packet a la The Hindoo, or Buddha, Money Papers. Yes. I realize that this is another principle-two compartments, either of which may become secret. But the idea arose from exploring the secret exchange of containers suggestion.

If you're fussy, still considering the back-to-back packets, you may refine the basic method by cementing a label over one folded side. This may be cemented on after waxing the paper, so that the label could be removed easily, secretly. And a properly prepared label, prepared with rubber cement, could even allow the label to be transferred from one side to the other.

If you like the idea of this trick plot, try a few method selections yourself. You'll be surprised with the ideas you get.

Through THE TRICK BRAIN procedure we get another trick plot. This is a prediction. The essential factors list tells us that a subject must be selected. This happens to be flowers. The plot almost automatically becomes one in which the magician successfully predicts which one of a half-dozen blooms the spectator will select as his preference. The suggested method for making this possible is No. 5 under the prediction methods. This brings forth the idea of exchanging the first prediction for the correct one after the selection is made.

Since we are only using six blooms we only need six predictions-one for each bloom. They may be arranged on a little file attached to a small square of cardboard. This file may be placed in the right trousers or coat pocket. The performer writes his prediction and places it in an upturned hat. As he places it in the hat he slips it under the sweatband. The spectator makes his choice and the performer quickly finds it in the file. Concealing the folded packet in his fingers, he reaches for the hat. As he grasps it, fingers inside, he drops the pellet and brings the hat over to another spectator. He turns the hat over and the pellet falls into the spectator's hands.

This trick could be elaborated a bit by having three girl spectators stand up-a blonde, a redhead and a brunette. A gentleman spectator is given three blooms, all different. The magician predicts which flower he will give to each girl. There are only six possible combinations. The method utilized may be the one previously suggested.

Let's see what happens to the prediction trick where we adapt it to cards, still retaining the flowers. Suppose we change the trick plot so that three different spectators are to choose a card. Then each selects a bloom that he lays on the card of his selection. The previously selected method will do, if the performer writes the proper combinations of selected card and flower. He writes these secretly in his pocket, using a short stub of a pencil. Or he may write them with a thumb writer. Later he top changes the second card for the one first placed in the hat.

Perhaps you're one of those performers who wishes to use apparatus tricks, something with some flash. Let's retain the prediction and flower ideas already suggested, but add one more suggestion in the hope of getting something adaptable to apparatus. We get number 20 again. That's the number that suggested flowers. So we look on List B, instead. This suggests trays. We can use that. We obtain three highly colored trays and paste the photographs of three glamour girls upon them. Then we change the plot. The performer predicts which bloom will be bestowed upon which glamour girl. Of course, the pictures should be of well-known beauties. The original method is still usable.

You may notice that I've used the same trick plot and the same method for several versions. I've done this to give you some idea as to the extreme flexibility of THE TRICK BRAIN idea in adapting the suggestions to your specific purposes and preferences. It may be seen that there would be little change if a subject like, at random, books were to have been selected.

In each case you adapt the trick plot to the subject. In the case of books, the prediction might have to do with which one of several might be selected. Or at which page of which title the book might be opened. Or, in its simplest form, just which page might be opened in a single volume. Or, to make it extremely complex, the performer might predict the specific word that may be selected from one of several books.

Again, it might be pointed out that the originally suggested method is still good. Depending upon the complexity of the problem, the final specific means of accomplishing the solution is shaped to the individual problem. Yet generally the method basically would remain the same.

We might try a combination effect this time. Our first selections, 10 and 7, suggest a combination sympathetic reaction and animation. Number 11 selects ropes as the subject. Of the kinds of ropes we can think of offhand-sash cord, manila rope, ropes of pearls, robe cords, tight rope, hangman's rope and others-the most obvious, sash cord such as that used for the cut and restored rope trick will do.

How may a rope show animation? It may tie itself in knots. It may be tied to a support and swing itself as a pendulum. Fashioned as a lasso, it may catch something. It may coil or uncoil itself. It may crawl about the stage as a snake, even impersonate a question-answering snake, lifting its "head" up and down in response to questions.

Since this is a sympathetic reaction trick, it will be necessary to have a second rope. Whatever is done to one rope seems to happen to the other through magical animation. Taking the first action, tying itself in knots, the magician may tie one rope in a single knot while the second rope, either out in the open and uncovered or within some container, seems to tie itself in a similar manner. If we elect to have the animation take place under cover we are limited to the implied methods. Of the two suggested, implied animation by substitution suggests the most possibilities. This, of course, really calls for transformation methods, as pointed out in THE TRICK BRAIN.

Since substitution is suggested by our next selection, substitution starting with the disposal of the first piece of rope in a rotating, tipping, hanging or other movable secret compartment, we'll try that out. The production of the duplicate tied piece is to be accomplished₉ as selected the second time, by means of one of two compartments either of which may become secret.

Remember the old card box? The one which featured a flap in the cover? The torn card was put in the box, after which the cover was placed on. The flap fell, covering the torn pieces. Above the flap, hidden when the flap was in the cover, was the duplicate card. Well, the torn pieces are secreted in a rotating, tipping, hanging or other movable secret hiding place. And the space above the flap is one of two compartments, either of which may become secret.

So we decide to use a larger edition of the old card box. But we'll use a small square basket instead. We'll use a wicker flap, matching the inside top or bottom. The tied rope is above. The first piece of rope is dropped into the basket. The cover is placed on. The flap drops, hiding the untied rope and revealing the tied piece. Now the performer ties the other rope. He takes the lid from the basket. The other piece is tied also.

If you want to go further with the trick, you may have the tied duplicate, the one which comes from the basket, rigged for the untying knot trick-the one most commonly used with a large silk. The performer brings forth the duplicate tied rope. He hands the rope he originally tied to a spectator. He asks the spectator to untie it. As the spectator does so the tied rope held by the performer gradually unties itself in sympathy.

Now I am willing to admit that the complete method just outlined is, perhaps, not the best way to do this trick. But the practicability of THE TRICK BRAIN is clearly demonstrated in thus bringing together a combination of two effects, a subject and two methods, as selected and thrown together by pure chance.

As you experiment with THE TRICK BRAIN it is obvious that many trick plots suggested will not meet with your approval at all. Personal tastes and desires enter into such choices. It is equally possible that trick plots you prefer may not appeal to many other magicians for the same reason. So you must not be surprised if you discard many trick plots. The same holds true of suggested methods. These again are a matter of personal preference, style of performance and so on.

Of one thing I am certain, however. THE TRICK BRAIN will be of considerable value to you, if you have any desire to individualize your tricks or methods at all.

It will suggest trick plots. It will suggest combination trick plots. If you have a trick plot but need subjects with which to work it, THE TRICK BRAIN will suggest objects. Or if you know what object you wish to use-perhaps connecting it to something already being used, THE TRICK BRAIN will suggest trick plots, individual or in combination.

It will suggest methods of accomplishing trick plots, whether these come from THE TRICK BRAIN or not. It will suggest methods of accomplishing known tricks in other ways. It will help you convert simple tricks into more complex ones. It will help you to dress up old tricks, even suggest methods that might be better for you for some reason. You can even read a description of a trick and develop a method of accomplishing it. Naturally, your method may be different from the original. It may even be better-and, admittedly, worse. But it will be your method. <-|!*!|C|I|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|29|30|31|32|33|34|35|->
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