The Ball, the Glass and the Cloth

The Tarbell Course in Magic. What a vast resource it really is. In lesson 28 (page 389 if you have the hardbound copy) there is a little overlooked routine. Simply called "the egg, the glass and the handkerchief". I did very little changes to the handling. But if you had to write it up like a dealers ad it would read something like this. Impromptu! No extras! Easy! Yes, the signed cloth really ends up in the glass! No switching! A real worker! Audience tested!

This is simply a rare gem that nobody does. I mean nobody! If you feel like you are that "nobody" explain yourself in the comments. The originator of this trick seems to have been lost in the ages. In fact Tarbell writes: "This is another effect which has been handed down throughout the magical fraternity for many years."

I really like idea of using a ping pong ball. They are cheap, you can have them signed and you can give it away in the end. In fact if you substitute the cloth for a napkin it really goes into the realm of true impromptu magic.

Check this one out. It needs to be done more often. And if you really fear the one bold moment in the routine, you can use a familiar gimmick to make everything good.

Ball and Silk

I did that routine for years, in my humble days of busking. I can tell you at least one thing. It plays well. The fact that it is not a card trick may play a big part in this. The bit using the Gozinta Box, the Para Box, the Inner Outer Box or the Lubor Fiedler Box is not part of the original routine. I included this to offer yet another magic way to introduce the ball. The gag that nicely foreshadows the effect of the inner box becoming the outer box is by Tom Mullica.

The actual routine consists of three parts. The first one is the penetration of the ball through the silk, which ends with the vanish of the ball. There a tons of methods out there. The most practical I found was in Jochen Zmeck's Handbuch der Magie, the German magic bible. At page 173 it starts. Following that is a pretty classic repeated appearance of the ball. The basic handling for that you'll find in Frank Garcias sponge ball book. That phase finishes with the appearance of the mandarin. Fruit always plays well. In the past I used one of the lemons I would use anyway for the Cups and Ball. So I got less props and you have a nice little element that strings the show together.

The third phase is a reprise of the first one. But this time the premise is extended to the part where the penetration can be seen half way. This is what got people. And it is necessary to have a spectator take out the ball. The thought of MAGNET is just there. You must not ignore that and need to prove that magnets are not the modus operandi. The method here... well Tarbell what do you expect?

Elusive Silk and Ropes Through Neck

I can't find my copy of Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks for Magicians (compiled by Steward James) and Self-Working Rope Magic (by Karl Fulves). So I cannot give you the exact sources. But it's in these books. The last bit of the ropes through the neck is a technical variation on the grandmother's necklace principle. You will find that in Tarbell Vol.1 page 321. (Rehashed many times after that and ever since.)

You can see me in the video wearing part of my medieval costume, because it is during those renaissance fairs when I do this. Seems to fit perfectly into that scenario. I have seen other magicians (Bizzaro) doing a similar thing dressed up as a pirate. So I guess this sort of effect lends itself well to costumes... The ropes through neck has the advantage of having no extra loop around the neck, which could be a dead give away of the method. Also it allows for a 360 degree view, making the entire routine angleproof.

Bonus: If you are familiar with the standard penetration of a piece of silk through a cane (reel method) you can turn this little bitty into a full fledged routine.

A Book And A Card by Harlan Tarbell

The Original Tarbell Course In Magic by Harlan Tarbell
Lesson 19
Page 8 et seq.

Personal Comment: This is an odd one, but one that takes little effort to do. So there are situations where this can be quite good. Not for a big show, but as an impromptu bit it is terrific. Instead of the backpalm I would prefer a Tenkai position and instead of the card I would use a credit card. It's impromptu so, what more do you want?

Difficulty: 2/5

Nice quote by Harlan Tarbell himself in the very fist issue of his course.

I want this fact to sink in: SOME OF THE GREATEST TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS ON THE STAGE ARE UNBELIEVABLY SIMPLE.

Don't forget that you were once one of the spectators and believed these tricks to be almost superhuman feats. Now, when you learn how very simple they are, remember that to those who are not "in the know," they are still deep mysteries.