A " KNOTTY" ROUTINE.

Anon.
A " KNOTTY" ROUTINE.
I h av e b een u s i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g r o u t i n e w i t h g r e a t s u c -
c es s i n a l l my shows and e n t e r t a i n me n t s and w i t h t h e l a t e s t
e f f e c t " KI NG KOBRA" , t h e My s t i c S i l k Of I n d i a , y ou h av e one
o f t h e most b e a u t i f u l s i l k e f f e c t s i n mag i c . Some o f t h e k n o t s
i n t h i s r o u t i n e y o u may know a l r e a d y , b u t a t l e a s t f o u r o f
t hem ar e v e r y l i t t l e known so be s u r e t o t r y t hem.
S t a r t b y s h o wi n g a l a r g e s i l k 36 b y 36" r o l l i n g i t r o p e
f a s h i o n t o r e p r e s e n t t h e KOBRA SNAKE, T e l l t h e au d i en c e t h a t
e v e r y t i me y o u t i e t h e s nak e i n t o a k n o t she s hak es i t o f f .
I l l u s t r a t e t h i s b y h o l d i n g t h e s i l k as p er d r awi n g No. 1.
Ho l d s i l k a t en d s , b r i n g r i g h t h an d end i n f r o n t ( o r o v er )
l e f t end and h o l d w i t h t humb o f r i g h t h an d ( s ee d r a w i n g ) .
Now p u t r i g h t h an d i n t o l o o p and b r i n g t h e l o wer end t h r o u g h
t h e l o o p ( s ee f i g . 2) p al m o f l e f t h an d f a c i n g au d i en c e - as
y o u p u l l t h i s en d , s ec o n d and t h i r d f i n g e r s o f l e f t ar e p u l l e d
o u t o f t h e l o o p f o r mi n g a k n o t wh i c h l o o k s g en u i n e, b u t i t i s
n o t . To d i s s o l v e i t j u s t shake t h e s i l k h a r d and i t w i l l
v a n i s h . You c an a l s o c o v er i t w i t h r i g h t h an d and make i t
v a n i s h b y r u b b i n g i t .
E x p l a i n t h a t t h e o n l y way y o u c an k eep t h e s nak e t i e d i s
b y mak i n g an i n s t a n t a n e o u s k n o t and h o l d t h e ends a l l t h e t i me .
Th i s y o u do as f o l l o w s : Ho l d s i l k as shown i n f i g . 4, b r i n g
hands t o g e t h e r an d w i t h s ec o n d and t h i r d f i n g e r s o f eac h h an d
g et h o l d o f t h e c o n t r a r y e n d s , ' i e . r i g h t g et s l e f t en d , l e f t
g et s r i g h t end ( s ee d r awi n g No, 5) l e t go t h e o r i g i n a l h o l d .
Re s u l t I s shown i n f i g . 6,
T e l l y o u r au d i en c e t h a t t h e snako s omet i mes t i e s i t s e l f
i n t o a k n o t when y ou t h r o w i t i n t h e a i r , and y o u c an do t h i s
b y p l a c i n g t h e s i l k i n y o u r h an d as f i g , 7. Pal m t o war d s
au d i en c e - now t u r n p al m t o war d s f l o o r and w i t h a q u i c k j e r k
c a t c h t h e en d n e a r e s t y o u w i t h f i r s t and s e c o n d . f i n g e r s , t h i s
a u t o m a t i c a l l y t h r o ws t h e l o o p o f f h an d f o r mi n g t h e k n o t ,
t h r o w t h e wh o l e h i g h i n t h e a i r , and i t l o o k s as i f t h e k n o t
was made w h i l e s i l k i s f a l l i n g . A r e a l p r e t t y e f f e c t . T r y
t h i s b y a l l means , i t i s eas y and y o u w o n ' t r e g r e t i t .
Now y o u s ay : " L ad i es and g en t l emen , no m a t t e r how i n t r i -
c at e a k n o t I make w i t h t h e My s t i c S i l k o f I n d i a i t w i l l
al way s s hak e i t o f . . . . Wa t c h . . . . " G e t s i l k as shown i n f i g . 8.
Hands ab o u t t e n i n c h es a p a r t , l e f t h an d p al m u p , r i g h t h an d
p al m down, b r i n g hands t o g e t h e r , r i g h t t u r n s u n d er s i l k ,
w h i l e l e f t t u r n s o v er ( s t u d y d r awi n g s 8 and 9) and w i t h f i r s t
and s ec o n d f i n g e r s o f eac h h an d g r ab t h e s i l k a t s p o t s mar k ed
" A" and " B" .
P u l l f i n g e r s o f f l o o p s and y o u w i l l h av e a k n o t l i k e t h e one
i n f i g . 10. Th i s i s known as t h e (Tom Fo o l s K n o t ) . Pu t
i n d ex and t humb o f l e f t h an d t h r o u g h l o o p , and p u l l t h e en d s .
Re s u l t i s shown i n f i g . 13, Th i s a l s o l o o k s l i k e a g en u i n e
k n o t , b u t y ou c an v a n i s h i t b y s i mp l y p u l l i n g t h e en d s .
" Now my d ear f r i e n d s , I w i l l show y o u a p o s s i b l e i mp o s -
s i b i l i t y , w i t h t h e c har med S i l k Of I n d i a . Ev er y b o d y knows
t h a t i t i s i mp o s s i b l e t o t i e a k n o t v/ i t h o u t l e t t i n g t h e ends
go, b u t l o o k , I t a k e t h e s i l k , h o l d i n g t h e ends l i k e t h i s -
CFi g . 14) ( f o l l o w as shown i n f i g s . 1 5 - 1 6 ) t h r o w t h e r i g h t
o v er t h e l e f t . Pu t t h e r i g h t h an d end t h r o u g h t h e l o o p
( b r i n g i n g i t o u t t h r o u g h t h e u p p er l o o p ( f i g . 16) and h er e i s
a GENUINE KNOT" , Show t h a t i t i s a GENUINE KNOT and t h e n
u n t i e i t . Do i t o v er a g a i n and u n t i e , Now y o u do i t once
mor e b u t t h i s t i me i n s t e a d o f u n t i e i n g y ou s hak e t h e k n o t o f f ,
t h i s l a s t e f f e c t w i l l a b s o l u t e l y b a f f l e ev er y b o d y .
You w i l l be a b l e t o ac c o mp l i s h t h i s b y f o l l o w i n g i n s t r u c -
t i o n s . The f i r s t move i s shown c l e a r l y i n f i g s . 1 4 - 1 5 .
The r i g h t h an d goes s t r a i g h t i n t o t h e l o o p a t p o i n t mar k ed A.
The h an d i s t h en p as s ed b e h i n d B and o v er C as shown i n F i g .
16. Re s u l t w i l l be l i k e F i g . 17, Now b r i n g h an d s t o g e t h e r ,
t h i s move i s i mp o r t a n t b ec au s e i t l o o s en s t h e l o o p s ar o u n d t h e
w r i s t s , as shown i n f i g . 18 - n o t h i n g h ap p en s , and y ou w i l l
f i n d t h a t y o u h av e r e t u r n e d t o t h e o r i g i n a l p o s i t i o n , i e , No.
14. Tho s e c r e t move, on wh i c h t h e t r i c k d ep en d s , I s shown i n
f i g . 19, t h e r i g h t h an d r e l e a s e s t h e end V, t a k e s h o l d o f i t
a g a i n abov e t h e l o o p Z a t t h e p o i n t V- 2 , and t h r o ws t h e l o o p s
o f f t h e hands s p r e a d i n g t h e hands a p a r t . The t r i c k i s d o n e.
Th er e i s now no d o u b t ab o u t i t , t h e k n o t i s a GENUINE ONE.
Rep eat t h i s once mo r e, and show t h a t y ou make a f a i r
k n o t w i t h o u t l e t t i n g t h e ends go ( ? ) . The t h i r d t i me y ou
do i t up t o t h e t i me o f y o u r s e c r e t move; t h i s l a s t t i me do
n o t l e t go o f t h e end V. When y o u g et t o t h e p o s i t i o n shown
i n f i g . 17 p u l l o f f l o o p o f l e f t h an d , p u l l i n g t h i s en d u n -
t i l t h e k n o t t i g h t e n s a l i t t l e , t h en p u l l o f f l o o p o f r i g h t
h an d and p u l l t h i s end, t h i s w i l l make a FAKE k n o t t h a t r e -
s embl es t h e g en u i n e k n o t v e r y much, and t h i s y ou c an DISSOLVE
b y p u l l i n g t h e ends o r s h ak i n g t h e s i l k r e a l h a r d .
Now y ou c an o f f e r t o t e a c h any one how t o do i t . S t a r t
as b e f o r e , mak i n g a l l t h e p r e v i o u s movement s u n t i l y ou g e t t o
p o s i t i o n shown i n f i g . 18. y
o u
mus t make a l l o f t h es e mov e-
ment s v e r y s l o w l y so t h a t ev er y o n e c an see t h a t y o u ar e h o l d -
i n g t h e ends o f t h e s i l k a l l t h e t i me . You t h e n i n v i t e some-
one t o t ak e t h e t wo ends f r o m y o u r h an d s , and t o p u l l t h e
s i l k o f f y o u r w r i s t s . When t h i s i s done THE TRICK I S DONE.
You p r a c t i c a l l y h av e n o t h i n g t o d o .
You mus t n o t make t h e s e c r e t move as shown i n f i g . 19.
You me r e l y h o l d t h e s i l k i n p o s i t i o n 18 and a l l o w someone t o
t ak e t h e t wo ends o f t h e s i l k , and p u l l i t o f f t h e w r i s t s .
The e f f e c t on t h e s p e c t a t o r when he s ees t h e k n o t a p p e a r i n g
w h i l e he i s h o l d i n g t h e s i l k i s TRULY STUNNING.
Now f o r t h e l a s t p a r t o f t h i s k n o t t y p r o b l em. Ho l d
s i l k as shown i n f i g . 20 a n d a p p a r e n t l y t i e t h e s i l k i n a
s i n g l e k n o t . You t h e n shake t h e s i l k and t wo k n o t s ap p ear
i n i t . The i d e a i s t o t i e t wo k n o t s i n one. The d r awi n g s w i l l
i l l u s t r a t e t h e met h o d . Wh i l e one h an d h o l d s t h e end o f t h e
s i l k t h e o t h e r h an d l o o p s t h e c e n t e r once and a g a i n , see
d r awi n g s 20, 21, 22 and 23, make t h e f i r s t l o o p s ma l l e r t h an
t h e s ec o n d . Re s u l t w i l l be l i k e d r awi n g 24. B r i n g end h e l d
i n l e f t t h r o u g h l o o p s and t i g h t e n (LOOSE). Showi ng s i l k as
shown i n f i g . 25. Shake t h e s i l k h a r d and t h e t wo k n o t s w i l l
ap p ear as i n 26. A f t e r t h i s undo t h e k n o t s and make one a t
t h e end o f s i l k r e a d y f o r " KI NG KOBRA" e f f e c t . I f y o u do n o t
h av e t h i s l a s t t r i c k , o r d er one a t o n c e, and f i n i s h t h i s
r o u t i n e w i t h t h e mos t w i e r d and mar v el o u s o f a l l t h e l a t e
t r i c k s .
You t i e a k n o t a t one end o f an o r d i n a r y f o u l a r d o r s i l k
s c a r f and a f t e r w a r d s y o u make t h i s u n p r ep ar ed s i l k s t an d on
en d , s u r r o u n d ed by s p e c t a t o r s , i n t h e mi d d l e o f t h e r oom-
any wher e - a t any t i me , j u s t l i k e t h e m y t h i c a l ROPE TRI CK OP
I NDI A . L a t e r y o u s q u as h i t an d t h r o w t h e s i l k f o r a t h o -
r o u g h e x a mi n a t i o n . You c an ev en do i t w i t h a b o r r o wed s i l k
o r l a r g e h a n d k e r c h i e f .
WI LL ANDRADE.
173 PI TT STREET,
SYDNEY.
52 SWANSTON STREET,
MELBOURNE.
WILL ALMA
M.I.M.C. ( L ONDON)