SIMPLICITY is the key-note of this Course in Magic. Every move, every principle has been so thoroughly analyzed and reduced to such simple terms that they are easy to master. The explanation for the working of each effect is so detailed that you can learn it in no time.

That is the wonderful thing about this System. You learn Magic quickly -- easily -- and thoroughly I

The uninitiated man in Magic, of course, has the impression that the explanation and working of Magical effects is very intricate and very difficult, simply because these effects are so puzzling. He also thinks that the Magician has an enormous amount of massive and complicated and expensive apparatus. Then when the beginner in Magic studies the Tarbell System, he finds everything so simple -- he finds the apparatus so easy to make at a trifling cost — that he is astonished to see how quickly he learns to be a Magician.

There is just one fear in my mind on that score. And that is, that the beginner in Magic, seeing how simple it is, will think that he can't fool the public. Of course, that is an erroneous idea.

REMEMBER -- The simpler the effect, the more puzzling to your audience.

REMEMBER — The simpler the apparatus you use, the more amazing is the effect.

I have often wished that I could let you witness a performance of the effects I teach you in this Course before I explain them to you. You would be puzzled and bewildered by the mysteries. Then when I teach you the secrets of the experiments, you would give them full appreciation and value, regardless of how simple they seem.

REMEMBER — In this Course you get practically all of the most baffling effects in Magic.

You get effects which the world's greatest magicians are actually using on the stage today. Effects with which they are making Fame and Fortune. Effects which have come down through centuries and are still profound mysteries to the public. Effects from the Orient which seem like miracles. Original effects with which I have baffled even eminent magicians. From little Impromptu Tricks, through Sleight of Hand, to great Stage Illusions, you get the "cream" of Magic. And if it seems simple to you because of its Scientific Analysis, do not for a moment discount its amazing mystery to your audience!

The famous magicians of the day have all had to learn through experience to value SIMPLICITY. All of them, probably, started with trunkfuls of apparatus, and finally ended up by carrying their real shows around in their vest pockets. I have thrown away bushels of apparatus, as through my years of experimenting I hit upon easier methods of working effects. Less and less apparatus — easier operation of experiments -- and I have produced some of my finest and most amazing effects.

A well known magician recently told me about a wonderful card effect which he used on his programs. He showed me a piece of apparatus which had cost him about $500 to perfect. It happened that I had experimented with the same effect when I was 16 years old and had worked out a satisfactory bit of paraphernalia which cost $2. When I explained to him my simple apparatus, he discarded his own. And why? Because mine was a simple method, more certain in operation, and permitted of much more effective

SHOWMANSHIP.

I do not mean to infer by this that elaborate tricks and full stage settings are not effective. They are.

BUT REMEMBER -- Elaborate settings are used in accenting a simple "Ant Hill" Modus Operandi (Method of Working) to produce a great "Mountain" of an effect.

LESSON 26

Five interesting experiments in which a piece of Ribbon plays a prominent part. Because of the colorful effect of Ribbon, it enhances the value of these experiments.

1. THE CUT AND RESTORED RIBBON

EFFECT:

A bright red ribbon is shown by performer and an end is given to each of two spectators to hold. Showing his hands empty, Magician gathers up the middle of the ribbon and cuts it in half, then twice again for good luck. The pieces fall to the floor. Or, if desired, the ends of the ribbon may be burned. Yet in a moment, the ribbon is completely restored.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- A Thumb Tip—This was furnished you FREE with your first box of apparatus.

2 -- A piece of bright red ribbon, about 6 or 7 feet long and one-half to an inch wide.

3 -- An extra piece of the same ribbon, about 9 inches long.

4 -- A pair of scissors.

5 -- A small Japanese fan.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Take the nine-inch length of ribbon and fold it over to make a loop with the two ends meeting. Glue the two ends into the Thumb Tip at the under side. Or if you desire, work two small holes near the under edge of the Thumb Tip. Sew the ribbon to the Tip through these holes, Figure 1.

Fold ribbon into the Tip so that end of loop comes on top, Figure 2.

When you place your thumb in the Tip, it goes on top of the ribbon; and when you draw your thumb out, the loop of ribbon is easily pulled out with it, Figure 3.

Place scissors in upper left coat pocket and fan in a convenient right-hand pocket.

Place Thumb Tip on right thumb as in Figure 3, and have long piece of ribbon in right hand.

To Perform:

Ask two spectators to come up from audience to assist you. Have one stand on your right and the other on your left.

"It is said that Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher and teacher, once wanted to teach some of his students a certain philosophy. He thought the best way to do it was to give them something which they could actually see. So he took a piece of ribbon and asked two students to hold an end each."

Give each of spectators assisting you an end of ribbon. You stand behind ribbon and at the middle of it, Figure 4.

"'The way to true friendships,' said Confucius, 'is the straight, bright line of understanding.' He went cm to say that it too often happens that another mind steps in and tries to destroy friendship."

Show hands empty. Then pick up ribbon at the middle with thumb and index finger of right hand, Figure 5, next page.

"This disturbing element takes the line of understanding at the middle and holds it in his left hand of trouble-making."

Place ribbon against palm of left hand, Figure 6.

Curl left fingers over ribbon. Remove right forefinger from ribbon, then grasp Thumb Tip on right thumb securely in left palm, Figure 7.

Withdraw right thumb from Tip, pulling with it the loop of ribbon attached inside. The effect to the audience is that you have pulled the middle of the long ribbon up through your left palm and out between your thumb and forefinger to form a loop. In reality the middle of the long ribbon is grasped in the lower part of your left hand. The Thumb Tip is in the Palm with the loop of ribbon extending out above your hand, Figure 8. Reach into upper left coat pocket and take out scissors.

"Then with the scissors of dissension, he tries to cut off understanding at the middle."

Cut a piece from the loop of ribbon and let it fall to the floor. Then cut the ribbon twice again, letting these pieces fall to the floor, Figure 9.

"To make sure his work is well done, you see, he keeps cutting into understanding inch by inch. Then he looks at the two severed ends and smiles and tucks them into his left hand of evil-doing."

Tuck ends into Thumb Tip with right thumb until they are all in. Of course, to audience it appears that you are tucking the ribbon into palm of left hand. Insert thumb into Tip and carry Tip away on right thumb. Show right hand empty by waving it around a little, holding end of Tip toward audience, as you have been taught.

Keep your grip on long ribbon in left hand, Figure 10.

"Then he takes the fan of hate and confusion."

Reach into coat pocket with right hand. Leave Tip in pocket, and remove fan. Open it out. "And tries to fan in many wild exaggerated tales and suspicions." Fan left hand a little.

"But the force that rules the universe is peculiar. The very fanning which is supposed to pull friends apart often acts as cement in holding friendship together. And where true friendship exists, all the cutting in the world or the fanning in of misunderstanding will not destroy the true, straight line of understanding built between the two friends."

Release ribbon from left hand and let it fall, stretched out again between the two spectators.

"There is much happiness in the wisdom of understanding. And Confucius without confusion made his philosophy clear to his students."

2. A CARD AND RIBBON MYSTERY

EFFECT:

Performer asks a spectator to select card from a deck. He then picks up an envelope and a piece of ribbon. Showing the envelope empty, he makes a hole in the center of it with his knife. Through this hole, the ribbon is threaded. The selected card is then dropped into the envelope which is sealed. Magician then states that he will cause the ribbon mysteriously to penetrate the selected card. Envelope is torn open and card removed. Lo and behold, the ribbon is running right through the center of the card!

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- A double envelope. The same as the envelope used in the mathematical effects in Lesson 8.

2 -- A piece of bright-colored ribbon, 4 feet long.

3 -- A deck of cards.

4 -- An extra card—let us say, the 6 of Spades.

5 -- A pocket knife.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Take the extra card. Just for example, we shall use the 6 of Spades. Place it in the rear compartment of the double envelope. (We call the two compartments front and rear as they are when you hold the envelope with the flap open and the back toward you. The rear compartment is really toward the front of the envelope.) Have face of card toward inner partition. Seal the two flaps together, Figure 11.

Take out the 6 of Spades from the deck of cards and place it on "Top" of the deck.

Have prepared envelope, ribbon, and deck of cards on table.

To Perform:

Have spectator come up from audience to help you.

"Science has recently shown that objects supposedly solid are not really so. These solids are really composed of small bits with spaces between. Of course, these spaces cannot be seen. For this reason, a radio wave passes through seemingly impenetrable objects. In Magic we have used these laws of solid through solid for many years. A rather odd example of the working of this law came to my attention in connection with a playing card and a ribbon."

Pick up the deck of cards. Make the REGULAR PASS, bringing the 6 of Spades from the "Top" to the Center of the deck. Make the JOG above this card in readiness for FORCING. "Any card will answer the purpose. Select one, if you please." FORCE the 6 of Spades on your assistant.

"What card did you select, sir? The 6 of Spades."

Place the deck on the table. Pick up envelope and ribbon. Open envelope and show it empty.

"Please look in the envelope, sir. You will find it as empty as my pocket. Now to begin with in our experiment, it is necessary to have a hole through the envelope."

Take pocket knife. Push large blade right through the center of the envelope and the card sealed into the fake partition, Figure 12.

"Then we must run this ribbon through the envelope."

With the aid of your knife, push one end of ribbon through the envelope. Draw ribbon through until half hangs down on each side of envelope, Figure 13.

"When we open the envelope, you can see the ribbon running through both sides." Open envelope wide so that all can see the ribbon penetrating both sides, Figure 14.

"Just an envelope, you see, with a ribbon running through it. Now, sir, if you will let me have the card you selected, I shall place it inside the empty envelope."

Take card from assistant. Hold envelope and card so that all can see them plainly. Place card inside of envelope as shown in Figure 15.

As soon as you get card into position shown in Figure 15, turn envelope with open flap toward you. Push card down into envelope in vertical position at right end. This brings card away from ribbon in the center of envelope. Audience, of course, thinks you merely continued to push card down in horizontal position as they saw it. Moisten flap and seal. Then turn envelope with flap side toward audience again, Figure 16.

"You observe that the card has been placed down on the ribbon. This prevents the ribbon from being easily pulled through the envelope."

Pretend to pull on ribbon to show that it does not move.

"In fact, the ribbon is held so tight that it doesn't want to move at all. However, if I pull hard enough, a peculiar thing happens. The ribbon is pulled up into the card, and instead of passing under the card, will pass right through it. Let us try again."

Pretend to pull ribbon again and to have difficulty in making it move. Then really pull it and show audience that it does move now. Pull it back and forth a few times.

"Now, it slides easily."

Tear open the envelope at the end opposite to where the selected card is, Figure 17.

"We open the envelope and reach inside."

Insert your right fingers into the envelope, spreading apart the compartment containing the card you originally placed there. The ribbon, of course, is running through it. Be careful to push middle partition flat against flap side of envelope with the spectator's selected card between them, Figure 18.

Show inside of envelope to assistant. Then hold opening toward audience. Show right hand empty, reach into envelope with it and grasp card. Pull card down gradually so that all can see ribbon actually through it and through both sides of envelope, Figure 19.

"If you observe closely, you will see that the ribbon has penetrated the center of the card you selected,

sir."

Full card and ribbon free of envelope and show both sides to audience, Figure 20.

"Proving thereby that things are not always what they seem, and that solid objects can be passed through other solids."

To spectator assisting:

"You perhaps would like to possess this card and ribbon in commemoration of our little tete-a-tete. However, be careful not to explain how we accomplished this experiment."

NOTE:--To facilitate getting ribbon through envelope, you may thread ribbon on a large bodkin and push it through prepared envelope and card that way. When ribbon is through, slip the bodkin off.

3. THE GHOSTLY RIBBON

(A Mysterious Cut)

This excellent experiment with a ribbon and an envelope is an effect worked out by Douglas Dexter of London. Mr. Dexter is honorary Vice President of the Magic Circle, London.

EFFECT:

Performer picks up a long envelope from which he removes a Japanese fan and throws it aside. He then cuts off the bottom end of the envelope with a pair of scissors. Now taking up a long piece of heavy silk ribbon, he pulls it all the way through the length of the envelope, leaving the ends hanging out. His next move is to cut the envelope in half right across the middle. Much to everyone's surprise, however, when he pulls the two sections of the envelope apart, it is plainly seen that the ribbon is still whole.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- A bright-colored length of ribbon-- about 30 inches long x 2 inches wide.

2 -- A long manila envelope, about 2-1/2 or 3 inches wide and 9 inches to a foot long.

If you cannot obtain envelopes like this at a stationery store, you will find it easy to make them from manila wrapping paper. Cut a strip of paper about 6-1/2 inches wide by 15 inches long. Lap over the two long edges of the paper about one-half inch and fold paper so that this comes in the middle of one side.

3 -- A pair of long-bladed scissors.

Paste these two edges well together. At both ends cut off the seamed side of the envelope about two inches, leaving the other side for flaps. Fold up one of these flaps and paste to envelope. Fold over other end but do not seal.

4 -- A small Japanese fan.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

Take the envelope and just through the front cut a slit across the middle. This leaves the back of the envelope whole. At each end of the slit cut away a tiny triangle of the paper. This is done to make it easy to insert the point of the scissors and make the cut across the envelope complete in one movement, when you come to that part of the trick. Be careful that these little cut triangles do not show from the back of the envelope, Figure 21.

Insert a small Japanese fan in the envelope to keep it extended and so facilitate the working of the experiment.

Place envelope with fan in it, on table, prepared side of envelope down. Have ribbon and scissors handy.

To Perform:

Pick up envelope with fan. Keep prepared side concealed in hand.

"In life's many illusions, things are! not always what they seem. Things have both a material self and a spirit or ghostly self. When we deal with the latter, we find some interesting phenomena. This brings us to an odd mystery — that of the Ghostly Ribbon."

Open the envelope, remove fan and place it aside. Be sure to keep prepared side of envelope away from audience.

Pick up scissors and cut off the sealed bottom end of envelope.

"This is really a mystery of Old England, involving an envelope with the bottom cut off. The reason for this is to make a tube of the envelope through which a ribbon can be freely passed."

Press edges of envelope a little to make it bulge. Pick up ribbon and insert one end in top of envelope. Let ribbon slide down through whole length of envelope and out the bottom end. Have ends of ribbon extending from envelope of equal length, Figure 22, next page.

Take envelope in left hand as shown in Figure 23. Flap end of envelope is toward your right hand. Prepared side is toward you and away from audience. This figure shows how the audience sees the envelope. Insert your scissors ready to cut.

Figure 24 shows the actual operation of the cutting. This view is toward yourself. Insert one point of the scissors into the bottom of the slit in the envelope. Pass scissors up UNDER the ribbon and out through the top end of the slit. You can readily see that when you cut the ribbon will be unharmed.

"Now we take this ordinary pair of scissors, and with it we cut. There is a peculiar thing about this Ghostly Ribbon, however. It is like ghostly vapor."

Cut envelope in half with scissors. One clean cut should be sufficient to separate it into two sections. Withdraw scissors.

"Unlike the envelope, it will not stay cut, but immediately and invisibly merges into the whole ribbon again."

Separate the two sections of envelope and show that ribbon is still intact. Pull ribbon free of pieces of envelope and show it again, Figure 25.

"To quote Old Mother Hubbard, 'There are more things in heaven and earth than we have dreamed of in our philosophy.'"

NOTE:—An experiment like this permits of good patter. You may use an old faded ribbon which looks Oriental and build a story around it about ancient times. You might say it was brought to you from an old castle in Persia by a ghost who inhabited it at one time. Or use any original ideas for patter which occur to you.

4. A SPIRIT COMMUNICATION

In Lesson 8, I taught you THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING NUMBERS. In this lesson I give you an interesting variation of that effect, combining it with the use of ribbon.

EFFECT:

Two pieces of cardboard are shown to be blank on both sides. A spectator is requested to write four numbers, one on each side of the two pieces of cardboard. These slates are then wrapped with ribbon and given to a spectator to hold.

Magician now asks several spectators to write numbers of three digits, one under the other, on a small pad of paper. Another member of the audience adds these numbers. Magician then opens up the package of slates, and inside on one of the card boards has been mysteriously written the sum of the numbers.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1 -- Two pieces of heavy white cardboard, about 4-1/2 x 7 inches.

2 -- A yard of light-colored ribbon, such as light blue or pink, about five-eighths of an inch wide.

3 -- A small pad of paper.

4 -- A pencil.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Prepare:

THE CARDS:

Take one of the pieces of cardboard and write in the center of it the numbers -- 2285. Make each number 1/2 inch high. Write them with crayon or ink, Figure 26.

Place the card A with numbers on it on top of blank card B. Fit edges evenly together, Figure 27.

Take the ribbon and cover the number on the top cardboard with it. Allow about 11 inches of the ribbon to extend beyond the cardboard at the right side and the rest to hang down over the cardboard and left side, see Figure 28.

Now turn cards over and bring ends of ribbon together at the center. Bring left ribbon under right and up around the cards back to the center again, Figures 28A and 28B.

Tie a bow in the center with the two ends of the ribbon. This knot is, of course, on card B, Figure 29.

The audience sees two blank cards tied with a piece of ribbon and suspect nothing unusual about them.

THE PAD:

On one side of Pad write in pencil the following numbers under each other, in the same way that you did in preparing the card in Lesson 8:

623

864

921

283

194

The sum of these numbers is 2285, the same number that you wrote on Card A.

Have prepared cardboards on table nearby or in your suitcase and have pad, numbered side down, on table, in your pocket, or grip.

To Perform:

Come forward with package of cardboards. It is well to have a spectator come up to assist you.

"There are some things in Magic which are as mysterious to me as they are to my audiences from the standpoint of scientific analysis And this is one. There was an Old English merchant once who used to keep track of his financial department in an odd way. In a most mysterious manner he could tell just how his business was prospering day by day, even when he was away on a long journey. This was his method. He used to carry with him two pieces of cardboard tied up with baby blue (or pink) ribbon with a pretty bow on them, such as I have here."

To assistant, handing him pencil:

"Please take this pencil. And now I want you to know that these pieces of cardboard are really just pieces of cardboard with a side on each side. I shall ask you to mark all four sides, one at a time. Mark this one here in the lower right-hand corner with the number 1."

Hold slate in front of assistant as shown in Figure 30 and have him mark Number 1 in the lower righthand corner of this card — the one with the numbers concealed under the ribbon.

"I shall turn the cards over and have you mark this side Number 2."

Turn the cards over so that bow of ribbon is on top, and have assistant mark the number 2 in the lower right-hand corner, Figure 31.

"That's two sides."

Unfasten the ribbon and remove. Audience sees all of this card B, and it is blank. Take upper card B and place it under Card A with the number 2 still facing upward. This brings the numbered side of card A, which was marked Number 1, between the two cards.

"Now mark the Number 3 on this side in a similar manner." Spectator marks top card Number 3.

Square cards up and turn both over together so that assistant may mark fourth side, Figures 32 and 33.

"And finally, mark this remaining side with the Figure 4. Now you have plainly marked all four of the sides, sir."

Move the upper card to the right about an inch and a half to show the Numbers 4 and 1 to audience. Then turn cards over and show the Numbers 3 and 2.

Square up cards again.

"I shall again tie up the cards with the ribbon, and then ask you, sir, to act as guardian over them." Tie the ribbon around the cards again, making a bow on the side marked 4, Figure 34.

Give cards to assistant.

Take the prepared pad and hold numbered side against palm of left hand. Hold pencil in right, Figure 35.

"On this small pad of paper I want several people to write numbers of three digits, such as 689 or 405 — any number you choose. Write your numbers under each other so that we can add them later. I shall ask five people to write any numbers that come into their heads so that you may be convinced that the numbers are absolutely written of free choice by the spectators. Will you, sir, write your number of three digits?"

Hold pad in palm of your left hand while assistant writes his number. Go to four more people and have them write a three-digit number each.

In some cases you may hand pad to spectator as he writes number, but be sure he holds numbered side down on knee or hand. A GOOD MAGICIAN USES JUDGMENT. If he sees any movement to turn pad, he quickly puts his thumb on top and fingers under it, apparently to steady it.

Take pad after five spectators have written numbers and go some distance away to a spectator who does not know what numbers have been written. Have pad in left hand and drop it to side.

"Who is a good mathematician for adding purposes in this assembly?"

As you say this, turn pad over so that faked numbers are uppermost and spectators' numbers are against palm of left hand. This is very easy to do without being noticed.

Tear off upper sheet of pad with faked numbers.

"Ah, here is a person who looks like a likely mathematical expert. Would you mind just adding these numbers together?"

Draw a line under the figures.

Give pencil and this sheet of paper to spectator. Place pad in pocket.

"Just take care that the total is correct, as it is a matter of grave responsibility." Say this in a joking way to give a touch of humor to the situation.

"You have added the numbers, sir? Thank you. Now the secret of the English merchant's ability to keep track of his daily business finances every day and to see how much business he did even while he was on a journey was accomplished through the power of the magical cards which the gentleman there holds." Motion to assistant holding the cardboards tied together.

"All the merchant did was to take these two blank cardboards which the gentleman examined and marked — tied them together — and left the rest to their mysterious power. Let the numbers which the various people wrote represent the five sales of the day."

To spectator holding paper with list of numbers.

"What was the day's business? How much money did we take in?" Spectator who added numbers' reads sum.

"Two thousand, two hundred, and eighty-five dollars. Not bad for a day, is it? Of course, that is just one of our light days."

Take paper with figures from spectator so that he will have no evidence left with which to check up later the numbers which other spectators actually wrote.

To spectator holding cards:

"Will you please untie the cards, sir, and look on the inside?" Assistant unties the cards, separates them, and looks on the inside.

"A number has mysteriously appeared cm one of the blank cardboards. Two thousand, two hundred, and eighty-five -- the exact numbers that the sum of the five figures totaled."