SHOULDEROPE
Magicians have been cutting
and restoring ropes to the amazement of their
audiences for many years. In my quest for something
different with this trick, I came up with the
following idea which has served me well for
trade and auto shows.
To perform you need, a pair
of scissors, a five foot length of magicians
rope and a spectator from the audience. The
spectator is standing to my right.
I remove the rope from my pocket
and say, "I appreciate the fact that you volunteered
for this trick, you are very nice, very accommodating
and VERY BRAVE. The effect of this mystery is
exciting. I tie one end of this rope around
the microphone, the other end around YOUR neck
and then PUSH YOU OFF THE STAGE. While dangling
in mid-air, YOU ESCAPE, are you ready? You aren't?
Well, O.K. so much for the complicated version
of the trick. Now, on to the simple version.
I find the center of this rope (hand them the
scissors) and you cut it in half."
Here you do any one of the
16,528 moves that have already appeared in print.
Just end up with the one long piece of rope
with the short piece looped around its middle,
only in this case make sure that the short piece
is at least four or five inches long.
The spectator is still standing
to your right. Move in close to them. Move the
four cut ends right in front of their eyes and
say, "look four ends, two pieces of rope and
a ton of cultured talent."
Your right hand grabs one end
of the short rope, presses it to one end of
the long rope and pulls it out of the left hand.
At the same time, the left hand forms into a
fist around the bunched up center of the rope
and the remaining end. Move this left hand up
into the air, stage whispering to the spectator
to "keep their eyes on this end."
As the left hand raises upwards,
THE RIGHT HAND DRAPES THE SHORT END OF ROPE
OVER THE SPECTATOR'S LEFT SHOULDER AND LEAVES
IT THERE. DO NOT LOOK at their shoulder or this
action while you're doing it. Keep looking at
the left hand and so will the spectator.
Rub on the center of the rope
and show it restored. Next fold the rope in
half, then fourths and lay the rope on their
left shoulder, RIGHT ON TOP OF THE SHORT PIECE
STILL LAYING THERE. Shake hands with spectator,
then take the restored rope AND THE SHORT PIECE
off their shoulder and replace it on the table.
The audience reaction to this
trick is quite interesting. When they see the
short piece on the spectator's shoulder, and
he doesn't, they laugh. Why? Because they think
that they are "getting-in" on how the trick
is done. But, if you think about it, they aren't.
They still don't know how you restored the rope,
nor really where the short piece came from.
They laugh because they see you put it there
and take it away and he doesn't see this. Actually
you ARE NOT exposing anything, just baffling
and entertaining them just like you do all the
time...DON'T YOU?
"The Karrell Fox book is a beautiful
book...more than that, it's filled with first-rate
material. All practical stuff which anyone can
use. It is a book which I have enjoyed reading
and which will be re-read many times. I'm delighted
with the many clever and offbeat ideas in it.
Profuse congratulations!" --William G. Stickland
(Past International President of the I.B.M., author
and inventor.) |
