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Effects that combine a little mystery with a good sock laugh for a finish are hard to come by for the close-up magician. The following combines both of these elements. The magician shows a small, red thimble and places it in his left fist, the thimble vanishes and is reproduced from his elbow. It vanishes again, this time he finds the “nimble-thimble” behind his left ear. Once again the thimble vanishes, this time the magi produces the missing thimble from his right coat pocket and displays it on the tip of his right finger. When the spectator starts hurling superlatives about “how clever” the magician is, he shyly remarks, “It’s really nothing, you just have to have CLEVER FINGERS. Here, you try it.”
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He extends the thimble (still on his fingertip) to the spectator. As the spectator pulls on the thimble, FINGER, THIMBLE AND ALL COME OFF IN THEIR HANDS! And if you have chosen a lady to assist, you will undoubtedly get a squeal of combined horror and AMUSEMENT!
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Method
Well to begin, you need two matching thimbles! (How else, Jay?) One of these you glue (airplane cement or epoxy) to the tip of a sixth finger. For those of you who may be new to magic, this is an imitation complete finger made of plastic which is usually used to produce a silk handkerchief with. As of this writing, there’s a beautiful one made by “VERNET” of a soft life- like plastic that looks so real, it’s scary.
This “finger-thimble” is in your right coat pocket to start. You display the other thimble and do two or three vanishes and productions with it. After the final vanish, you reach into your right coat pocket and get the sixth finger into position (between the second and third fingers) and remove your hand from your pocket. Keep the hand in slight motion and I promise you no one will notice the extra finger. Their eyes (and minds) are only on the red thimble. After a second’s display, extend your hand to the lady assistant. When she takes hold of the thimble, you relax your grip on the “extra” finger and remove your right hand, leaving her holding the thimble with the attached finger.
When the professional finds that his act is being copied, he will know that he has arrived. Imitators may be able to copy the motions and the patter, but they cannot capture the personality of the originator. A dwarf may don the role of a giant … but, he REMAINS a dwarf.
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