Free Magic Tricks For The Beginning Magician, Part 2

REMEMBER!
A MAGICIAN NEVER TELLS HOW!

Trick #6 Challenge Knot Tie Challenge your friends to tie a knot in a piece of rope without letting go of the ends. None of them will be able to do it, but you will! REQUIREMENTS: A piece of rope 3 or 4 feet long.      This is an easy one, but it will baffle people who don't know how to do it. Hold the rope as in Figure 1, and give your friends a chance to try to tie a knot in the rope without at any time letting go of either end. When they give up, take back the rope and lay it down on a table.     Now for the secret move: Cross your arms before you pick up the rope!. Pick it up one end at a time to make it easier to grasp. When you uncross your arms, a knot will appear in the middle of the rope, without your at any time releasing either end! Trick #7 The Unbreakable Match A wooden match or toothpick is wrapped in a handkerchief and broken by a volunteer. At your command, it is restored into one piece! REQUIREMENTS: One handkerchief with a hem, two wooden matches or toothpicks.     Conceal a toothpick in the hem of a handkerchief.     Display the handkerchief, and several other toothpicks you have brought with you. Then, have a volunteer point to one of the toothpicks. Pick up the toothpick they chose, place it in the center of the handkerchief, and roll the handkerchief up with the chosen toothpick in its center.      While you do this, take hold of the toothpick concealed in the hem of the handkerchief, and hand this to the volunteer. Have him confirm that he can feel the toothpick through the handkerchief, and even invite him to break it in half!      When he does, take the handkerchief back and break the hidden toothpick again! Everyone will think the toothpick that's been broken is the same one they saw you roll up in the handkerchief a few moments earlier. Now, slowly unroll the handkerchief and show the toothpick, still in its center, and completely unharmed! Trick #8 The Mysterious Coin Balance You can balance a coin at your fingertips, but no one else can! REQUIREMENTS: One large coin, one straight pin      Here's a great trick to demonstrate your mastery of mind over matter!     Have a regular straight pin concealed in one hand, between the first two fingers. With the other hand, pull a coin out of your pocket and allow it to be examined by the audience, or borrow a coin from one of them!     When you get the coin back, lay it down on top of the straight pin in your other hand. Now, raise the coin to a standing position near the ends of your fingers, and as you do raise the straight pin with it, making sure no one but you knows the pin is there.     Keep pressure on the pin held between your two fingers, and the coin will balance there as if held by unseen forces! You can talk about mind over matter, or wiggle the fingers of your other hand over the coin as if that was where your power emanated from!     After a few moments, slowly release pressure on the pin, and it should let the coin gently drift back down onto your fingers! Don't forget to get rid of the pin while people are examining the coin again! Trick #9 The Hypnotized Handkerchief Hypnotize a handkerchief to move at your command! REQUIREMENTS: One handkerchief with a hem, one drinking straw     In order to perform this effect you will need to take a drinking straw and flatten it out. This is easier with the old fashioned paper straws, but a plastic straw will do. Be careful not to mangle the straw as you flatten it.      Next, sew the straw into the hem of a handkerchief as shown in Figure 1. Make certain the straw is secured in place so it won't slip down in the hem.      When ready to perform the trick, grasp the corner indicated with an "A" in Figure 1. Tie a knot in that corner and let the handkerchief hang down from the knot. Announce you are going to "hypnotize" the handkerchief. With your other hand take the middle of the handkerchief where corner "B" is, as in Figure 2, and drop the knot. Gesture with your free hand as if "hypnotizing the handkerchief. By moving your thumb on the straw, you can cause the handkerchief to slowly rise until it seems balanced on your fingers (Figure 3), and then gently drop back down! Trick #10 Afghan Bands Also known as "The Perplexing Mystery Of The Moebius Bands", this is a self-working trick that seems to defy logic! A loop is cut in half lengthwise, but instead of two loops, you have one long loop! You try again, but now instead of two separate loops you have two loops linked together! Even you will be amazed when it happens! REQUIREMENTS: A strip of newspaper or cloth cut about 4" wide by 3' long. Cut it so the the grain runs with the length of the strip. Paste or glue.      Moebius strips are a mathematical oddity that can be used in magic to produce unbelievable results. Basically, a moebius strip is a loop which has been cut at one point, given a half twist, and reconnected. It now has only one side and one edge. I know that sounds weird, but try making a simple moebius strip out of a 2" wide strip of newspaper, and run your finger around the edge. It will first go around the outside of the loop, then when it reaches the twist it will go all the way around the inside of the loop, and when it reaches the twist again, it will go all the way around the outside again. It literally has only one side, or edge.      To prepare the trick: Take your strip of cloth or paper (if you use cloth make sure it is easily tearable). At one end cut a slit about 3" long down the middle of the band. At the other end cut another slit along the middle about 1 inch long (Figure 1).     Bring the ends of the cloth or paper together to make a loop. But, before you connect the ends with glue, give one of the 3 inch slits a half twist (Figure 2), and the other 3 inch slit a full twist (Figure 3). Then, glue the ends together as in Figure 3.      To perform the trick: Take the prepared loop and tear it down the middle into two loops (Figure 4). You will now have one loop with a half twist in it, and one loop with a full twist.      Now, for the really weird part. When you take the loop with the full twist in it and tear it down the middle, everyone expects you to get another two complete loops, AND YOU DO... ONLY THEY'RE LINKED TOGETHER as in Figure 5!      And, when you take the loop with the half twist and tear that loop down the middle, instead of two separate loops or two connected loops, YOU JUST GET ONE BIG LOOP! (Figure 6) Try it and see! NOTE: It is important when you cut or tear the bands thay you stay in the center all throughout the cut. Start the tear at one end, or place the scissors in, and then carefully cut in a straight line, staying in the center of the band and working your way around the center of the entire band until you reach the point where you began.