A "KNOTTY" ROUTINE.

Anon.
 A "KNOTTY" ROUTINE.

I have been 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 suc-

c e s s i n a l l my shows and e n t e r t a i n m e n t s and w i t h t h e l a t e s t
e f f e c t "KING KOBRA", t h e M y s t i c S i l k Of I n d i a , y o u h a v 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 m a g 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 h e m a r e v e r y l i t t l e known so be s u r e t o t r y t h e m .

S t a r t b y s h o w i 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 the audience t h a t
e v e r y t i m e y o u t i e t h e snake i n t o a k n o t she s h a k e s 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 e r d r a w i n g No. 1 .
H o l d s i l k a t ends, b r i n g r i g h t hand end i n f r o n t ( o r o v e r )
l e f t end and h o l d w i t h thumb o f r i g h t h a n d ( s e e d r a w i n g ) .
Now p u t r i g h t h a n d i n t o l o o p and b r i n g t h e l o w e r end t h r o u g h
t h e l o o p ( s e e f i g . 2 ) p a l m o f l e f t h a n d f a c i n g a u d i e n c e - as
y o u p u l l t h i s e n d , s e c o n d and t h i r d f i n g e r s o f l e f t a r e p u l l e d
out of the loop f o r m i n g a knot which looks genuine, b u t i t i s
not. 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 a n d i t w i l l
vanish. You can a l s o c o v e r i t w i t h r i g h t h a n d a n d make i t
v a n i s h by 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 can k e e p t h e snake t i e d i s

b y m a k 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 m e .
T h i s y o u do as f o l l o w s : H o 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 a n d w i t h s e c o n d a n d t h i r d f i n g e r s o f e a c h h a n d
get h o l d o f the c o n t r a r y e n d s , ' i e . r i g h t g e t s l e f t end, l e f t
g e t s r i g h t e n d ( s e e d r a w i n g No, 5 ) l e t go t h e o r i g i n a l h o l d .
R e s u l t I s shown i n f i g . 6 ,

T e l l y o u r a u d i e n c e t h a t t h e snako sometimes t i e s i t s e l f
i n t o a k n o t when y o u t h r o w i t i n t h e a i r , and y o u can 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 a n d as f i g , 7 . Palm towards
a u d i e n c e - now t u r n p a l m t o w a r 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 e n 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 , this
a u t o m a t i c a l l y throws the loop o f f hand f o r m i n g the k n o t ,
t h r o w t h e w h o l e h i g h i n t h e a i r , a n d 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 real pretty effect. Try
t h i s b y a l l means, i t i s e a s y and y o u w o n ' t r e g r e t i t .

Now y o u s a y : " L a d i e s a n d g e n t l e m e n , no m a t t e r how i n t r i -

c a t e a k n o t I make w i t h t h e M y s t i c S i l k o f I n d i a i t w i l l
a l w a y s shake i t o f . . . . W a t c h . . . . " G e t s i l k as shown i n f i g . 8 .
Hands a b o u t t e n i n c h e s a p a r t , l e f t h a n d p a l m u p , r i g h t h a n d
p a l 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 e r s i l k ,
w h i l e l e f t t u r n s o v e r ( s t u d y d r a w i n g s 8 a n d 9 ) and w i t h f i r s t
and second f i n g e r s o f each hand grab the s i l k a t s p o t s marked
"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 a v e a k n o t l i k e t h e one
i n f i g . 10. T h i s i s known as t h e (Tom F o o l s K n o t ) . Put
i n d e x and thumb o f l e f t h a n d t h r o u g h l o o p , and p u l l t h e e n d s .
R e s u l t i s shown i n f i g . 1 3 , This a l s o looks l i k e a genuine
k n o t , b u t y o u can v a n i s h i t b y s i m p l y p u l l i n g t h e e n d s .

"Now my d e a r 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 m p o s -
s i b i l i t y , w i t h t h e charmed S i l k Of I n d i a . E v e r y b o d y knows
t h a t i t i s i m p 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
g o , 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 -
C F i g . 1 4 ) ( 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
over the l e f t . P u t t h e r i g h t h a n 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 e r l o o p ( f i g . 1 6 ) and h e r e i s
a GENUINE KNOT", Show t h a t i t i s a GENUINE KNOT and t h e n
untie i t . Do i t o v e r a g a i n and u n t i e , Now y o u do i t once
more b u t t h i s t i m e i n s t e a d o f u n t i e i n g you shake 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 everybody.

You w i l l be a b l e t o a c c o m p 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 -
tions. 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 a n 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 m a r k e d A .
The h a n d i s t h e n p a s s e d b e h i n d B and o v e r C as shown i n F i g .
16. R e s u l t w i l l be l i k e F i g . 1 7 , Now b r i n g h a n d s t o g e t h e r ,
t h i s move i s i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e i t l o o s e n s t h e l o o p s a r o u n d t h e
w r i s t s , as shown i n f i g . 1 8 - n o t h i n g h a p p e n s , and y o u w i l l
f i n d t h a t y o u h a v 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 w h i c h t h e t r i c k d e p e n d s , I s shown i n
f i g . 1 9 , t h e r i g h t h a n 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 above 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 w s 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 .
T h e r e i s now no d o u b t a b o u t i t , t h e k n o t i s a GENUINE ONE.

R e p e a t t h i s once m o r e , and show t h a t you 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 m e y o u
do i t up t o t h e t i m e o f y o u r s e c r e t move; t h i s l a s t t i m e do
n o t l e t go o f t h e end V. When y o u g e t 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 a n d , p u l l i n g t h i s e n d u n -
t i l the knot t i g h t e n s a l i t t l e , then p u l l o f f loop of r i g h t
h a n d a n d p u l l t h i s e n d , t h i s w i l l make a FAKE k n o t t h a t r e -
sembles t h e g e n u i n e k n o t v e r y much, and t h i s you can DISSOLVE
b y p u l l i n g t h e ends o r s h a k i n g t h e s i l k r e a l h a r d .

Now you c a n o f f e r t o t e a c h anyone how t o do i t . Start

as b e f o r e , m a k i n g a l l t h e p r e v i o u s movements u n t i l y o u g e t t o
p o s i t i o n shown i n f i g . 1 8 . y o u must make a l l o f t h e s e move-
ments v e r y s l o w l y so t h a t e v e r y o n e can see t h a t y o u a r 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 m e . You t h e n i n v i t e some-
one t o t a k e t h e two ends f r o m y o u r h a n d s , and t o p u l l t h e
s i l k o f f your 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 a v e n o t h i n g t o d o .
 You m u s t n o t make t h e s e c r e t move as shown i n f i g . 1 9 .
You m e 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 1 8 and a l l o w someone t o
t a k e t h e two 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 sees 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 e m . Hold
s i l k as shown i n f i g . 2 0 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
single knot. You t h e n shake t h e s i l k and two k n o t s a p p e a r
in i t . The i d e a i s t o t i e two k n o t s i n o n e . The d r a w i n g s w i l l
i l l u s t r a t e the method. W h i l e one h a n d h o l d s t h e e n d o f t h e
s i l k t h e o t h e r h a n 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 a w i n g s 2 0 , 2 1 , 2 2 and 2 3 , make t h e f i r s t l o o p s m a l l e r t h a n
the second. R e s u l t w i l l be l i k e d r a w i n g 2 4 . 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 a n d t i g h t e n (LOOSE). Showing s i l k as
shown i n f i g . 2 5 . Shake t h e s i l k h a r d a n d t h e t w o k n o t s w i l l
a p p e a r as i n 2 6 . 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 "KING KOBRA" e f f e c t . I f y o u do n o t
h a v e t h i s l a s t t r i c k , o r d e r one a t o n c e , a n d f i n i s h t h i s
r o u t i n e w i t h t h e most w i e r d and m a r v e l o u s o f a l l t h e l a t e
tricks.

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 e p a r e d s i l k s t a n d on
e n d , s u r r o u n d e d b y s p e c t a t o r s , i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e room-
a n y w h e r e - a t any t i m e , j u s t l i k e t h e m y t h i c a l ROPE TRICK OP
INDIA. L a t e r you squash i t and throw t h e s i l k f o r a t h o -
rough examination. You can e v e n do i t w i t h a b o r r o w e d s i l k
or l a r g e h a n d k e r c h i e f .

WILL ANDRADE.

173 PITT STREET, 52 SWANSTON STREET,

SYDNEY. MELBOURNE.
WILL ALMA
M.I.M.C. (LONDON)