The First Book Of Magic

By Edward Stoddard

This early manual of tricks is an absorbing work which will prove of much interest to the enthusiast or historian of magic. Intended as a complete how-to guide to the uninitiated, The First Book of Magic give a comprehensive and informative look at the subject. Contents Include: Tricks with Money, Tricks with Handkerchiefs, Tricks with String, Tricks with Cards, Tricks with Balls, Famous Magicians, Mind-Reading Tricks, Tricks with Numbers, Spirit Tricks, Magic at the Dinner Table, Your Own Magic Show, How to Get Ready and How to Give the Show. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Holloway Press
• Release date: Aug 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781528762571

Book preview

THE FIRST SECRET OF MAGIC

Magic is fun. It’s fun to do and fun to watch – if it fools people.

Here is the first secret: It’s not tricks that fool an audience – but the person who does the tricks.

In this book you’ll find dozens of easy tricks with money, string, handkerchiefs, balls, cards, and other things. They are all good magic. But they will only fool an audience if you do them right.

You see, it’s hard to fool someone’s eyes. A magician’s hand is not quicker than the eye. The important secret magicians use is this: they know how to make a person look for the secret of the trick in the wrong place.

Nobody can see two things at once. If you know how to make a person look at one hand, he won’t see what you are doing with your other hand.

So when you are learning a trick and are told to do or say something that might not seem important, do it anyway. Do it just the way you are told. There’s a good reason for it. It’s to make your trick fool people.

All the tricks in this book are easy. All of them have fooled people over and over. They’ve been chosen because none of them needs anything very special in the way of equipment. You’ll find almost everything you need in your home. For two or three of the tricks, you’ll want to go to a shop like Woolworths for some inexpensive supplies. At the end of this book you can even find out how to put on your own magic show for your friends, with real stage-size tricks.

Later, you may want to buy some real magic equipment. There’s a good ‘magic shop’ in almost every large town, and the experts there will be glad to help you get the things you should have.

All real magicians follow the rules on the next page. So will you if you want to be a good magician.

Practise in front of a mirror if you can

Never tell how you did it!

Don’t do the trick twice – you’ll be found out

Don’t be a ‘show-off’

1. Practise each trick over and over before showing it to anyone. If you show it before you’ve really learned it, you’ll just give it away or ‘make a mess of it’!

2. Never, never tell your audience how you did a trick . . . no matter how much they beg. As soon as they find out, all the mystery is gone. They won’t even be excited about other tricks you do, once they find out how simple the secrets are.

3. Never do the same trick twice for the same person. The first time, your friend never knows quite what will happen next. The second time, he watches every move. So he see things he didn’t see the first time . . . things you don’t want him to see! Do another trick instead.

4. Never ‘show-off’. This makes people angry. Even if you fool them, they won’t want to see another trick. It’s no fun knowing magic if people don’t want to watch. So be quiet and modest. Act as if you were surprised too.

Now go ahead . . . you’ll have fun!

TRICKS WITH MONEY

Rubbing a Coin Away

All you need for this trick is a small coin. It should be your own because, after you make it