The American Boy's Handy Book/Chapter 38

The guests are led to a room, which is discovered to be dimly lighted and apparently unoccupied; they are then told that it is the fairies' night, and that although the little people are incapable of appearing in their natural form so as to be discernible, yet on certain nights of the year the fairies are willing to enter into and animate artificial figures made for their use. While talking in this style, the performer must borrow three or four pocket-handkerchiefs from the guests, and, after bidding the latter be seated, proceed to make the handkerchiefs up into little figures.

Roll up both edges of the handkerchief, as shown by Fig. 217. Fold the end A over toward the end B, as shown by Fig. 218. Next draw the end B up between the corners of A until the handkerchief takes the form illustrated by Fig. 219. Bring the ends of B under C, and tie them in a simple knot, allowing the ends to project as in Fig. 221, which shows the back. The handkerchief now has the appearance of a little white man (Fig. 220—front view).

After the handkerchief men are finished, the company must be requested to stand or sit where they are, near the door, and on no account to move for fear of frightening the little people. Carrying the handkerchief dolls to the middle of the room, under ​the chandelier, and making some passes over them, the magician leaves the figures sitting upright upon the floor. One of the company may be then asked to play upon the piano. No sooner does the first note struck upon the instrument sound through the room, than signs of life become noticeable among the handkerchief figures; they move, and, one by one, rise and stand. As the music becomes lively the handkerchiefs lose

Evolutions of the Handkerchief.

their diffidence and dance about in a very active manner. After the dance is over the handkerchiefs are returned to the owners and the room vacated, to give the fairies an opportunity to rest, and the children, that have, during the performance, been hiding behind the furniture, an opportunity to make their escape unobserved. The children are as necessary as the handkerchief dolls, for it is by means of silken threads in the hands of the little folks that the fairies are made to dance and move about. For each handkerchief there is a piece of thread long enough to reach over the chandelier down to the floor. Each piece of thread terminates in a hook made of a crooked pin. While the magician is making the customary passes, he deftly hooks the figures on to the pins. Old and worldly wise people have been completely mystified by this simple little trick.

In any attempt at magic or fortune-telling, the success of the experiment depends more upon the manner in which the deceptions are performed than upon the tricks themselves. The magician or fortune-teller must be a person not liable to become flustered and confused at any little mishap. A boy with a cool head and ready invention can smooth over the most palpable mistakes and make his audience believe them all in the programme.

is sure to produce a laugh whenever exhibited by a clever person. The preparations must be made in an apparently careless manner, so as not to attract attention. Tie a simple knot in the end of a handkerchief and let it rest against the knuckles of the left hand, while the rest of the handkerchief dangles below, as in Fig. 222; Image missingFig. 223.The Bather. do this as if you were only absent-mindedly playing with your pocket-handkerchief. Wrap the handkerchief around your two first fingers, as in Fig. 223; then, as if you had just thought of it, ask the company if they ever noticed how becoming the bathing costumes are to most people, adding, that to you a bather running down the beach always looks like this—here you make the little figure run rapidly along your lap or the tabletop toward the company (Fig. 223). The ends of the fingers ​protruding from below the white handkerchief look exceedingly comical, while the knot on top will be at once recognized as the bather's head, done up in a handkerchief or towel to keep the salt water out of the hair. If among the company there be any who are familiar with the scenes at seaside summer resorts, they will be convulsed with laughter. Some people can entertain a company for a whole hour with nothing but a glib tongue and a pocket-handkerchief.

Image missingFig. 224.The Orator.

This comical little toy can be made by a boy who has really no knowledge of drawing.

From some colored chromo or illustrated paper cut out an appropriate face and paste it on a piece of card-board, as in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 224). Where the arms are to be, cut two holes large enough to admit two fingers of your hand. From a piece of dark cloth cut two pieces shaped like the front of a coat and paste them on in the proper place (Fig. 224). Cut another triangular piece of cloth for the vest; let it be red or some bright color. Paste the vest on as shown by the diagram; ​make a collar by drawing the outlines as in the illustration and leaving it white between them; any bit of bright ribbon will do for the necktie. Draw a couple of straight lines beneath the figure to represent the top to a speaker's stand. Image missingFig. 225.Pattern of Sleeve and Cuff. From the same material that is used for the coat cut two pieces of cloth, of the shape shown by Fig. 225, A, for the sleeves. Let them be of such length that when the top edge is folded back the distance of the vertical cuts shown on the diagram, and the sleeve wrapped around the forefinger, the end of the finger will protrude the length of the nail. Sew or paste the edges of the sleeves together and put the slit ends (A, Fig. 225) through the arm-holes cut in the card-board; bend back the slits and paste them upon the back of the card-board. Make the cuffs of white paper (Fig. 225, B), and fasten them inside the sleeves by a few stitches of thread.

The orator is now finished and ready to deliver his oration. Hold the card up in front of you and thrust your first two fingers through the sleeves. The flesh-colored tips of your fingers peeping from beneath the white cuff look like little fists, and when the fingers are moved around in mimic gestures, the effect is comical beyond measure and will create a laugh wherever exhibited. If the picture-head of some well-known public man can be procured, it will add greatly to the effect produced upon the audience. A comical speech should be prepared and recited with accompanying movements of the arms (fingers). The little man can be made to scratch his nose, roll up his sleeves, and go through many other movements in a most natural and life-like manner.