Beadazzled

By Doug Edwards Two large beads, one red, one green, are threaded on a shoelace or length of cord. Closing his hand around the beads, the magician wraps the ends of the shoelace around the hand. A spectator is asked to choose one of the beads, the magician moves his free hand over the top of the closed hand, then moves it away to show that one bead is now resting on top of the closed hand. He opens the closed hand to show that the other bead is still threaded on the shoelace. I like the finger ring steal move in Earl Nelson's book 'Variations' (1978) but, because I already use a borrowed finger ring when performing Ring Flight, I wanted to adapt the move to a different premise. Beadazzled is the result. You'll need a 24 inch / 60 cm white or black shoelace and two different color, hefty, round, 1 inch / 25 mm diameter plastic or ceramic beads with a hole through the center of each. The holes must be large enough for the shoelace to run freely. Wooden beads are fine as long as the holes drilled through them are sanded so they are smooth.

The beads are threaded onto the shoelace. The right hand holds the ends of the shoelace, the left hand moves between the loop formed to close around the beads. The right hand releases the ends so they fall to either side of the closed left hand.

Let's assume one bead is red and the other green. Openly thread the shoelace through both beads. By holding the ends of the shoelace with the right hand, a loop is formed with both beads hanging adjacent to each other. Move into this loop with your palm down left hand, close your fist lightly around the beads, and let the ends fall down at their respective sides.

The right hand picks up the lace end at the thumb side of the left hand ... ... and throws it over the top of the left hand. The right hand now moves under the left hand to take hold of the opposite lace end, at the same time getting hold of the bead closest to that end. The right hand, concealing the bead, wraps the lace end around the closed left hand, in doing so the bead is secretly removed from the lace. The right hand moves away finger palming the bead ... ... then moves over and down onto the top of the closed left hand.

With the right hand, grab the strand that hangs from the side of the left thumb and toss/throw it over the back of the left fist. Now grab the other strand that's hanging from the left pinkie side and secretly steal the red bead in the act of wrapping this strand around the back of the fist in the opposite direction of the first strand. This steal is easy and almost self working as long as you relax the grip at the moment the bead is stolen. The bead simply drops into your waiting right hand.

The spectator selects one of the beads by color, then the right fingers slowly open ... ... and the right hand moves away showing the bead is now on top of the closed left hand, free of the shoelace. The left hand turns over and the fingers open to show the other bead remains threaded on the shoelace.

As the above steal is made, ask a spectator to name either color bead. Regardless of the answer, move the right hand (with the concealed red bead) on top of the left fist and slowly open the right hand. If the red bead is indicated, show that it has magically penetrated upwards through your left hand. Should the green one be selected, state that you'll magically remove the red bead leaving the selected green bead still trapped on the shoelace. Either way, the effect is truly magical and memorable.