Ball & Silk Mistery

By Richard Robinson The magician picks up a silk handkerchief from his table and opens the handkerchief out to display both sides at his finger tips. The handkerchief is draped over his left hand. Slowly and mysterious a large red ball rises up out of the center of the handkerchief. The ball is wrapped in the handkerchief, the handkerchief is tossed into the air and the ball vanishes ... as if it had never existed to start with. Props A ball approximately 1-3/4 inches / 45 mm in diameter as used in the Multiplying Billiard Balls and other stage manipulations. A ball made of wood or hard plastic is recommended. An 18 inch / 33 cm square handkerchief. The ball and handkerchief should be of contrasting colors. The silk handkerchiefs sold by magic dealers is ideal, although any cloth square of light weight and good drape will do. Setup The bunched handkerchief is on the table with the ball behind it. Handling

The ball is behind the bunched handkerchief on the table. The left hand picks up the handkerchief and ball, concealing the ball. The hands open out the handkerchief, the ball is held in the left hand. Performer's view of the ball concealed as the handkerchief is displayed. The arms shift to the right, moving across the body. The ball is held between the base of the left hand and chest, allowing the hand to move forward and open. The arms cross, showing the back of the handkerchief. The ball palmed in the left hand is not visible. The handkerchief is draped over the left hand. The right hand 'adjusts' the drape. The right hand goes behind the handkerchief, then under it, the thumb guiding the way, and the ball is dropped into the right hand. Performer's view of right hand catching ball. The right hand, first finger extended, moves over the top of the handkerchief. At the same time the right thumb presses against the ball. Exposed view of the palmed ball. The right first finger pokes an indention into the top of the handkerchief. As this is done, the left thumb moves from in front to behind the ball under the handkerchief. The first finger appears to press down the center of the handkerchief. Exposed view of the ball, ready to rise, but as yet not visible to the spectators. The ball mysteriously rises up out of the handkerchief. This action is controlled by the left thumb and fingers gently squeezing the ball. The right hand takes hold of a back corner of the handkerchief and raises it. The left hand opens under the handkerchief and slides forward, the ball on top of the handkerchief traveling with it. The ball and hand approaching the front edge of the handkerchief. The right hand does not move during this action. The handkerchief travels back, the ball rests on the open left hand. The performer pauses so the spectators can focus on the ball. The handkerchief is then draped over the right hand. The left hand approaches with the ball and tilts back as if rolling the ball into the waiting handkerchief covered right palm. In fact, the left hand classic palms the ball. Exposed view of the ball classic palmed. The right hand closes and turns over, the handkerchief falling down so that it appears the right hand is holding the ball through the handkerchief. The right hand shifts position grasping the handkerchief below the center as if trapping the ball. The handkerchief is tossed into the air, caught and shaken open by the right hand to show that the ball has vanished, then opened out between the hands. The handkerchief is bunched with the ball concealed behind it in the left hand and returned to the table.

Routine Phase 1 The left hand reaches over and picks up the handkerchief, at the same time taking hold of the ball so that it is held loosely in the palm of the hand. This hold is similar to the classic palm without any pressure being exerted on the ball. Facing the spectators, the left and right hands come together in front of the upper chest and to the right of the center of the body. The left and right fingers unfold the handkerchief until one corner can be clipped between the left first and second fingers. The right fingers then slide along the edge of the handkerchief, moving to the right at the same time, until they hold the adjacent corner. This opens the handkerchief out so that it is being displayed between the hands. As the handkerchief is opened out, the magician turns his shoulders slightly to the right. The left hand moves back to the chest and presses the ball between the palm of the hand and the chest. The left fingers open out and the left hand is moved toward the right. The ball, trapped between the palm and the chest, rolls along the back of the palm. This movement stops when the ball is positioned between the heel of the left and and the chest. With the ball out of view, the left fingers can be spread apart. The right fingers also open out. The magician looking toward the right hand, gives the handkerchief a slight shake. Phase 2 The left hand moves back so that the ball rolls into the palm of the hand where it is classic palmed. The right hand follows the left hand's movement. The front of the handkerchief is kept parallel to the spectators. With the ball in a classic palm, the left and right hands continue moving to the left until both arms are extended. The magician's shoulders turn left and tension is maintained by the hands to keep the handkerchief open taut between the hands. Although the left palm is now toward the spectators, the left fingers are curled over it and the edge of the handkerchief covers them, hiding the ball. The left hand releases its hold on the handkerchief and moves down behind the handkerchief to its center and then starts moving up. The right hand lets go of the handkerchief. The handkerchief is now draped over the left hand. The top of the left hand should be at shoulder height, the left arm half extended to the left of the body. Phase 3 The right fingers pretend to adjust the corners of the handkerchief hanging down around the left hand. As the this is done, the left arm swings to the right until the handkerchief draped left hand is at the center of the chest. The right fingers have moved as well, getting a light hold on the hem of the handkerchief closest to the magician and working their way under the handkerchief until the right hand is under the draped handkerchief. The left hand releases its hold on the ball, dropping it into the right hand which classic palms it. The right hand moves back down to take hold of the handkerchief hem. The left arm swings to the left, the right hand moving with it so that the back of the right hand remains toward the spectators. The left hand then swings back to the right, the right hand moving up until it is directly behind the left hand. During this movement, the left hand opens out so that it comes to rest on the back of the right hand, almost cupping it. The right hand, now hidden from the spectators, turns palm toward the left hand so that the ball rests on the handkerchief and through it on the left palm. The right fingers open out and point up, then curl down over the left thumb, as it pushing the center of the handkerchief down into the left fist. In fact the right fist and second fingers have arched over the left thumb and moved down to contact the top of the ball through the handkerchief. The right thumb is pressing against the bottom of the ball. Once the right fingers and thumb are supporting the ball, the handkerchief covered left thumb swings around the left of the ball and behind it, pressing the ball through the handkerchief against the left palm. The right hand moves away. The ball is now below the top of the handkerchief covered left fist, held in place through the handkerchief by the left thumb, and not at all visible to the audience. Phase 4 The left hand moves up to eye height, extended a foot or so in front of the magician's face. The left hand stops. The left fingers and thumb now slowly work the ball up until it is resting on top of the left fist. The ball appears to rise up out of the handkerchief. Once the ball is visible, the right fingers take hold of a corner of the handkerchief and move up. The left hand lowers a few inches. The left hand opens palm up under the handkerchief. The right hand pulls the handkerchief slowly back and up. This causes the ball to roll down the handkerchief and come to rest in the open left palm as the handkerchief is pulled away. Vanish The ball rests on the open left palm. The right hand holds the handkerchief. The right hand moves to the left hand so that one corner of the handkerchief can be clipped between the left first and second fingers. The right hand then moves right to open out the handkerchief so that it can be displayed front and back. In one continuous motion, the right hand releases its hold on the handkerchief, the hand opens and swings toward the front center of the handkerchief. The left hand releases its hold on the handkerchief. The result is that the handkerchief is now draped over the right hand, the hand itself being palm up under the handkerchief. The left hand moves to the right, back of the hand turned toward the audience and appears to drop the ball onto the handkerchief covered right palm. The right fingers curl up as it holding the ball through the handkerchief. In fact, the ball is simply classic palmed in the left hand. The right hand turns over and grasps the supposed ball through the handkerchief. With practice this can be done so that the handkerchief bunches enough at the center to momentarily look as if the ball is inside the handkerchief. The handkerchief is tossed into the air and caught by the right hand. The ball has vanished. The right hand shakes out the handkerchief. Then the right and left hands take hold of the top corners and show the handkerchief back and front, using the moves described in the production phase to keep the palmed ball hidden. The right hand bunches up the handkerchief and places it on top of the ball in the left hand as the left hand opens. The right thumb presses the ball against the back of the bunched handkerchief and raises both slightly so the open left hand can be titled toward the audience. The right hand uses the bunched handkerchief to dust off the left fingers. The left hand takes hold of the bunched handkerchief and ball and sets them down on the table, ball to the back. Performance Notes The moves used here are easy to master, most of the manipulation being hidden by either the handkerchief or body position.