CHAPTER LX PARLOR TRICKS AND PUZZLES Tangrams

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One of the oldest and most fascinating puzzles comes, like so many quaint things, from the Far East where, over four thousand years ago, a learned Chinaman named Tan made the invention which forty centuries have been unable to improve or alter. Worthy of a civilization that invented Chess, Tan’s puzzle has lived on unchanged through the ages, affording amusement and thought to men of such ability as Napoleon, who, during his exile on St. Helena, used to spend hour after hour with the little black geometric figures.

Fig. 1.—Showing dotted lines marked off for black pieces in tangram puzzle.

Fig. 2.—Showing square dissected and numbered for tangrams.

Take a perfect square of stiff cardboard of any size, say five inches, and see that the angles and sides are true. Now, very carefully mark it off according to the dotted lines in Fig. 1, which may be explained thus. ABCD is the square. Rule a line from B to C, and mark off M and H halfway between B and D and C and D respectively, and join M and H. Find G the midpoint of MH and join AG. Mark K and F, midpoints of CE and EB respectively, and join KH and FG. Having thus marked out the card, take a very sharp knife and cut the cardboard along the dotted line. You will then have the seven pieces as shown in Fig. 2, which are numbered for convenience sake. Having colored these pieces dead black with India ink on both sides, you are ready to start the great Tangram Puzzle.

Fig. 3.—Showing original Tan presenting puzzle to his wife.

Fig. 3a.—Showing how Tan can be fitted together.

All these seven pieces must be fitted against each other, never overlapping, in order to make the figures of men, beasts, houses, or the like.

Take for example Fig. 3, which shows the original Tan presenting the puzzle. Fig. 3a shows how the good gentleman can be fitted together, as the numbers designate which pieces are to be placed against each other.

Fig. 4.—Showing pieces fitted together to represent figure in cocked hat.

Fig. 4a.—Showing how pieces are placed for figure in cocked hat.

Fig. 5.—Representation of depressed cat.

Fig. 5a.—Showing construction of pieces for representation of depressed cat.

Fig. 6.—Lady holding her skirts high.

Fig. 6a.—Showing pieces fitted for representation of lady holding up her skirts.

The individual in the cocked hat who appears in Figs. 4 and 4a, is another example of how the pieces are to be put together; similarly the depressed cat in Figs. 5 and 5a, or the lady in Figs. 6 and 6a, who is holding her skirts up so high as she crosses the street. Figs. 6b and 6c show a gentleman apparently tired of life.

These seven pieces can be so disposed as to make hundreds of figures, giving scope for boundless ingenuity and skill.

A good winter evening competition can be arranged by making several sets of Tangram pieces, and distributing one set to each member of the party. The name of some familiar object should then be announced (for example—horse—cat—washerwoman), two minutes being allowed for construction, and points given to the best Tangram.

Fig. 6b.—The gentleman tired of life.

Fig. 6c.—Showing means whereby depressed gentleman is represented.

A variation can be introduced by taking a well-known nursery rhyme or fairy tale, and asking each person to make a Tangram to represent a different subject in the tale. Supposing “The Farmer’s Boy” to be the rhyme, one person would make the figure of that youth, to another would fall the horse, to a third the dog, and so on. As in the former case a prize might be awarded to the most successful manipulator of the little black pieces.

A Scissor Trick

Ask one of the ladies, who naturally knows all about scissors, to do the following trick. Holding the hands with palms upward, hang a pair of scissors on the little fingers, as shown in Fig. 7. The fingers should then be slightly bent so that the scissors stick upright as in Fig. 8; next ask her to turn the hands round rapidly back to back when the scissors will make a complete revolution, and should finally point upward again. But it is just at this point that the trick comes in, for the fair lady will find that instead of the scissors pointing up to the ceiling, they are directed down to the floor! (Fig. 9.)

Fig. 7.—How to hold the scissors.

Fig. 8.—Showing fingers slightly bent and scissors sticking upright.

Fig. 9.—Position of scissors after complete revolution.

This is the occasion for you to show how really clever you are, and by bearing the following hints in mind it will prove a very easy matter.

When the hands are in the position of Fig. 8, take care that the rings of the scissors are passed over the last joints of the little fingers only, so that a complete revolution can take place between the palms of the hands and the fingers themselves. To bring the scissors upright will then follow in the natural course of events.

Blowing through a Bottle

Can you blow hard enough to make your breath pass right through a thick glass bottle? The majority of people will say “No,” and dare you to perform the task. It is really very easy.

Take a large round bottle or jam jar, and place a lighted candle behind it, as in Fig. 10. Now stand so that the bottle or jar is interposed between yourself and the light, and blow. The flame will be extinguished at once!

There is scarcely need to tell your surprised friends that the shape of the bottle has really caused your breath to follow the curve of the two sides, unite at the back, and blow out the light.

Fig. 10.—How the candle flame is extinguished.

A Safe Bet

Lay a dime, or a dollar if you feel so inclined, upon the palm of your hand, and promise to give it to whoever can brush it off with an ordinary clothes brush, as shown in Fig. 11. The only condition you need make is that they shall brush towards the tips of the fingers and not to one side.

You need have no fear of the result, and can feel quite assured that your money is as safe as if it were in your own pocket. Whatever the explanation may be, the fact remains that no amount of brushing will move the coin the hundredth part of an inch on your open palm.

Fig. 11.—The position of coin in palm.

Do not touch the Coin

Place a dime upon a polished table and ask one of your friends to pick it up without touching either the coin or the table.

Fig. 12.—Showing how coin is removed from table.

A glance at Fig. 12 shows how the trick is done. Slightly curve your hand so that it almost touches the table, and blow steadily upon the table at a distance of about five or six inches. The force of your breath passing beneath the coin will carry it into your hand.

Quis Separabit?

If there happen to be a newly-married couple amongst your friends, the following little trick may cause them a blush of happiness.

Get them to fold their hands, as shown in Fig. 13, in such a way that the wedding-ring finger of the left hand, and the corresponding finger of the right hand, are doubled inwards as far as the second joint, and the knuckles of those joints press firmly against each other.

Fig. 13.—Hands folded.

Fig. 14.—Thumbs separated.

Now, tell them to separate their two thumbs, as in Fig. 14, while you say, “Parents and children may be separated!” Then let them do the same with the two forefingers, remarking, “Brothers and sisters may be separated!” The same performance may be repeated with the two little fingers, and you remark, “Even lovers may be separated!” Finally, let them try to separate the two middle fingers, when they will find they cannot get them apart. Whereupon you state emphatically, “But husband and wife can never be divided!”

Fig. 15.—Paper being drawn through arm to electrify it.

Stick no Bills

Take a piece of coarse brown paper, the coarser the better, and warm it steadily before the fire. Now draw it rapidly a dozen times between your arm and your body, as in Fig. 15, so that it receives a good friction upon each side. Now press the paper against the wall, and you will find that it remains as firmly stuck as though a whole pot of the best paste had been used for the purpose.

A Mighty Voice

A prophet is never without honor but in his own country, and few of your acquaintances will believe you to be such a wonderful person that with a single shout you can break a glass. Yet it is very easy to convince them.

Take an ordinary wine-glass, and hold it by its foot firmly to the table. Make the glass ring with a touch of the finger (it will probably sound a rather low note). While the glass is yet tingling, raise it rapidly to your mouth, and shout the same note that it rang full into the bowl with all your force. The chances are ten to one that the glass will shiver to pieces.

The reason of this phenomenon is the vibrations caused by the tingling are so suddenly increased by the strength of your voice that the glass is unable to bear the strain, and therefore breaks.

A Genuine Match

It is surprising how universal is the law of love! Even two plain pieces of wood are unable to resist the impulses of the great passion.

Take out the bottom of a match-box, and split it into two pieces. Double over the ends at about a quarter of the way up, as in Fig. 16. On one piece make the rough sketch of a girl, and upon the other a similar drawing of a man, and then place the pieces together, as shown in the illustration.

Fig. 16.—Drawings in position.

If you pour a few drops of water over the joints of the two pieces of wood, you will find that the two figures slowly and surely rise up to meet each other, and will eventually press their two faces closely in a long kiss. They may be some time about it, but then pleasures delayed are always doubly enjoyable!

The Dying Fish

Cut a piece of deal into a prism about four inches long, and color two of the sides black or dark blue, painting the remaining side white. Sharpen one end into a small triangular point, and paint two eyes and a mouth thereon, so that the completed figure appears as in Fig. 17.

Now, if you put this in a basin of water very heavily salted, you will find that the fish floats quite naturally, as in Fig. 18, whilst if you place him in a basin of plain fresh water, he will immediately turn on his back and float dead, with the white side uppermost, as in Fig. 18a.

Fig. 17.—Completed figure of fish.

Fig. 18.—“Dead” fish floating.

Fig. 18a.—Fish on his back.

This is caused by the greater density of the salt water acting upon the prism.

Fig. 19.—Showing egg hanging on wire.

New-laid Eggs

Here is a very handy method of discovering whether an egg is fresh or not.

Pass an elastic band around the egg, and hang it upon a wire, as shown in Fig. 19. Twist the egg and band round several times, and then release it, when the band will rapidly untwist with the egg. If the latter be quite fresh, it will stop almost immediately, but if it happens to be rather older than is desirable, it will twist and untwist, reversing several times before it finally comes to rest. This applies to eggs which have been boiled—indeed to any egg that is “set.”

A Will-power Test

This is scarcely a trick, as it really serves to prove which of two persons has the stronger will-power.

Place a door-key between the pages in the middle of a book in such a way that the handle projects an inch or two, as in Fig. 20. Pass a piece of string round the book, and draw into a tight knot, so that the key is held firmly in its place.

Now, let the persons who desire to test the strength of their wills support the book by the ring of the key resting on their extended forefingers, as in the illustration. If one person wills the book to turn from right to left, and the other wills it to turn in the opposite direction, it will be found that the book obeys whichever party is possessed of the stronger will.

Fig. 20.—A will-power trick.

There is yet another way of testing this strange example of personal magnetism.

Let one of the parties (preferably he of the stronger will) think of some name, Mary, for instance. Informing nobody else of the name he has chosen, let him repeat the alphabet very slowly, when it will be found that, as he arrives at the first letter, M, the book will give a slight turn, and will behave in a similar way for all the other letters of the name. If both parties know the name, the book will turn much more readily, as a result of the united forces of their wills.

Fig. 21.—The magic repeater.

The Magic Repeater

This is an interesting example of some strange agency at work amongst us.

Make a running noose at the end of a piece of fine thread, and pass it securely round a quarter, as shown in Fig. 21. Taking care that the thread passes over the tip of the thumb, support the thread from your hand, in the manner shown in the illustration, in such a way that the quarter is hanging within a wine-glass or tumbler. Take care also to keep the hand perfectly steady, and await results.

For a few seconds the quarter will oscillate, but it will soon become quite still. Then, actuated by no motion of your hand, it will begin to swing to and fro like a pendulum, and will finally strike one of the sides of the glass.

Counting the number of times it thus makes the glass ring, you will find that the number corresponds exactly with the nearest hour to the time of day. For instance, at 11:20 there would be eleven rings, whilst at a quarter to twelve there would be twelve.

The cause of this phenomenon can be left to scientists to decide.

Fig. 22.—The obliging banana.

The Obliging Banana

It is rare that one can get a fruit so obliging as to peel itself, but upon certain occasions a banana will put itself out of the way to render this favor.

Cut off one end of a banana, and with a knife just start ripping up the skin on the four sides in the usual manner.

Now take an empty bottle, put some methylated spirit inside, and drop a lighted match to ignite the spirits. As soon as the flame has died out, place the prepared end of the banana in the mouth of the bottle, and you will find that the banana is slowly drawn inside, peeling off its skin as the fruit disappears (Fig. 22).

The reason for this condescension on the part of the banana is simple. As soon as the bottle begins to cool from the heat of the flames, the air is contracted inside, a vacuum is caused, and the fruit is sucked into the bottle.

The same trick can be performed with a water bottle and a shelled hard-boiled egg.

The Smoker’s Fancy

Although most ardent smokers will admit there is little pleasure in smoking in the dark, there are few who will not be surprised at the following trick.

Induce a cigarette devotee to have his eyes bandaged, and make him moisten the ends of two cigarettes. Having lighted one of them, allow the victim to have a few whiffs and then take it out of his mouth and replace it by the unlighted cigarette. Continue changing the cigarettes in this manner for a few minutes, and you will presently find that he is quite unable to tell which he has in his mouth, and is quite at a loss to know whether he is puffing away at the lighted “cig.” or not.

Fig. 23.—The mysterious bands—first stage.

The Mysterious Bands

Take a full sheet of a large newspaper, e.g. the first and last pages (which make one sheet) of a paper like the New York Times, and cut three straight strips (a, b, c) about three inches wide, as shown in Fig. 23. Now join the ends of these strips in the following manner in order to make three loops.

In the strip a bend round D, and paste it on to the under side of E.

Make a loop of b in a similar manner, but giving the strip a half turn, and pasting the under side of F to the under side of G.

In the third strip this twist is replaced by a full turn of the paper, so that H is pasted on the under side of N, as in the first instance.

When making these bands it will be quite easy to conceal from the spectators the twists you have given to the paper; and, indeed, the success of the trick depends upon this part of your preparation not being observed.

Now comes the exhibition of the trick. Cut each of the loops into two, in the direction of the dotted lines in Fig. 24, when the following astonishing result will be obtained.

The band a will be cut into two equal loops, as in Fig. 24a, the loop b will turn into one large loop twice the size of the original as in Fig. 24b, whilst the loop C will be transformed into two links of a chain, as in Fig. 24c.

Fig. 24.—Showing where to cut loops of paper.

Fig. 24a.—Band cut into equal loops.

Fig. 24b.—Showing large loop twice the size of original.

Fig. 24c.—Showing loop C transformed into two links of a chain.

It need hardly be remarked that the twists given to the original bands are responsible for this strange result.

Sold Again

Get some one to take a nickel out of his pocket, and, without showing it to you, ascertain the date of the coin, and then turn it face upwards on the palm of his hand. You will now remark that “you can tell the date.”

Appear to scrutinize the coin very attentively, and then, with the utmost importance, tell the owner of the penny the actual day of the month, and smile complacently at his indignation.

Simple Subtraction

If you have fifteen matches and remove six, how can you obtain a remainder of ten?

Fig. 25.—Showing first arrangement of matches.

Arrange the matches as in Figs. 25 a, b, and c, and ask a friend the above-mentioned question.

When he gives it up, remove the six matches marked A, B, C, D, E, and F, and you will have the result shown in Fig. 26.

Fig. 26.—Showing result when six matches have been removed.

A Tricky String Puzzle

Take a piece of string about a yard long and tie the ends together, making a loop. Passing this loop through the ring of a key, hang it upon the extended thumbs of a friend, as in Fig. 27. The strings are crossed. The trick is to remove the key without taking the string from the other person’s thumbs.

Fig. 27.—Showing string upon extended thumbs.

Fig. 28.—Second stage of string trick.

Fig. 29.—Showing mode of freeing key from string.

To understand the diagrams it will be necessary to remember the following explanations of the letters used in Fig. 28.

A and B are the hands of the person just described whose thumbs bear the string.

C and D are your own hands, left and right respectively.

E is the hand of a third person who holds the key.

F and G are the two sides of the loop.

Begin by catching the string F on your little finger of C and G on the little finger of D, as in Fig. 28. Now transfer the string from the little finger of C to the thumb of B, and thus free your hand C.

Between the forefinger and thumb of B you must take the string G between the key and A.

Now catch this part you have taken round the thumb of B, slip the string from the little finger of D, and when E pulls the key, it will come quite free from the string (Fig. 29).

A Sure Eye

Stick a sharply-pointed knife, preferably with a heavy handle, into the lintel of the door, or into a wooden beam upon the ceiling. Then ask for some one with a sure eye to mark the exact spot on the floor by putting a cent upon it, where the knife will drop when displaced.

This is easily done in the following manner. Take care that the knife is very lightly stuck into the wood, so that it will fall at the slightest touch.

Fill a glass with water, and raising it to the knife immerse the handle to the height of an inch or so. Then watch where the drop of water, which will fall when you remove the glass, strikes the ground, place the cent upon the spot, and you will find that the knife will fall upon that identical place.

That is the Man

Fold a piece of paper into four, and cut a pointer out of it, as shown in Fig. 30. Now run a needle through a cork and balance the pointer on its tip, as shown. Place an inverted tumbler over the whole contrivance (Fig. 30a).

Fig. 30.—The paper pointer.

Fig. 30a.—Pointer mounted on cork.

By rubbing the outside of the tumbler with a piece of rag, or even a handkerchief, you can make the pointer turn in whatever direction you desire, as it will swing round to whatever portion of the glass you happen to rub.

Announce that you will make it point to Mr. Jones. If you then rub the glass on the side nearest to that gentleman, the paper needle will swing round and point directly to him.

By rubbing the handkerchief rapidly round and round the glass the needle will be made to revolve with considerable speed, to the great delight of the younger members of the party.

Needle-Threading Extraordinary

Thread a No. 6 needle with a couple of yards of fairly coarse cotton or thread, and draw them through until the two ends are of equal length.

Now pass the point of the needle right through the two strands, as in Fig. 31, and continue pulling the needle as in Fig. 31a until the threads have passed through each other and appear a continuous piece, as in Fig. 31b. This should have been done before showing the trick to the company. As there will be no knot, it is highly improbable that any one will notice a peculiarity in the thread.

Fig. 31.—Needle-threading—first stage.

Fig. 31a.—Thread passing through itself.

Fig. 31b.—Showing thread as a continuous piece.

You then state that, without looking at the needle, you will thread it with as many strands of cotton as it will hold. Proceed in the following way.

Holding the needle with the point upwards beneath the table, out of sight of yourself and the others, catch one of the threads at a point between the eye of the needle and the point where they pass through each other, as in Fig. 32, and pull that steadily downwards.

Fig. 32.—Showing point where thread is pulled steadily downwards.

Fig. 33.—Result of thread passed through eye of needle.

Fig. 33a.—Threaded needle complete.

By doing this the invisible knot is passed through the eye, carrying with it two strands, and by continuing this action the knot is passed several times, until eventually a result similar to that shown in Fig. 33 appears.

Drawing the knot to the bottom of this series of loops, you can then cut off all the ends as well as the knot, and present the threaded needle to your friends as it appears in Fig. 33a.

The Magician’s Bite

Take an ordinary piece of string or thread, and offer to cut it in two if somebody present will guarantee to join it into one piece again without any knot. You may announce at the same time that by wizardry you are able yourself to do this by a simple bite of the teeth.

Fig. 34.—Showing string passed round hands.

Fig. 34a.—Showing ends of string looped together.

The trick is done in this way. Appear to pass the string round the hands twice, as in Fig. 34, whereas by a deft movement, which can be acquired with a little practice, you really loop the two ends round each other, as in Fig. 34a. Holding the point where they cross each other between the finger and thumb (see H, Fig. 35), you request some person to cut the two ends at G, promising to join these ends with your mysterious bite.

Fig. 35.—Showing point where to cut string.

Place the string in both hands into your mouth, and whilst making a mumbling movement, contrive to catch the short doubled piece, G, H, in your teeth and retain it there, whilst extending your hands to the company you show a whole piece of thread, as in Fig. 36. The little piece which you have kept between your teeth can be easily removed without exciting suspicion, and there are few people critical enough to measure the string and find there is a piece missing.

Fig. 36.—Showing whole piece of thread.

A Trick in the Sunshine

This trick can only be done on a sunny day, for a reason which will be very evident to those who try it.

Obtain a clear glass bottle, in the cork of which stick a hooked pin. By means of a piece of thread hang a small weight from this pin within the bottle, as in Fig. 37, and then request some one to cut the cord without drawing the cork.

Fig. 37.—Sun’s rays focused on weighted thread.

All that is necessary to do this is a magnifying glass which is placed between the bottle and the sun at the right distance to focus the rays of the latter upon the cord. In a few seconds the heat of the converging rays will burn through the thread, and the weight will fall to the bottom of the bottle. In the same way you can

Light a Cigarette Without Matches

Concentrate the rays of the sun upon the end of the cigarette, and draw in the ordinary way (if you are old enough to smoke), when the cigarette will rapidly be ignited.

Another String Trick

Stick a penknife into a post or tree, or other strong upright of wood, and pass a piece of string behind the post and above the knife, as in Fig. 38. Bring the end C round the post and pass B over it. Bring C round again and cross it over the knife, and B round the knife over C, as in Fig. 38a. Pass the ends round the post again, always remembering that B must be over C, and then tie the two ends in a knot, as in Fig. 39.

Fig. 38.—Knife and string trick—first stage.

Fig. 38a.—Knife and string trick—second stage.

Fig. 39.—Knife and string trick—third stage.

By removing the knife from the post, you will now find that the whole loop comes away intact, having never really been passed round the post at all.

Try This!

A candle can be lighted without approaching the match to the wick in this way.

Light a candle in the ordinary manner, and take care that the wick is fairly long and burns brightly. Blow it out suddenly, and by applying a lighted match to the smoke at the height of an inch or two, the candle will instantly relight without your having to put the match to the wick.

A Steady Hand

If any of your friends boast of a steady hand, you can easily give their pride a fall by wagering that not one of them can move a glass of water from one table to another without spilling every drop it contains.

Fill a tumbler with water to the very brim. Place a piece of perfectly flat, stout paper on the top of it, as shown in Fig. 40, and the palm of the hand on the top of that. Now turn the glass upside down very quickly and carefully, and place it upon a flat part of the table, having done which slide the piece of paper from beneath it. As the air cannot enter none of the water escapes, but it will be absolutely impossible to move the glass without spilling the water.

Fig. 40.—A water trick.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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