Table of Contents
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Miraculous Magic Tricks
by Thomas Canavan
Illustrations by David Mostyn
New York
Published in 2014 by Windmill Books, an Imprint of Rosen Publishing
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010
Copyright 2014 by Arcturus Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
First Edition
Author: Thomas Canavan
Editors: Patience Coster and Joe Harris
US Editor: Joshua Shadowens
Illustrations: David Mostyn
Design: Emma Randall
Publisher Cataloging Data
Canavan, Thomas.
Comedy magic / by Thomas Canavan.
p. cm. (Miraculous magic tricks)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-4777-9061-8 (library binding)
ISBN 978-1-4777-9062-5 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-4777-9063-2 (6-pack)
1. Magic tricks Juvenile literature. I. Canavan, Thomas, 1956. II. Title.
GV1548.C216 2014
793.8dc23
Printed in the USA
CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #BW14WM: For further information contact Windmill Books, New York, New York at 1-866-478-0556
SL003845US
contents
Introduction 4
The Magicians Pledge 5
Shocking Straw 6
Bouncing Apple 8
Unfoldable Towel 12
The Sticky Spoon 16
Bouncing Hankie 19
The Wrong Card 22
Thimble on the Go 25
Crazy Candle 28
Peculiar Piggy Bank 30
Further Reading, Websites,
Glossary, and Index 32
introduction
W
ithin these pages you will discover great magic tricks
that are easy to do and impressive to watch.
To be a successful magician, you will need to practice the
tricks in private before you perform them in front of an
audience. An excellent way to practice is in front of a mirror,
since you can watch the magic happen before your own eyes.
When performing, you must speak clearly, slowly, and loudly
enough for everyone to hear. But never tell the audience
whats going to happen.
Remember to watch your angles. This means being careful
about where your spectators are standing or sitting when
you are performing. The best place is directly in front of you.
Never tell the secret of how the trick is done. If someone
asks, just say: Its magic!
tHe MAGiciAns PLedGe
I promise not to reveal the secrets of magic to those
who are not magicians.
I promise to practice these magic tricks over and
over again before attempting to perform them in
front of an audience.
I promise to respect my art, the art of magic.
iLLusion
The magician uses
a special magnetic
force in his fingertips
to move a straw
without touching it.
sHocKinG strAW
The magician sits behind a table
and sets a drinking straw in
front of him. It should be laid
about half an arms length away.
The magician says he will
use the magnetic force of
static electricity to push
the straw away from him.
The magician rubs his
index nger through his
hair, saying he is building
up the electrical charge.
He holds this nger over the middle
of the straw, without touching it. He
moves his nger forward slowly. As he
does so, he secretly blows on his side
of the straw. The magician takes care
not to change the expression on his
face as he blows. He stops moving his
nger and blowing at the same time.
Finally he calls for volunteers
from the audience to try
the trick. They all fail!
iLLusion
The magician bounces
an apple off the floor
as if it were a
rubber ball.
BouncinG APPLe
A table and chair are needed
for this trick. A low table
or even a desk works, as
long as the spectators cant
see the magicians feet.
The trick begins with
the magician sitting
behind the table with an
apple in front of him.
He picks up the apple and
acts as if hes about to take
a bite from it. He stops, sniffs
it and says: Maybe this one
isnt ripe. Id better test it.
He holds the apple at
shoulder height...
... then he brings it down
quickly, so that it goes
out of the spectators
sight behind the table.
While doing this, the magician
does two more things at the
same time: he taps his foot on
the ground and ips his wrist so
that the apple icks up in the air.
It soundsand looksas though
the apple has bounced off the
oor and back into the air.
The magician catches the apple.
He says: Good bounceit must
be ripe! and takes a bite from it.
iLLusion
The magician tries to
fold an ordinary hand
towel but it keeps bulging
in unlikely directions.
unFoLdABLe toWeL
Prior to the trick, the
magician gets some
practice holding a table
fork with the handle
pinched between his
thumb and index nger.
To perform the trick, the magician
reaches into a box containing
an ordinary hand towel. But
a fork is hidden in the towel.
The magician shows the towel
to the audience, still holding it
tight with both hands. The fork
cant be seen under the fold. The
magician shows the audience the
front and back of the towel, like
a bullghter twirling his cape.
The magician picks up the towel,
continuing to hide the fork by
folding the towel over it and
holding one end of the fold in
his right hand. He holds the
other end of the fold in his left
hand. (This takes practice!)
The magician looks surprised,
and lets the fork go back down
again. He continues raising and
lowering the towel, staring at it as
though he cant believe his eyes.
He tries to fold the towel,
twisting his right wrist
slightly so that the fork
pokes into the fold and
makes the towel rise up.
The magician nishes the
trick by seeming to scrunch
up the towel, but hes really
scrunching it around the fork.
He puts the scrunched-up
towel (with the fork hidden
inside) back in the box.
iLLusion
A spoon seems to be
stuck magically
to the palm of the
magicians hand.
tHe sticKY sPoon
For this trick, the magician
needs to wear a long-
sleeved shirt that will
cover a wristwatch.
Prior to the trick, he slides a
butter-knife under his watch-
strap so that the blade is snug
against the palm of his left
hand. Next he slides the handle
