The Trained Fly

The set up

This trick requires:

a drinking straw

a clear container

and an ordinary fly

The act

The magician places ten sugar cubes spaced from on a flat dry surface like a table, and presents the ordinary fly in the clear container. He then tells the audience he can make train this fly to go to any sugar cube he wishes through hypnotism or something of that nature. He then asks any audience member to select a sugar cube. After the audience member picks the magician pulls out his wand (straw) and constantly taps the sugar cube with his wand while telling the fly what to do for about a minute or so. After the magician finishes the training he opens the jar and releases the fly, after flying for a little bit the fly will pick the sugar the magician tapped.

How the Trick Works

What makes the trick interesting is the magician literally trained the fly. The fly is attracted to sugar but dry sugar like the cubes the magician used has no scent until it is wet. The straw (wand) is used to bring a small amount of moisture to the selected the sugar cube, since it was the only one that has any moisture the scent stands out to the fly and attracts it more than the rest of the cubes

Magic Stamp Album

Effect: An empty album becomes magically filled with stamps. Secret: You need an exercise book to make this trick. Go through the book and cut a narrow strip from the edges of every other page. On every double page where the short edge is to the right, stick some stamps. The pages where the short page is on the left should be left untouched. Flick through the pages with your right hand and it will look like an ordinary exercise book. Say some magic words and flick through the book again using your left hand and the book is filled with stamps

Cut And Restored Ribbon

Effect: A ribbon is cut in two then restored. Secret: You need a piece of ribbon a metre long and another eight centimetres long. Sew the short piece to the middle of the long piece. Provided you keep it moving, the short piece will not be noticed. Fold the ribbon in half and pull the centre up through your fist. In fact you pull up only the short piece. Cut through the short piece and then cut away the rest of it (including the stitched bit).You have cut the ribbon in two but you can now show it completely restored!

Numbered Thoughts

Effect: While you are out of the room a three-figure number is chosen. On your return, you read your assistant's mind and reveal the number.
Secret: When you return to the room after a number has been chosen, you place your hands on either side of your assistant's head. Your friend now tightens and loosens his jaw for the appropriate number of times to signal each number in turn, pausing between numbers.As your fingers are near his temples you can feel this muscular movement so it is easy for him to transmit numbers to you without saying a word.

That's It

Effect: You apparently read someone's mind to identify an object selected while you are out of the room.
Secret: You need a secret assistant. While you are out of the room someone selects any object in the room. When you return, your accomplice points to objects around the room but you have arranged that the fifth object he points to will be the chosen object. Identifying objects three times in succession (after arranging a different code number with your accomplice for each repeat performance) should be enough to convince the spectators that you possess amazing powers of mind reading.

Walking Through A Postcard

Effect: A postcard is cut so it will go over your body.
Secret: Boast that you can walk through a postcard then make the following moves. Fold the postcard in half lengthways. Make as many cuts as possible from the edge of the card to the centre and from the centre towards the edges as shown. The more cuts you make the easier the trick is to do. Unfold the card and cut along the centre, from A to B. You can now open out the card into a large loop that will easily go over your body.

Baffling Bands

Effect: Three loops of paper are cut with surprising results.
Secret: You need three strips of paper, each about five centimetres by one metre. Glue the ends of the first strip together to form a loop. Do the same with the second strip but give one end a half turn before gluing the ends. In making the third loop give the paper one complete turn before gluing. Cut down the centre of the first loop with a pair of scissors. This will make two loops as one would expect. When the second loop is cut in the same way it forms one extra large loop and the third one produces two loops linked together.

A Neat Escape

Effect: You escape from a rope.
Secret: Ask someone to tie your wrists together with a large scarf. A long length of soft rope is now placed between your wrists and someone holds the ends. Another scarf is thrown over your bound wrists. As soon as your hands are out of sight move your hands back and forth to cause the rope to form a loop between your wrists. Keep working the rope until you can get one hand into the loop. When you have done this ask the person who is holding the rope to pull – the rope will come free and yet your wrists are still securely tied!

Floating Beaker

Effect: A plastic beaker floats in the air.
Secret: On one side of a plastic beaker attach a strip of strong paper. It is important that the paper is loose along the centre portion. To make the beaker appear to float, you push your right thumb through the paper loop. Place your left hand near your right hand and then lift your hands in the air. With practice it will appear that the beaker is floating in the air. Keep the taped side of the beaker nearest your body so the audience do not see it.

Bewildering Beaker

Effect: A beaker vanishes.
Secret: The beaker is glued to a small wooden tray. In the centre of a scarf sew a circle of cardboard. Show the beaker then cover it with the scarf or handkerchief. Lift the scarf (holding the cardboard disc so it looks as if you are holding the rim of the beaker) and turn the tray towards you. Stand the tray against something on your table – with the beaker side away from the audience. Everyone believes you are holding the beaker. Throw the scarf in the air and catch it as it falls – the beaker has vanished

Rising Pencil

Effect: The magician places a pencil into a bottle. It reacts to his commands and slowly rises and falls in the bottle.
Secret: The pencil is made to move with the aid of a very fine thread.
Props: A pencil, a vase or bottle and a fine thread.
Preparation: A very fine nylon or black cotton thread or even a long human hair (18 inches to 24 inches in length) is tied, taped or applied with wax to one end of the pencil. The other end is tied to a button on the magician's clothing.
Presentation: Drop the pencil (thread end first) into the bottle or vase (see illustration). By moving slightly away from the table the thread will become tight and, on command, the pencil will either rise or fall, depending on your movements.

Sticky Wand

Effect: This effect is similar to "Palm the Wand" but takes a little more practice to do it correctly.
Secret: A combination of holding the wand or pencil in different ways will give the impression that it has become magnetised and is sticking to your fingers magically.
Presentation: Hold the wand between your hands (see figure 1). Lift one thumb (see figure 2). The audience will still think that your other thumb is holding the wand. Then lift the second thumb (see figure 3). They will be amazed! Study figures 4 and 5 and you will see how the trick is achieved. Carefully interlace your fingers so that one is folded inside your palms (see figure 4). The wand is held behind this hidden finger (see figure 4). Pull your hands apart quickly and let the wand fall when the trick is over.

Reverse Loops

Effect: A cord, coiled around a magic wand or pencil and tied through a ring, is pulled free of the wand and yet the ring remains securely tied.
Secret: As you wind on the cord, you secretly reverse the direction.
Props: A magic wand or pencil, a ring and a length of cord.
Preparation: Practise coiling the cord around the wand until you can do it without hesitation.
Presentation: Take the cord and wind it around the magic wand in one direction for the loops then stop as if counting the loops with the first finger of the hand that is holding the wand. Leave the tip of the finger on the wand, just past the third loop (see illustration). Then add three more loops but in the reverse direction. Practise this carefully and try to get the ends of the cords to hang down about the same lengths. Cover all of the loops with your free hand, now have someone tie a ring to the two loose ends of the cord. As you say a magic word, have him pull straight down and the cord will come free from the wand.

Appearing Wand

Effect: From a small purse you produce a large solid magic wand or pencil.
Secret: Obtain a small money purse and cut a small hole at the bottom.
Presentation: Have the wand partly up your sleeve and the other end inside the purse, through the hole. Show the purse, then open it and slowly pull out the large wand. This impressive illusion should be practised in front of a mirror. It is a real fooler and worth the extra trouble in obtaining a suitable purse.

Wand Power

Effect: The magician makes some mysterious passes around a wand or pencil which uncannily starts to move on its own.
Secret: The magician secretly blows on the wand, which causes it to roll.
Props: Use a wand or pencil. A smooth, firm surface is essential.
Preparation: Practise blowing toward the wand gently and secretly.
Presentation: Lay the wand on the table and very slowly trace circles around the outside of the wand with a finger. Then, as you move the finger away, the wand seems to follow. You claim to have created a static field that pulls plastic like a magnet. The trick is that as you draw the finger away from you and from the wand, you blow gently on the wand. The audience is so busy watching the movement of the finger, they won't notice that you are blowing towards the wand, which causes it to roll easily on the flat surface.

Cup Through Table

Effect: A cup or glass vanishes when wrapped in a sheet of paper.
Secret: A piece of paper wrapped around the cup or glass will retain the shape of the cup – even after the
magician has secretly dropped the cup into his lap.
Props: A cup or glass, any small object and a sheet of newspaper or tissue paper.
Preparation: Select a piece of newspaper slightly larger than the cup so that it will cover it completely with
some overlap.
Presentation: Place the cup over any small object and wrap the paper around it. Ask the audience what is
under the cup. Everyone will, of course, suspect that you are about to vanish the object. Lift the paper and
cup to reassure everyone that the object is still on the table. Moving the wrapped cup slightly towards you,
just clear of the table relax your hold so that the cup is allowed to quietly drop into your lap, out of sight of
the audience, of course, whose attention is still focused on the object.The paper will retain the shape of the
cup. When you again place the paper over the object, you must maintain the illusion that you are replacing
both paper and cup. Wave your hand mysteriously over the "cup" and claim that you will make the object
vanish. When you lift the "cup" the object is still there. Remove the object but replace the "cup". Tell the
audience that something must have gone wrong and you are unable to vanish the object, so you have decided
to vanish the cup instead! At that moment dramatically smash your hand down onto the paper which will
flatten, giving the appearance that the "cup" has penetrated the table. Bring the cup from under the table
(removing it from your lap, in one smooth movement) and replace it on the table.