Slippery Knot

Magic Trick  1  [2]  3  4  5

This trick will take lots of practice. You have to be able to make the false knot without a hitch. Read the instructions carefully so that you know exactly how to hold the rope. To make sure that your audience never catches a glimpse of the knotted rope in your right hand, try to keep the back of your right hand facing the audience.

You will need:

Conceal the knotted rope in your right hand. Lay the other rope on the table and make a loop. Hold the rope in your left hand, as shown. The thumb should be firmly placed over where the rope crosses itself. The first and second fingers should be inside the loop. The end of the lower section of rope should pass between the third and fourth fingers.

 
 

Use your right hand to thread the end of the lower rope into the loop. It must pass under the rope that forms the loop, as shown. Move the second finger so that it squeezes the upper rope against the third finger, Keep a firm pressure on the rope with the fingers of the left hand while the rope is being pulled by the right hand.

 
 

Before the knot becomes too tight, slide your second finger under the rope that is being pulled. This will take lots of practice. Keep holding the rope between the thumb and fourth finger. The first and third fingers can be moved out of the way. Keep pulling on the rope so it closes around the second finger. Carefully pull out your second finger.

 
 

Keep holding the rope between thumb and fourth finger. The knotted rope in your right hand must remain hidden from the audience.

 
 

Close your right hand around the long piece of rope just above the knot. Slide this hand down the rope. As your hand passes over the false knot, the knot will disappear. Slide your hand all the way to the bottom of the rope.

 
 

When your right hand reaches the bottom of the rope, pretend to pull the knot off the rope. Throw the knot that you have been hiding all along to your audience. They will be impressed, I promise!

 

Handy Hint: To make it easy to conceal the knotted rope, tie the knot as small as possible. Then trim any excess rope from either side of the knot.

This trick appears in Magnificent Magic Tricks by Nick Beak.

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