Stretching a Rope
The kind of rope is important. A soft sash is recommended. Do not use hemp. I like nylon. The important factor is if you are going to use the rope for the Cut and Restored Rope trick, the cutting must be done with no effort.
Sharp scissors are important. There is nothing more frustrating than performing the Cut and Restored Rope trick and you can’t cut the rope because the scissors are dull. Make sure they are sharp by bringing your own. Don’t borrow anyone’s scissors.
Some people like to use white macramé that seems like rope. It’s easier to cut, but the draw back is that it looks like macramé. Some magicians like to pull out the inner core of the rope to make it easier to cut. But, then that will make the rope look flat. Instead, just take out some of the insides and leave just the cotton filler.
Effect: The magician says he wanted to do a trick with the rope, but the one he has in his hand is too small. So he pulls on it until it stretches. And stretches, and stretches, until the rope gets longer and longer.
Unfortunately, it grows too large. The magician remedy’s that by cutting off a piece of rope and starts the rope routines.
Props:
Three yards of rope
Another rope about twenty-four inches long White plastic tape
Preparation: Take the three yards of rope and cut about twenty-four inches from it. Then carefully tape it to the end of the long rope. See figure 1.
Fig. 1
The reason you tape it is if you cut it for every performance, the rope will become shorter. This won’t be a problem until you’ve use up a good chunk of it. Taping it keeps it the same size every time. Just use a new rope for the cut and restore rope trick.
Double the three yards of rope so the two ends are together. Take off your suit jacket. Grasp the two ends with your left hand. Now put the
jacket on. Pull the rope through the sleeves. See fig-ure 2. Make sfig-ure any excess goes down your back as in figure 3.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
However, you don’t want any to hang below your jacket. If it does, stick some of this excess in your back pocket.
If you are going to use this as your opener, then just walk out with the rope as in figure 3. How-ever, even though I have used this to open my show before, I don’t think it is a good trick to start your show with. Tuck the ends of the rope into your sleeve as in figure 4.
To perform: With both hands, reach into the container that you use to hold your props. Pull the rope ends out of your sleeve and quickly place it like figure 5. Then take it out of the container. Look at the rope. Scratch your head in confusion.
With your right hand, look into your container again. Sigh, “I wanted to do a rope trick for you, but this is all I have left. It is way too short. Don’t you hate when that happens.” Start to put it back. Snap your fingers, “I forgot, I’m a magician.” Hit your fore-head with the palm of your right hand. “I can make this as big as I like.”
With your right hand, grab the rope as in figure 6.
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
To the audience, the following move will look like you stretched the rope by pulling it up with the right hand. However, it’s important that you pull down on the rope with the left hand. The illusion of the stretching is greatly affected on how you pull the ropes. The manner you do this can influence the way the audience sees it.
If you keep your left arm still and pull the rope with the right hand, it will look exactly like what you are doing;
pulling a rope from your sleeve. However, if you keep the right hand still and move the left arm, it will look like it’s stretching; which is what we want.
At first, just stretch it a little bit in the vertical position until you get about six inches of rope. See figure 7.
Stop and look at it. “Nah. . . not long enough.” Stretch it again slowly. Feel it stretching. Look at the audience again. You are just as amazed as they are. Now smile at them. “This is not witchcraft or sorcery. Nor even nimble fingers. This is hocus pocus indeed.”
Turn your hand horizontal as in figure 2. Stretch again by pulling the rope with the left hand. Once you get about a yard, bring the hands together and make a loop by twisting the rope. See figure 8. Then move your left arm and stretch the rope again. Now quicken the pace. Repeat this until you run out of rope.
Stop. Don’t pull the rope out of the left hand. Put this into your right hand. Take a deep breath. Look at all of the rope you produced. “Unfortunately, I made it too big. I don’t need magic to solve this problem.” Pick up the scissors and cut it at the tape end.
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
This is good for a nice quick effect leading to another rope trick.
Effect: The magician wraps a rope around his thumb forming a loop. The loop represents an eye of a sew-ing needle. The magician picks up the other end of the rope and thrusts it forward. Even though he didn’t come anywhere near the loop, it still threads just like it went through the eye of a needle.
Props:
One rope approximately 24 inches
To perform: “Old magicians never die, they just disappear. But they still have trouble threading their needles when they need to sew their magic props.” Wrap the rope around the thumb like in figure 1. Then wrap it two more times as in figure 2.
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