(To learn more about Walter, check out his interview by Ms S L Jones)
The effect is that a billiard ball rolls of its own accord over the top outstretched forefinger and second finger from the base to the tip, then back again from the finger tip to the thumb crotch along the lower side of the finger, apparently defying the law of gravity. The effect is mysterious and well worthy of adoption into a billiard ball routine.
Method:
1. Stand with your left side to the front. Hold your right hand out flat and palm downwards, the fingers pointing straight and the thumb downwards, the forefinger and middle finger extended and slightly separated.
2. With your left hand, place a billiard ball on top of the hand at the base of the forefinger and middle finger. (Fig. 1)
3. Balance the ball for a moment, then tilt the fingers over so little downwards causing the ball to roll slowly forward towards the tips of the forefinger along the track formed by the two fingers.
4. Before the ball reaches the tip of the finger, spread the two fingers to allow the ball to sink between them and press it against the side of the forefinger with the tip of the middle finger. Bend the middle finger inward thus rolling the ball backwards with it towards the crotch of the thumb. This action of the bent middle finger on the back of the ball is hidden from the front and the ball appears to roll suspended from the lower side of the hand.
5. When the ball reaches the fork of the thumb, grip it with the thumb and roll it upwards over the back of the hand to the starting point. Repeat the flourish several times.
This slight requires a little practice as the jumping cards are palms with their faces towards the right hand palm.
Method:
1. With about 20 cards palmed, you bend the fingers inward, now pull down the top end of the card. (Fig.1)
2. Release the card by straightening the thumb and the card will shoot out, at the same time you jerk the arm forward and catch the card by the end at the tips of the thumb and fingers. (Fig.2)
3. After producing about six or eight cards, you reach out and produce the rest of the palmed cards in a fan. (Fig.3)
4. Keep the hand in motion as you produced each card at the finger tips in full view of the audience.
To produce a silk from a rosette that is attached to your lapel or dress.
Method:
1. Use an 18 inch square silk, and an ordinary pencil or a smooth dowel rod of similar diameter about six inches long. Lay the silk on the table, stretching it out by two opposite corners and gather the remaining edges and corners towards the center into longitude folds.
2. Hold a pencil horizontally at its center between first and second fingers of the left hand. Take the top corner of the silk between the pencil and the first and second fingers, leaving about one inch of the silk above the pencil.
3. Start winding the silk around the pencil alternately, one side then to the other until all the silk has been wound, and tuck the remaining ends under one of the previous windings. The silk should not be twisted but wound around the pencil, taking care that any loose ends are kept within the windings. Withdraw the pencil and you have a rosette to pin on your lapel or dress.
Thanks to Mark Alford for sending this along!
