Every boy is born with a touch of Houdini in his soul. By the time he's twelve he'd rather pull a trick on a pal, than eat almost. Next best he likes to watch another perform tricks of magic. So when Gray and Bernie wanted to entertain their scout troop at a magician's party, we buried our misgivings and gave the go-ahead signal.



The invitations they extended over the telephone were at least unique. "Houdini's nephew will be at our house on Friday evening. Drop around. He's going to show a few clever tricks. If you know a good stunt to show him brings it along."

This was strictly a no-refusal party. Each guest accepted and arrived promptly at seven. The guests were met at the door by two young magicians one was attired in a Prince Albert coat and silk topper the other wore the traditional Hindu garb. A turkish towel wound around his head served as a turban and a gay bathrobe covered his regular clothes.

The first two boys to arrive were handcuffed together. Subsequent arrivals were also handcuffed in pairs. This was done by tying each end of a forty inch string to one boy's wrists. Then another string of equal length is passed between the first boy's string and his body. Then the ends of this string are tied to his partner's wrists, linking the two boys together. The couples are to separate themselves without breaking or untying the strings.

This was an intriguing game on which the boys concentrated earnestly. It was not too long until one lad stumbled onto the solution. Yielding to loud demands he explained carefully that if one of a handcuffed pair would make a loop in his string and tuck it under the string around his partner's wrist and pull it over his partner's hand, the partners could be separated without breaking or untying the strings. Of course, the strings remained tied to the wrists. The solution was so simple it was hard for some of the boys to accept it so they continued to experiment for some time.

Next on the game list was the magic stick. The young hosts explained that touching the magic stick would prevent one from walking straight across the room to pick up a book from the floor and place it on a chair standing in one corner of the room. "Oh yeah" was the skeptical response. The boys all squatted on the floor to watch the loudest skeptic make the first try.

Though it's just only a tricks, but for a delightful heart of young boys it is not less than any reality. Each of the stunts of a magician creates a new challenging excitement in them.