5. THE EGG BAG
Effect. In its older form the trick consisted of the production of a number of eggs from a bag continually shown to be empty. The secret lay in the fact that one side, being double, concealed a row of pockets which held the eggs; the mouths of the bags being closed with elastic, the eggs could be squeezed out at will to fall into the bag proper. The modern egg bag is a much simpler affair, but it provides for some bewildering effects.
Preparation. The bag is a small one, about twelve inches deep by about eight inches wide; one side is double, but the extra piece is sewn to the bottom of the bag only halfway across it. Thus a secret pocket is obtained, from which the egg can be made to roll into the bag by tilting one side (Fig. 6). The routine that follows should be taken merely as an example from which to work up one for yourself, because the trick allows for many effective variations.
Method. Begin by showing the bag; turn it inside out and back again several times, to convince the onlookers that it is just a plain little bag. The pocket will not show and the procedure will seem quite fair. Show the egg; hold the bag mouth downwards, put the egg in it (secretly slipping it into the pocket), and bring the hand out half closed. Turn your right side away from the audience and furtively thrust your right hand into the trousers pocket. Continue, taking no notice of any challenges from the spectators, by ordering the egg to vanish; then shake the bag, turn it inside out and back again, hold the corner of the bag with the egg, and strike the rest of the bag against your left hand as if laboring to prove what the spectators think they know already—that the bag is empty.
You will be challenged by cries that the egg is in your pocket, so you promptly pull out your left trousers pocket and show it empty. “No, no, the other one!” someone is sure to call out; and in response you pull out your left vest pocket, in a very transparent attempt to bluff your way out. This arouses a call for the right-hand pocket, so you pull out your right-hand vest pocket and show that empty.
By this time all who do not know the trick are sure they have caught you, and they shout for the “right-hand trousers pocket.” You hesitate, pretend to be in a difficulty, try to interest them in the bag again. They insist on seeing the pocket, so you draw it out slowly—then dip your hand into the bag and bring out the egg.
So much for the preliminary stage; you proceed now to the pretended explanation. Show the egg, put it in the bag, then bring it out with the little finger holding it against the palm (there is no need to expose the fact that articles can he held in the palm without the aid of the fingers, as too many performers do). That, you explain, was the simple way you made the egg vanish in the first place. Then, you continue, you merely pretended to put it in your pocket; really you brought it out again, holding it as before (and again you show the egg in the palm held by the little finger), and dropped it into the bag when they weren’t looking—so that, of course, the egg was in the bag for you to take out after showing your trousers pocket empty. Do all this as you make the explanation, and the spectators laugh at themselves for having been fooled with so simple a trick.
Offer to do it again, so that the trick will be thoroughly understood. Put the egg into the bag—into the secret pocket. Withdraw the hand, half closed as before, and move it toward the trousers pocket; but stop, show it empty, order the egg to vanish, and proceed to turn the bag inside out and outside in, twist it up, strike it on your hand and on the table, spread it on your leg and pat it, and so on—convincing the spectators that the bag is empty. Invite two persons to stand on either side of you. You have the egg in the top corner of the secret pocket and you hold the bag between your hands, one at each side of the mouth. Have them look into the bag, then feel inside and report to the audience that it is perfectly empty. When they have satisfied themselves with the bag, let the egg drop and have them examine your hands and sleeves. This done, hold the bag with the thumbs inside, at each of the top corners—thus leaving the rest of the hands free. You say, “I am going to get the egg back into the bag and plainly the only possible way I can do that is by taking it from one of my pockets, isn’t it?
Now I want you to try to prevent me from doing that by holding my wrists. If you see me going to my pockets, stop me.” Let them grip your wrists tightly.
Pretend to make attempts to get your hands to your pockets, which, of course, they prevent. Get as much amusement as possible out of this; then give up, and suddenly, as if struck by a new idea, say, “One moment please. Did you examine the bag thoroughly? Yes? Every nook and corner? Well, it looks to me as if you didn’t make a very thorough search after all, because . . . here is the egg”—dip your hand into the bag and bring out the egg.
I have treated the trick at length because it is one of the best tricks possible if it is presented properly. It requires no special preparation; the bag and the egg can be carried in the pocket, and the trick is equally successful in a small room or on the largest stage; finally, it can be done with people all around you. I have seen the late De Biere create more enthusiasm with his presentation of the egg bag on the huge stage of the New York Hippodrome than was obtained by the biggest illusions presented by magicians who preceded him on the same program.
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