Page 379 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Figure 11-10A–D. Splicing with Your Tongue. Make
a circle in string and hold it as shown (A). Bring
your hands together and double the circle—but
with a twist, which results in a couple of inter-
locked bights hidden behind your left hand. Hold
the doubled line with an unsuspiciously small
space between your hands, and have a spectator
cut the cord there (B). Put the cut section into your
mouth and pretend to work real hard at splicing
with your tongue; in fact, work the short bit into
one cheek (C). After suitable patter and facial
gymnastics, pull out the miraculously restored
string (D).

Yoga. You asked spiritually inclined friends what
they thought of him, and were heartened when they
said, “What he does is definitely not yoga.” You
sought him out, gained an audience, and told him
of your problem.
“Technique alone is not enough for this diffi-
cult thing,” he said. “You must have help from the
cosmic healing power of the circle.” You learned to
make a circle and double it to multiply its power,
so that when you cut the string and put the two
pieces into your mouth, cosmic forces aid you (Fig-
ure 11-10). You demonstrate now, making a tapered
Long Splice no less, carefully trimming the ends off
flush, a real sailor at last.
But enough of mysticism. Now it’s time for a
little routine that some very good magicians have
called “The World’s Greatest String Trick.”

THE PROFESSOR’S NIGHTMARE
“Sometimes, even when a thing’s possible, it’s
impractical,” you begin. “For instance, if I were a
very logical, educated person—say, a math profes-
sor—and I had to cut this string into three equal
pieces, I’d probably measure the overall length,
divide by three, make my marks at the appropriate
spots, and cut.” You pantomime all this with great
solemnity.
“But that’s so time-consuming, when all you
have to do is hold the ends and fold the string in

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