Page 415 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

2534. The TOM FOOL'S KNOT is the sailor's favorite "parlor trick."

It is tied quickly but not hurriedly and for some reason is very dif-

ficult to follow. The eye, of course, is intentionally misled. The sue··

cess of the performance depends in almost equal parts on the dex-

terity of the left hand and a distracting twiddling that is maintained

by the fingers of the right hand, and which has nothing at all to

do with tying the knot.

25"34 Take a piece of cord or banding five and a half feet long and ~lOld

it across the upturned palms, which should be about twenty inches

apart. The length of the cord is important since the ends must be

long enough to overbalance by a little the weight of the bight be-

tween the hands.

Alongside are five drawings of the left hand and two of the right.

After assuming the position illustrated at the top of the page, the

two hands are brought together, and as they a proach, the right

fingers are busily twiddled as if the whole trick epended on them.

Make this appear as reasonable and as necessary as you can. In the

meanwhile the left thumb picks up the cord (second drawing of

left hand). The fingers are at once withdrawn and then thrust for-

ward again, but this time to the left side of the left cord end (third

drawing of left hand). Immediatel after this the center bight is

flirted to the back of the left han as shown by the arrow in the

same drawing. The two hands should at this time appear as in the

fifth and sixth drawings.

The hands are now brought together (left lower diagram), and

opposite ends are grasped with the finger tips as pictured. As the

hands are again separated, the knot appears, full-blown, as drawn

in the final drawing. The trick should be performed with one con-

tinuous rhythmical movement, which adds materially to its effect.

As the exhibitor unhurriedly ties the knot over and over again the

mystification will grow.

Once the hypnotic influence of the twiddling fingers has been felt,

no one is going to solve the problem unless he has been "tipped off"

beforehand. The performer should talk incessantly as he demon-

strates and be as sympathetic and helpful as possible. And each time

the knot is repeated he promises faithfully that this time he will tie

it "as slowly as possible," so that "no one can fail" to solve it. This

endears him to the audience and does not hurt his trick in the least.

2535. Here is depicted the sailor's favorite puzzle for the land-

lubber.

"How would you lower yourself from the edge of a precipice,

I ~ with a rope just long enough to reach the ground, and then con-

J tinue on your way carrying your rope with you?" The answer to

ms this is the SLIPPERY HITCH. It is a safe knot when tied properly, but

you should never allow anyone else to tie it for you.

A good trick should always puzzle, but the reverse is not always

true. The knot just given, I should say, belongs to the latter class.

It can be demonstrated as a trick, but the place and the tree are

difficult to produce at a moment's notice. Most decidedly it is not a

"parlor trick."

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