Page 420 - The Ashley Book of Knots

TRICKS AND PUZZLES

After the knot is tied, ask a spectator to pull on it strongly. Put

your hand on the rope, ostensibly to find if it is working satisfal,;-

torily, and with an easy sweeping gesture slide the knot toward the

puller, who will at once seat himself on the floor.

All humor, according to Mark Twain, is based on the enjoyment

of a little suffering that is experienced by someone else;

2556. A puzzle. If you ever find yourself up a pole, with a rope

just long enough to reach the ground, how do you lower yourself

by means of the rope and then continue on your way, taking the 2556

rope along with you? Tie the knot shown and shake it from the

pole when you've reached the bottom. It is, however, a dangerous 2S5S

knot to be careless with.

2557. The AWNING KNOT. Tie the knot and jam the second tum

down, inside the first, and place a cushion on the floor. Announce

that you will pull against the knot and that at "the word of com-

mand" the knot will spill and that you will then seat yourself on

the cushion. Make your own choice of a magic word. Pronounce it,

and in all probability nothing will happen. If anything does happen

the trick is at once successful and you pass on to something else. 25S&

But if nothing happens "command" the knot several times with

rising anger, pulling steadily against it, then, losing your temper

completely, you kick the knot, and at once you find yourself seated.

2558. The "TUG-OF-WAR KNOT." This provides a variation of the

crick already given as 'If: 2 5 5 5. Secure two ardent young investigators.

Put one hand on each knot and tell the contestants to "start pull-

ing gradually." When they are well off balance and have pulled

to their hearts' content, slide the two parts quickly together and 2559

the knot will decide the winner. Select boys from twelve to fifteen,

because at that age they do not bruise easily and will enjoy the fun

as much as anyone else.

2559. The MONKEY CHAIN. A CHAIN SINNET is often used in

vaudeville and circus to give the audience a mild thrill. The per-

former, suspended aloft and swinging over the heads of the audience,

lets go the ends of the chain and apparently is flung at the heads

of the audience, but the drop is at most only two or three feet.

2560. To tie up a "Houdini." Take a soft cord and put a CON-

STRICTOR KNOT about the two wrists of the victim. Draw up snugly

but not enough to cut off circulation. Have a sharp knife ready to

cut the cord.

2561. The BAG KNOT, also called the BREAD BAG KNOT. At sea a

certain amount of hard bread or sea biscuit was allowed each watch

and was kept in a heavy canvas bag. The story is that a thief was

suspected and that a knot was fashioned, as here shown, which at

first sight is hardly distinguishable from a REEF KNOT. The unwit-

ting culprit, of course, always retied the bag with a REEF KNOT and

so was invariably detected.

2561

[ 4 I I ]