This is  a story printed in around 1941-42, in the newspaper about a young man I’ll call, Teddy who wanted to be a magician. He wanted to be a Magician, better then  than  Harry Houdini. He had studied Houdini for years. His  father a multi- millionaire had died and left his son, One Million Dollars.

Teddy had been hooked on magic tricks all his life and he had determined that nobody had ever done the ancient Indian rope trick and felt that he could beat Houdini if he could learn how to do this trick.

So Teddy left home and traveled to India in  search if a magician who could teach him this trick. It seems he traveled all over the country for over three years, and finally found a very old man who was once known as a great Magician.

Teddy pleaded with the man to teach him how to do the trick. The wise old magician made a deal with the rich American.

If Teddy would take his granddaughter to America and send her to the best school, give her a lifetime trust fund, and give the magician  a large amount of money ( amount unknown ) he would show him the trick. After the proper legal papers were drawn up and made completely binding, he was now almost completely broke.  The magician began to teach the young American the ancient trick.

The trick is done at sundown in a valley, the people are seated on each side only. A large bonfire is in the center ( off center) of the valley. A small boy is always playing around the fire and being chased away by the assistants. While this is going on the helpers are throwing these wooden balls in the air and chanting.

The  Magician is also chasing the boy away and getting annoyed with him, the boy teases and the crowd laughs at the antics going on.

Suddenly the helpers stop throwing the balls and fall on there knees in prayer huddled around the fire, their hand raising to the sky and then to the earth.

The magic coiled rope in the center of the circle jiggles as if coming to life.

The magician now stop chasing the boy and prays to the rope to rise to the heavens and it does, the chanting continues by the helpers.

Soon the rope disappears into the night sky and begins to take on a dance like jiggle then stops, the boy begins to annoy the magician again and soon the magician draws his sword and chases the boy. The audience is worried for the boy.

The boy climbs the rope and the magician follows him climbing out of site into the darkness of the sky.

Soon loud screams of pain are heard the full length of the valley as a bloody leg falls to the ground followed by  a arm, then another arm, leg , head, and finally the torso.

The audience is horrified and begin to get unruly, the helpers pull out their swords and force the audience back as the magician climbs down the rope.

The magician then tells the audience that he will restore the boy to life if they pay him with money, chickens, sheep or what ever they have to offer for his life.

The helper gather the money and names of those who offer livestock.

The magician in the mean time has had all the body parts put together and covered with a sheet and stands over it, with his sword waving about warding off anyone who may approach him.

The boy had climbed into the harness on the magicians back while they were at the top of the rope and is now climbing out under the large robe of the magician and replacing the monkey parts on the magicians back.

Sulfur is thrown into the fire and the helpers chant  in prayer as they surround the magician in a dance like performance hiding the activity going on under the magician.

The magician offers the boy life if he promises to be good. And a voice answers “YES”.

Suddenly the  young boy emerges from under the sheet alive and well running off into the hill through to the audience crying for protection.

The audience cheers for the miracle and the magician announces that his helpers will do healing (for a price) for them the next day.

At sundown the next day after all collection are made they are gone and so is the little boy, he is off to the next village.

The livestock is sold at the next village by the man that goes in to announce the arrival of the magician.
 

The Secret of the “Rope Trick”.

Gather a group of  12 trust worthy workers and 2  or 3 young boys of the age below ten.

Plan your tour of Villages that you will visit. You can visit only those villages that have hills and valleys in the excess of  30 feet in height.

Send  one young boy to the first one and the other(s) to the next, a week in  advance of your arrival.

Train the boys to be kind and helpful to all the people, making sure they are well know to all the village.

The day or two before your arrival one of your men will go to the village selling livestock and announce your coming to all, and that you are going to perform this great feat of magic at no cost to all.

Others will go and prepare the site chosen by stretching the horse hair cable tightly across the valley.

You will need a long cable of woven horse hair the thickness of your thumb, to cross the valley from the top of the hill.

A long hemp rope to reach the cable with 3 hooks  woven into the end of the rope.  Further you will need 12 balls made of wood.

One ball has a hole through it and passed through it another woven horse hair cable the size of a fishing line twice the length of the rope.

This small line is to be attached to the rope at one end and the other to the ball end it is thrown over the cable that is placed across the top of the hills.

Once the ball has been thrown over the cable by the one with the fish line the rope is slowly raised and the hook set in place, attached to the overhead cable.

Prepare a harness to fit under your robe to hold the body of the boy. You will also need the dead body of a monkey dressed the same as the boy, it is cut up into the required pieces. The trick is now ready to perform.

As the story goes young Teddy, heart broken by the fact that  this trick could not fool anyone. He wrote out this story and boarded a ship headed for America. When the ship docked in the U.S.A. they searched his room and the ship for him, but he was never found and it was reported that he committed suicide by jumping overboard while at sea.
 
 

What impressed me so much was the fact that this trick had not been done for over a century and could not be done today and be believed.

What was the mentality of the people in those days. Were they so gullible as to believe in  any such trickery, could a man walk on a sand bar at low tide and make people believe he was walking on water.

Along with so many other trick that are use today, like shills in the audience with phony ailments. I too could have become famous in those days knowing what I know now.

We have come a long way with knowledge and cannot be as easily fooled.

Religion and Magic have gone hand in hand for centuries to convince the skeptics.

Lorne