Instructions for the magic.
1.THE BALL VASE
The ball vase is made up of four parts, the vase base, the lid, a plastic ball and a secret half-ball, which fits on the vase base.
2.THE PUZZLING BALL
Before your show, put the real ball onto the vase base, cover it with the half-ball, and then cover that with the lid. When you are ready to perform the trick, display the ball vase on your table and tell your audience that inside of this vase you have a ball. As you say this, take off the lid and the secret half ball too, holding them together as if they are one piece, as you point to the real ball sitting in the base. Take the ball out of the base, display it to the audience and then put it in your pocket. Next, put the lid with the secret half-ball concealed inside of it back on top of the base. Now make a magical gesture or say a few magic words as you remove the lid ONLY! Make sure you do not take the concealed half-ball with it as you lift off the lid. They will be stunned to see the ball back on the base! Remember, they do not know about the secret half-ball. They will think this is the same ball that you just put in your pocket! Then put the lid back on top, which sets things up for the next trick.
3.IT LEAPS BACK
As a follow-up to the above trick you can make the ball disappear from the vase by once again by removing the lid along with the concealed half-ball, and holding them as one, just as you did before. It will now look like the ball has disappeared from the vase. Then simply take the ball out of your pocket and tell them the ball had jumped back into your pocket.
4.THE TRANSFORMING BALL
For this trick you will not need the real ball, so put it aside for the moment. Before your show, put a very small amount of water, just a drop or two into the vase base and then cover it with the half-ball and lid. When you are ready to perform, take the lid off ONLY! The audience will then see the half-ball, believing it to be the real ball. Now, put the lid back on and tell the audience that you will magically melt the ball away. As you say this, remove both the lid and the concealed halfball as one and pour the water into a glass. Please make sure that you have an adult’s permission to do this trick and that you are careful not to spill water on anything.
5.A GHOSTLY MESSAGE
Before your show, write down on a piece of paper the words “I’m in the magician’s pocket.” Then crumple the paper into a ball and put it in the vase and cover it with the half ball and lid. Also before the show, put the real ball into your pocket. When you are ready to perform the trick, show the ball vase on your table and remove just the lid. The audience will see the half-ball, believing it to be the real ball. Tell them that a friendly ghost lives inside of the ball. Put the lid back on and say, “Mr. Ghost, please reveal yourself.” Wait a moment and then say, “I don’t know where he could be, let’s look back in the vase.” Now, take off the lid and the half-ball together, holding them as one. Show the audience that there is now a note inside of the vase. Ask one of the audience members to read the message out loud, and then take the ball out of your pocket!