Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-25
WONDERS OF HINDU MAGIC
Skill and Trickery Used to Perform
Their Marvellous Feats.
METHOD OF MAKING TREES GROW
Interesting and Instructive ExpIana-
tIOn Of FRkIr Feats which
AstOnish the Unwary
Traveller.

" - VI NA' AANNlalA anu ldhlA . We nave
been accustomed to regard his powers as
marvels that no mere Occidental can equal.
He can, we are told, make trees grow from
the ground or the deck OF a boat: he can
throw a rope into the air and, causing It to
be suspended without visioie support, have
his assistants climb up that rope. and his
head and arms and legs falling to the
ground, join themselves together, and
finally form the original body and come
up whole as at first! He can cause a stone
to sink or swim at will, a boy to vanish
from a basket, and a hundred other things,
too marvellous to conceive. Let us examine
some of these powers OF the Indian fakir
and see how far they are genuine and how
far they are the result Of trickery. We will
first consider the famous mango tree
trick. This has been the marvel OF all Or
iental travellers from time immemorial, and
the correct explanation Of this trick has
never been made public. to my knowledge.
The Mango Tree.
The performer comes forward and pro-
ceeds to make a little mound Of earth out
of the soil and some water. This can be
done anywhere, on the earth, on the deck
OF a ship, etc. The fakir usually wears
next to no clothes, apparently making this
trick-tf 1t is a trick-all the more difficult.
When the mound Of earth Is complete, the
fakir inserts his seed of the mango tree,
and waters 1t to make it grow. He then
covers 1t with a cloth, and, placing his
hands beneath the cloth, proceeds to manip-
ulate the seed for some time. In a few
moments he withdraws his hands, and
makes passes over the cloth, outside it. A
wait; then the conjurer removes the cloth,
and the seed Is seen to have sprouted. Two
tiny shoots appear above the surface of the
ground. More passes are made, and when
the cloth is removed for the second time a
tall mango tree is seen sprouting above the
earth. This trick has probably mystified
more people than any one that she Hindu
fakir performs. 1t is accomplished in the
Following manner:
The seed that is placed in the earth is
hollow, and within 1T is placed a branch
OF the mango tree, previously prepared
and folded up. The leaves of the plant
are specially adapted for the trick, and
they are easily compressed into a small
compass. The seed containing the mango
shoot Is placed beneath the earth. and
when the c%onjurer places his hands un-
meath the cloth he works out a part OF
this folded-up branch. and leaves It stick
NAS - vi AllS IIlNllu.
This is repeated several times until all
the branch is showing above the mold.
when quite a respectable sized tree is seen
to be sprouting. II the seed is examined
before the trick Is exhibited the conjurer
has previously exchanged the one exam
ined for the trick seed at some conven-
lent moment before placing It in the
ground.
Sometimes tho seed is seen to grow into
gigantic proportions-into a regular tree.
bearing fruit, in fact! 1t is probable that
much OF this Is exaggeration pure and
simple. but there is a manner of working
the trick, or rather extending II, so that
a very large tree can be produced at the
conclusion. It is this: The conjurer has
the large tree concealed beneath a thick
cloth-a duplicate of the cloth he uses 70
cover the seed at first. After uncovering
the seed several times and showing It
grown more and more, he uncovers it for
the last time and, while the audience ia
gazing at the plant wonderingly. the con
juror takes occasion to exchange the
cloth for the one containing the big tree
underneath 1t. Now, he quickly covers
over the plant with this cloth, and when
1t is removed there Is the tree, full grown.
II may be several feet In height. 1t was
''HiplCSSSu Dtutdll the covering cloth.
People do not think Of asking to look un-
der the cloth the last time, because they
have often seen beneath it and know
1t contains nothing. They therefore as
sumo that It contained nothing the last
time the mold was covered over.
Famous Basket Trick.
Now we come to the famous basket
trick, which has also mystified thousands.
and yet is simplicity itself. A large oval
basket is shown. something the same
shape as an egg, laid on its side, and
an opening cut I'm the upper surface or
top. 1t is first shown empty. Then a small
boy is shown, wearing a jacket and turban.
He is placed in the basket and the opening
is covered over with a blanket. The basket
Is so small that the boy apparently fills
the whole OF the basket. What is the sur
prise of the spectators, then, to see the
fakir suddenly leap into the opening of the
basket and proceed to stamp about as Wig
orously as he can-treading on the ground
and apparently showing that the boy has
disappeared and is no longer in the basket.
To make assurance doubly sure, however,
he snatches up a sword and proceeds 10
run the basket through and through in all
directions. No sound issues from the bas-
ket. There is an ominOus silence. Evi-
IDENTIFY the boy has disappeared. But the
conjurer turns around and shouts, and the
boy, wearing the same jacket and turban.
Is seen in a neighboring tree. He descends.
A tom-tom is beaten and after a few in
carnations the basket is seen to stir and
soon the blanket heaves up and Is thrown
aside and the boy is seen standing before
us as sound as ever. This trick, like the
last, can be performed In any locality, on
the deck OF a ship, etc. thus showing that
trap doors have nothing to do with the
result. How is it done?
First, as 10 the basket. 1t will be seen,
when We think It over, that the peculiar
shape of the basket renders It capable OF
being employed in the following manner,
The small boy, as soon as he is placed IN
the basket, curls up and wriggles his body
eelwise around the edges of the basket
That is, he coils around the inner surface,
just as a snake might coil up within IL
Now 1t will be seen that II is possible foI
the c~onjurer to leap into the opening, STAMP
on the ground. etc, since the open space
in which he treads Is unoccupied by the
boys body. He steps in the middle Of the
circle Of flesh. And when he runs tn
sword through the basket, he only runs If
through those places where the boys body
Is not concealed.
So much of the trick Is plain: how abou.