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The audience sees you count, one at a time, three ropes of different sizes. You point out a small rope, a medium one, and a long one. Then, apparently by magic, the three ropes change to three ropes of equal size, which you count again, one by one. How does it work? Read on to learn how to dazzle your friends with this simple illusion.
Steps
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Prepare your ropes. You will need one small rope 9 inches (22.9 cm) long; one medium length rope, 18 inches (45.7 cm) long; and one long length rope, 26 inches (66.0 cm) long. Cut each length from the same longer rope, which should be about 1 ⁄ 4 inch (0.6 cm) thick, woven, and relatively floppy, so that each rope is identical except for the length. Melt the cut ends of the rope so that they don't fray. [1] X Research source
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Hold up your left hand with your palm facing you and pointing to the right. Your hand will act as a shield to keep the audience from seeing how the trick works, so make sure to keep it between you and the audience throughout the trick.Advertisement
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Place the top of the small rope into your left hand between the thumb and pointer finger. Slide it all the way to the left, so that it's squeezed in the base of your thumb. Allow the rope to extend about two inches over the top of your hand. Narrate this to the audience - throughout the trick, you'll count out the ropes to demonstrate the trick and help with the illusion.
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Place the top of the medium rope into your left hand to the right of the small rope. Then place the longest rope to the right of the other two ropes. Make sure these ropes also extend about two inches over the top of your hand, even with the top of the first rope. Talk to the audience as you do this, counting out the three ropes.
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With your right hand, reach under the long rope but over the medium rope to grab the small rope. Bring the top up and place it between your thumb and index finger, next to its other end. At this point you should have four rope tops in your hand. The leftmost two are both ends of the small rope. The third end is the top of the medium rope, and the rightmost end is the top of the long rope. The small rope must be looped around the long rope but not around the medium rope.
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Grab the bottom of the medium rope and place it between your thumb and index finger. Place it at the end of the ropes you already hold, so that it is the rightmost end. Then repeat with the end of the long rope, making sure to count out the three ropes to the audience as you go.
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Double check that all your ropes are arranged correctly in your hand. You should now hold three loops, with the long rope passing through the loop of the short rope. The ends of the ropes should be arranged in your hand, from left to right, as follows: top of short rope, bottom of short rope, top of medium rope, top of long rope, bottom of medium rope, bottom of long rope. All the tips should be at equal heights so nothing looks suspicious.
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Reveal the three ropes of equal lengths. Grab the three rightmost of the rope ends sticking out of your hand, which should be both ends of the long rope and one end of the medium one. Close your left hand around the other three ends (both of the small and one of the medium), making sure to hide the loop in the small rope. Pull your hands away from each other, pulling the lengths of rope taut between them. When you hold up the ropes to show the audience, it will appear as if you have three ropes of equal length.
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Count out the first of the three equal lengths of rope. Transfer the tops of all three ropes to your right hand, making sure to hide the small loop from the audience. Keep the top of the medium rope in your left hand, however, and pull it up through your right hand so that the audience can see its entire length. Count out "One..." as you do so. You'll now have the medium rope in your left hand, and the long rope looped through the small in your right hand so that they look like two ropes of equal length.
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Count out the second of the three equal lengths. Subtly transfer the looped small and large ropes from your right to your left hand and the medium rope from your left to your right hand. Then, still holding the medium rope in your right hand, slide that hand down one leg of the long rope, making it look as if you simply put the second equal length of rope into your left hand. [2] X Research source Count this rope out loud: "Two..."
- Now you'll have the looped long and short ropes in your left hand and the medium rope in your right hand. Simply place the medium rope in your left hand next to the other two and count it out loud to the audience as the third of the three ropes of equal length.
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Reveal the three ropes restored to their original lengths. To do this without giving the trick away, grab the three loose (bottom) ends and bring them into your hand next to the three ends you're already holding. Bring the bottom of the loops up into your hand as well to keep the whole rope lengths hidden from the audience. Then simply grab one end of the small rope and pull it up and out of your hand to reveal the entire rope length. Repeat with the other two ropes, counting them out loud as you go.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionIs this trick also called professor's nightmare? Are there any other ways to perform this?Zach Waldman is a Professional Comedy Magician based in Los Angeles, CA. He has over 20 years of experience as an entertainer and performer. He is a comedian, magician, and mentalist, and he customizes his show to be distinct for every audience he performs for. His clients include some of the biggest corporations in the world, including Microsoft, Google, BusinessWeek, Absolut, the L.A. Kings, Anheuser-Busch, and more. He has been a member of the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) since 2001, and performs regularly at the Academy’s clubhouse, The Magic Castle. For the past 20+ years, Zach has been a mainstay at many other reputable Los Angeles theaters and comedy clubs including the El Portal, the Comedy Store, the Improv, Flappers, and the Laugh Factory. Before moving to L.A., he attended the Player's Workshop of the Second City. He received his degree from the University of Central Florida.Yes, this trick is called professor's nightmare. Another variation involves incorporating additional objects, such as rings or knots, into the routine to add complexity and visual interest. Experiment with different presentations, storytelling elements, and audience interactions to make the trick uniquely your own and maximize its entertainment value. With creativity and practice, you can offer a fresh and captivating take on the classic professor's nightmare rope trick that will leave your audience spellbound.
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Tips
- REMINDER: Be sure to hide the looped together part of the longest and smallest ropes within your left hand cupped palm where the two ropes meet.Thanks
- Make up your own story or patter to go along with the trick. This will focus the audience's attention on what you want them to see so that they don't see or guess the trick.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about magic tricks, check out our in-depth interview with Zach Waldman .
References
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Reader Success Stories
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"I bought the trick, but needed instructions without using YouTube. wikiHow to the rescue, it worked the first time!"
