Nearly Headless Nick

Would you like to turn four pennies into five without attending the Harry Potter’s Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?  Well, this can’t really be done but learn lots of magic tricks that make people think you can!  Telephone Moaning Myrtle for help.  Simple and fun for kids… using things from around the house!

The Show:

The Magician or Wizard puts three small boxes in a row on a table - like the "Peanut Shell" game of the olden days and tells the guests that Headless Nick is in one of the boxes but that he keeps jumping from box to box. He/she selects one of the boxes and shakes it and everyone hears it rattle. Mix the boxes up, then have one of the guests to find Headless Nick. The guest can shake all of the boxes but none of them will rattle - Headless Nick has vanished! The Magician/Wizard then says how odd that is and selects a box and when it is shaken, everyone hears the rattle again. Another guest is selected but none of the boxes rattle because Headless Nick has again left. Each time a guest can't find Headless Nick, the Magician/Wizard picks a box, shakes it and it rattles.

The Secret:

There are really four small boxes, but only three on the table. The fourth box has some marbles or small objects in it. It is hidden inside the sleeve of the Magician/Wizard and is bound to his/her arm with a tight rubber band so that it won't fall. Each time Headless Nick is suppose to be in the box, the Magician/Wizard uses the hand/arm that is hiding the fourth box so that when the box is moved around, the rattle will be heard. When the game is to end, the Magician/Wizard feels a tickle in his ear, scratches, listens and then says that "Headless Nick is tired of playing and is going back to Hogwarts!"