Learn how to cut off someone's nose without hurting him and how to double your pocket money. Make an egg dance and a penny walk, produce flowers and candy from a silk handkerchief, and change a bowl of ink into clear water with swimming goldfish. With a little time, practice, and the help of this guide, aspiring magicians can astonish their friends and family with these and other classic parlor tricks. Designed especially for beginners by an expert in the art of legerdemain, the book presents simplified versions of popular illusions. Easy to obtain, inexpensive props include coins, handkerchiefs, eggs, and other common household items. In addition, the final third of this volume offers an introduction to the history and practice of ventriloquism. AUTHOR: The popular adage "A magician never reveals his secrets" may have influenced this author's decision to publish his book anonymously.