In ancient days, magicians were believed to have extraordinary powers with which they could perform all sorts of marvelous acts. They supposedly healed the sick, made rain fall, cast out evil sprits, and communicated with the dead. Naturally, the ancient peoples held their magicians in awe. Self styled wizards traveled about, giving magic shows. They used the scientific discoveries of the day to perform their so-called magic, and they carefully guarded their secrets.

A trick they often did was called 'cups and balls.' It is one of the oldest tricks known, and magicians still perform it. Three metal cups are set in a row, upside down. A small ball is placed underneath each cup. With a magic wand, the magician taps one of the cups and then raises it. A ball has disappeared. The second cup is tapped, then raised. The magician finds two balls there. The ball seemed to have jumped invisibly from cup to cup. Suddenly, the magician tips over the cups, and there is now an orange, or some larger object underneath each cup.

The earliest known magic trick was performed in 1700 B.C. by a person named Dedi of Dedsnefu in Egypt.

The magician, Chung Ling Soo, died on stage, performing a trick that involved catching a bullet in his teeth from a loaded gun.

The old saying that "the hand is quicker than the eye" is supposed to sum up the art of the magician. This is false. The real secret of the magician's art lies in fooling the mind rather than the eye. The means by which this is done is called "misdirection."

1. Never tell the audience what tricks you intend to perform; otherwise, the element of surprise is lost, and the chance of detection is increased.

2. Never perform the same trick more than once in the same program. What the audience missed the first time, it may discover upon seeing the trick the second time.

3. Practice even the simplest tricks before attempting to perform them. Once you have gained some skill, you may broaden your knowledge. One way of doing this is to read good books on magic and get new ideas from them.