Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

Some performers, in lifting each cup with the right hand, introduce a fresh ball, held in the left hand, as already explained. The effect is the same as in the “Multiplication” Pass, already described, with this difference, that on each occasion of uncovering a ball, the ball remains on the table, which thus becomes gradually covered with an ever-increasing number of balls. Some, again, conclude by apparently producing from the cups objects much larger than they could naturally contain, e.g., large apples, Spanish onions, etc. This is effected in the same manner as the introduction of the large balls just described, save that in this case the object, which cannot really go into the cup, is merely held against its mouth with the third finger of the right hand, and dropped with a slight shake, as if there was a difficulty in getting it out. There are many other cup-and-ball Passes, but the series above given will be found as effective as any. If any reader desires to follow the subject further, we would refer him to the Récréations Mathématiques et Physiques of Guyot, already quoted, or another old work, under the same title, by Ozanam, in which this branch of prestidigitation is treated at considerable length.