Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

THE DIE AND ORANGE.--The die in this instance is about three and a half inches square. It has the usual ornamental tin or pasteboard cover, but there is an additional item of apparatus employed, a square wooden box, with hinged lid, and of such a size as just to contain the die. The effect of the trick is as follows:--The die is brought forward in the box, the performer holding the square cover in his other hand. The die being then taken out of the box, and placed on the table, the box is shown empty, and the cover placed over the die. The performer, having mysteriously procured an orange from the hair or whiskers of a spectator, drops it into the box, which is then closed. He now asks the spectators, in order to impress the facts on their memory, where they suppose the two articles to be. They naturally answer that they are where they have just seen them placed; or, if they venture to question this, the performer raises the cover and opens the box, and shows that die and orange both remain in statu quo. He now commands the two articles to change places. Lifting the cover, the die is found to have disappeared, the orange having taken its place, and, on opening the box, it is seen to contain the die, which is taken out, and exhibited on all sides to the company. The die and orange, being again covered over, at command change places as often as the company please.