THE performer introduces an ordinary soup-plate, which he shows freely
from both sides and then turns it upside down on the table. He then takes a
silk handkerchief between his hands and causes it to gradually become
smaller and smaller, finally opening both hands and showing them to be
entirely empty. Turning up the plate or asking a spectator to do so, the
missing handkerchief is found underneath.

The ordinary method of performing the trick by having a duplicate
handkerchief already concealed under the fingers holding the plate and
introducing it under the latter when inverting it, is no doubt familiar to
most of my readers and will therefore not be described.

First Method
A newer and better way is to have the folded duplicate handkerchief
concealed in a small clip, fastened on the rear edge of the table top. In
inverting the plate on the table, the performer secretly removes the
handkerchief from the clip and introduces it under the plate in the
following manner. The plate is held by the rim with the thumb and fingers
in such a way that the thumb is kept on the back of the plate, while the first
finger is underneath, the remaining fingers being unoccupied. Holding the
plate thus, the conjurer shows it repeatedly from both sides, and finally
knocks on the table with it, to demonstrate that the plate is a real one. In
doing so, he quickly seizes the handkerchief, concealed in the clip, with the
disengaged fingers and deftly introduces it under the plate. The trick is now
practically done, as all that remains is to disappear another second
handkerchief, which the conjurer can do in various ways, as for instance by
means of the Hand Box, Vanishing Pull, Thread Pull etc.

Second Method

For this a false bottom is required, fitting into the plate, and made out of
strong white cardboard, the upper side of which is covered with white
glazed paper. Previous to the trick, a handkerchief is placed on the soup
plate, which is a white china one and is then covered by the false bottom,
the edge of which is beveled to ensure a proper fit of the bottom in the
plate, which if properly prepared, may be freely shown from both sides, the
presence of the false bottom being practically impossible to detect. To
prevent the bottom from falling out while the plate is shown, the performer
holds it in place with his fingers. In inverting the plate on the table, the
bottom drops down and the hidden handkerchief is liberated, being
afterwards discovered under the plate.

Some performers have the lower side and edge of the cardboard disc lined
with newspaper and during the trick, invert the plate on a newspaper spread
on the table, The lined bottom being on the newspaper is therefore not
discernable. A still better way is to have the lower side and edges of the
false bottom the same color as the table top, which plan makes the use of
the false bottom still more difficult to detect.

Third Method
In this case, the newspaper on which the plate is placed during the trick is a
prepared one, Part of the column line of a newspaper, (which during the
trick is folded in four) is neatly cut and a small pocket of newspaper is
inserted here, in which is placed a thin silk handkerchief. The paper lies
already folded on the table, the prepared side being innermost.

The conjurer picks it up this way, shows it carelessly from both sides, and
opens it out, being careful to keep the side containing the pocket towards
himself, then folding it up again, this time managing to have the prepared
side outwards. The paper is then placed, prepared side downwards, on the
seat of an ordinary chair and the plate, after being shown, is placed upside
down upon it. With a conjurer's inconsistency, the performer changes his
mind and decides to place plate and paper under the chair, as someone
might imagine that the chair had something to do with the trick, With the
left hand he picks up plate and paper together, at the same time inserting
the fingers of the right hand into the pocket of the lower side of the
newspaper, with the same hand drawing the plate off the paper. By means
of this indetectable sleight, he has introduced the handkerchief under the
plate, which is now placed on the open paper and the trick proceeds as
described.

Fourth Method
This method is a variation of the last one, the prepared newspapers being
again employed. The paper is shown, folded up etc. and the plate placed
upside down upon it, so that the rear side of the rim is even with the slit
column, out of which a short black thread protrudes, which is fastened to
one corner or to the center, of the handkerchief concealed in the hidden
pocket. After the second handkerchief has been vanished, the performer
seizes thread and rim of the plate together and quickly turns the plate over,
by which process the handkerchief is drawn out of the pocket and is seen
lying in the plate.