Here is a trick for children’s entertainers which can be fitted seamlessly into an existing programme.
You need a small assistant (a girl) for a trick, but she will not look anything like a ‘sorcerer’s apprentice’ in her normal clothes. Therefore, you bring out your magician’s bag which contains everything needed to perform magic. A magic salt shaker, a magic wand, and even a collapsible top hat or a sorcerer’s hat.
Equipped with these props, the child looks more like a magician. But a real magician’s cape would be even better. While you are thinking about this, the bag – from which you have just taken the props – changes into a beautiful magician’s cape, which you put on the assistant to make her a “real” magician.
You can also perform this trick by throwing items that have just appeared, e.g. silks, playing cards, etc., into the bag. The items disappear in the cape without a trace after the transformation. We supply only the cape for this effect. It fits children of all sizes. It is not a cheap embroidered „import“ but a wonderful cape made from the finest red and black satin by our own master tailoress.

Effect and introduction: Generally speaking, all bag illusions up to now had one thing in common – various items were placed in a bag, the bag changed into a large scarf and all the items disappeared at the same time. A good trick that has never failed to impress.

You can, of course, present the cape illusion in that way – small items which do not puff up too much are placed in the bag, the bag changes into a cape which is put around the child.

Many trials to find a better method of presentation, which leaves room for entertainment suitable for children and can be incorporated logically in existing programmes, resulted in the following routine:

A child is asked to come to the front to help with a trick. You ask the child what a magician needs to perform magic. The answers are guaranteed to include "a magic wand, a magician’s hat, magic spells, magic salt, etc.". You then produce a large magician’s bag which contains all the items mentioned. You hand them to the child so that she gradually begins to look like a magician. But a magician’s cape is missing. All the children join together to shout the magic spell, the bag is shaken out and is transformed into a ‘magician’s cape’. You put it round the child’s shoulders, and then the magic can really begin.