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THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
An enormous amount of fun can be secured from the making of a dwarf and a giant. In either case very little in the way of apparatus is required. When making a dwarf, hang two curtains in an open doorway. In front of the curtains a small table is placed. The table should have some kind of drapery hanging down to hide the legs. It is also a good thing to have a curtain between the audience and the table so as to hide things until the performers are ready for the show.
For the actual making of the dwarf, two persons are needed, one of whom is rather taller than the other. The tall individual should disguise his face in some way by means of a queer hat, a wig, or a mask. Over his hands he puts a pair of stockings putting on each hand, a shoe. The shorter of the two now stands behind and thrusts his arms forward under his companion's armpits. A tunic of some kind such as a child's dress is fastened round the neck of the tall individual while the arms of the short person are pushed through the sleeves of the tunic. The shoe-clad hands rest on the table and form the feet of the dwarf. After bending forward the curtains are pinned securely above the head and are arranged close to the tunic at the side. In this way nothing can be seen by the audience but the head, the arms, and the hands which look like feet. The hands of the smaller person really seem to belong to the owner of the head and legs.
It is well to have a third person to pull back the front curtain and introduce the dwarf. When all is ready the curtain is pulled aside and the show begins. If the owner of the hands remembers that these are playing the part of legs the illusion can be kept up almost indefinitely, and the dwarf dances about in a mast realistic manner.
For the making of a giant, a small boy is needed. He should take up his position in a crouching attitude on a chair. Get a pair of men's trousers and stuff these with paper so as to make them look as if they contained legs. Pin, the upper part of these to the knees of the boy and then, at the bottom, insert a pair of boots. Put a long coat on the boy, which comes down well over the trousers. Let him wear a man's hat and if any kind of whiskers can be put on his face so much the better. If the coat and trousers are arranged with care the chair is completely hidden from the onlookers who are in front. The impression is exactly that of a funny little man. When the time comes to display the giant the boy slowly starts to get up towards a standing position. The audience see the dwarf grow up before their eyes into a tall man, and few can detect how the trick is done.
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