#44-- TOOTHPICK Scatter

TOOTHPICK SCATTER(#44)

The magician shows a pan full of water with five toothpicks in the shape of a pentagon.
The magician takes his magic toothpick and dips it in the center of the pentagon. The five toothpicks fly apart, breaking the pentagon!
Someone from the audience says... oh, that's just what happens when you do that, it's not magic. The magician arranges the five toothpicks back into a pentagon and hands the person in the audience the magic toothpick. The person dips it in the center. Nothing happens. It really was magic!

Supplies:
a tinfoil pan (a pie plate or leftover Chinese food plate work well)
water
6 flat wooden toothpicks
the magic ingredient: liquid dishwashing soap

SECRET:

Dip one of your toothpicks in liquid dishwashing soap. Set it aside for now.
Make sure your pan is clean. Rinse it well with water. Fill it quite full of water (but not so full that you're going to spill it).

Arrange the five SOAPLESS toothpicks in the shape of a pentagon. Make sure the tips of the toothpicks overlap so your pentagon stays together. This can be a bit of a challenge the first time you do it, so practice arranging the toothpicks at home a few times first.....
Now, when the audience is settled, let them look at the pentagon. They may have to stand to do this or you may want to do the trick on the floor with the audience around you in a U-shape.
Tell the audience that you've arranged the toothpicks into a special five sided shape called a pentagon and that you're going to cast a spell on the sixth toothpick to imbue it with some of your magical force so it will be able to break apart the pentagon....or make something else up....
Take out the sixth toothpick (the one that was dipped in dish soap) and wave your hand over it while chanting some magical words.

Now, dip the magical toothpick into the center of the pentagon (Make sure you dip the soapy end in the water and try to get it as close to the center of the shape as possible -- the soap shouldn't be visible anymore). The five toothpicks will fly apart.
If you have a non-believer in the audience, offer to let them try the trick. Arrange the pentagon in the water again and hand them the magic toothpick. Let them dip it in the center. It won't work!
If the audience asks you to do the trick a second time, just tell them that it takes awhile to recharge your magical force, or something like that..!! This works because of "science."---don't ask me for details !