I've always liked magic. One of the most common tricks a magician does is the trick where they pull a rabbit out of a hat. Everyone always watches it and has a good time, but to me, this seems like a really strange trick. All of the other tricks had to do with making things disappear, or knowing which card was your card. But now somehow a hat and a rabbit have become involved in the magic act.
No one ever questions the reason for this trick being done. But, I bet the first time a magician said he was gonna pull a rabbit out of his hat, the audience was probably a little puzzled. He announces each trick... "And now I will make this coin disappear... And now I will shuffle the deck and find your card... And now, for my final trick... I will pull a rabbit out of a hat! "Did he just say he's gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat?" "Yeah, I think so." "Well what the hell is he gonna do that for?" "Hmm, I'm not really sure."
I wonder where they got the idea for this trick? I think it originally started as a horrible accident. Some guy who let his friend watch his rabbit for him while he went on vacation... he comes back... "So, where's my rabbit?" "Well, I don't really know how to tell you this, but... he's stuck in my hat." "What do you mean he's stuck in your hat?" "Ahh, I was letting him try it on... it's a long story." "Well how are we gonna get him out?" "I've been thinking about that... it looks like we might have to pull him out." "How are we gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat?" "I dunno, maybe you hold the hat and I'll pull?" Then they finally get it out, and the guy turns to his friend, "Wow, you did it... you should be a magician."
Article comments
1 - Mike Turner
The trick started with a performer named Gagasti in England in 1831. While travelling the countryside he met a Lady Abigail Crittenden, an early animal rights activist. She noticed a rabbit in a cage outside his tent and assumed (probably correctly) that it was going to be his dinner that night. (Magicians of the day oftentimes recieved payments in the form of food.) Enraged, Lady Crittenden informed the town constable who confronted Gagasti. Gagasti told them that this was untrue, and they ought to come to his show to find out why he had the hare. The two complied, and Gagasti performed his normal routine the next day, while the rabbit did not appear at any point in his show. By the time he finished, the constable and Lady Crittendon were confused and angry. At the end of his show he passed around his silk top hat to collect money from the crowd. When the hat eventually returned to him he took a bow, thanked the crowd and added "and my friend thanks you, too," and proceeded to pull the rabbit out of the hat, earning him a place in history and a blessing from Lady Crittendon.
He probably ate the rabbit that night.