The Wizard talks about invisibility, recalling the famous
cloak of invisibility of legend, and as seen in the Harry Potter
movies. "I don't have the whole cloak," says the
Wizard, "but a cousin of a friend of the brother in law of
the best friend of the wizard who made that cloak picked up a
piece of the material from the sewing room floor, and here it
is."
The Wizard displays a filmy piece of cloth. "It's just
big enough to cover a turtle or a frog," said the Wizard.
"Did any of you remember to bring a turtle or a frog to the
show with you?" Of course, none of the children have.
"How about a toad?" No toads. "A bird?" No
birds. "Wait!" says the Wizard. "I'll just use my
wand and make one appear. What shall it be... a slimy frog or a
nice white dove?" The Wizard isn't counting the votes, so he
decides that a nice white dove is what's needed, and proceeds to
produce one by his favorite methods. If you don't yet have a
favorite method, keep checking The Wizards' Journal from
time to time and eventually one will show up. If you're in a
hurry, try the Encyclopedia of Dove Magic.
Once the dove has made its appearance, the Wizard shows a
perch mounted on a table. "Just a minute," says the
Wizard. "I'll make it easier for you to see the dove."
He takes a piece of black velvet (or felt) and tacks it
(VelcroŽ) to the back of the perch. Now when the dove is placed
on the perch, it makes a sharp contrast of the white dove against
the black background.
"It has recently been discovered that the cloak of
invisibility has one weakness," says the Wizard. "It
can be seen under ultraviolet light - what we commonly call
'Black Light.' I'll show you."
He places an ultraviolet light tube on the front of the table
and turns it on. Now when he holds the piece of cloak up to the
ultraviolet light, it glows brightly. He holds the cloak with
both hands and lowers it in front of the dove. The dove
disappears behind the cloak wherever it covers him, just as you
would expect an invisibility cloak to do. After demonstrating the
power of the cloak to render invisible whatever it covers, he
completely covers up the dove with it. Under the ultraviolet of
the lamp, we see the outline of the cloak, but not the dove
beneath. Now the Wizard turns off the ultraviolet light and turns
on a regular white light. Now nothing can be seen on the perch,
neither cloak nor dove.
"Let me see if I can get him to prove he's still there,
but invisible," says the Wizard. He takes a stalk of millet
seeds and holds it in front of the perch, where it appears to be
pecked at by an invisible dove.
"I'll tie a ribbon around his neck," says the
Wizard, "but on the outside of the invisibility cloak. The
ribbon will be visible but the dove will remain invisible."
He does so. Suddenly the ring of ribbon takes off from the perch
and flies high overhead. The Wizard chases after it with a
portable ultraviolet light but cannot catch it. Then the ribbon
dives back towards the perch and it seems the invisible dove has
come back to it. The wizard sneaks up on it from behind and
suddenly whips away the cloak of invisibility, revealing the dove
once again on the perch. The Wizard rewards it with some millet
seeds before continuing, perhaps to transfigure the dove into a
pair of gloves as described in the article below this one.
