Hippity-Hop Rabbits

Type: Kids, Parlor, Stage

Skill Level:

Retail Price: $40 - $80

Effect: The performer shows 2 wooden square tubes. One tube is lifted revealing a white rabbit. The other tube is lifted revealing a black rabbit. The tubes are placed back over the rabbits and there is some comic by-play about the rabbits invisibly switching places and switching back again. The children demand to see the switch, so the performer obviously turns each of the tubes around and lifts them revealing that the rabbits have switched places and the white rabbit is where the black rabbit was, and the black rabbit is where the white rabbit was. There is more comic by-play switching the rabbits back and forth, until the kids obviously realize that the performer is simply turning the rabbits around. More comic by-play ensues until both the rabbits are finally turned around revealing on the backs of the white rabbit and the black rabbit, rabbits of different colors instead.

Performance Time: This is one of those tricks that you can extend as long as your crowd will let you.

Reset Time: less than 30 seconds

Angles:

Quality: I have seen this trick in a number of different forms, by a number of different manufacturers. Some are of extremely high quality, some are of dubious quality. I suggest you handle the object before you purchase. Or, have extreme confidence in whoever you are ordering from.

Dr. Mitch: In my opinion this is a good strong, sucker kid trick, but, I find dealing with two boxes annoying and somewhat cumbersome. I used to use this in my kid show until I bought a trick called "Fraidy cat rabbit" which is almost identical to this except it only uses one rabbit. It plays just as big and is a lot less cumbersome. This is one of those tricks that is not so much magic, as entertainment. The magician has to know how to work the crowd in order to get the reaction from this trick. If the magician cannot work his audience, he will not get the reaction desired. I have seen this trick bomb big time, but I have also seen it, performed correctly, bring the house down. Again, it depends upon the magician. Buy Fraidy Cat Rabbit instead.

Mike Maione: I have both Fraidy Cat Rabbit and Hippity Hop Rabbits. I prefer Hippity Hop Rabbits and use it in almost every kiddy show I do. It's a sucker trick that's fun to perform and gets a lot of laughs. The adults in your audience will enjoy watching the kids get all worked up. Don't perform this trick if you have any audience behind you, though.

M&M Magic Review © 1996