How to Perform the Three Equal Ropes Illusion

Prepare your ropes. You will need one small rope 9 inches (22.9 cm) long; one medium length rope, 18 inches (45.7 cm) long; and one long length rope, 26 inches (66.0 cm) long. Cut each length from the same longer rope, which should be about ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm) thick, woven, and relatively floppy, so that each rope is identical except for the length. Melt the cut ends of the rope so that they don't fray.^[1]

Hold up your left hand with your palm facing you and pointing to the right. Your hand will act as a shield to keep the audience from seeing how the trick works, so make sure to keep it between you and the audience throughout the trick.

Place the top of the small rope into your left hand between the thumb and pointer finger. Slide it all the way to the left, so that it's squeezed in the base of your thumb. Allow the rope to extend about two inches over the top of your hand. Narrate this to the audience - throughout the trick, you'll count out the ropes to demonstrate the trick and help with the illusion.

Place the top of the medium rope into your left hand to the right of the small rope. Then place the longest rope to the right of the other two ropes. Make sure these ropes also extend about two inches over the top of your hand, even with the top of the first rope. Talk to the audience as you do this, counting out the three ropes.

With your right hand, reach under the long rope but over the medium rope to grab the small rope. Bring the top up and place it between your thumb and index finger, next to its other end. At this point you should have four rope tops in your hand. The leftmost two are both ends of the small rope. The third end is the top of the medium rope, and the rightmost end is the top of the long rope. The small rope must be looped around the long rope but not around the medium rope.

Grab the bottom of the medium rope and place it between your thumb and index finger. Place it at the end of the ropes you already hold, so that it is the rightmost end. Then repeat with the end of the long rope, making sure to count out the three ropes to the audience as you go.

Double check that all your ropes are arranged correctly in your hand. You should now hold three loops, with the long rope passing through the loop of the short rope. The ends of the ropes should be arranged in your hand, from left to right, as follows: top of short rope, bottom of short rope, top of medium rope, top of long rope, bottom of medium rope, bottom of long rope. All the tips should be at equal heights so nothing looks suspicious.

Reveal the three ropes of equal lengths. Grab the three rightmost of the rope ends sticking out of your hand, which should be both ends of the long rope and one end of the medium one. Close your left hand around the other three ends (both of the small and one of the medium), making sure to hide the loop in the small rope. Pull your hands away from each other, pulling the lengths of rope taut between them. When you hold up the ropes to show the audience, it will appear as if you have three ropes of equal length.

Count out the first of the three equal lengths of rope. Transfer the tops of all three ropes to your right hand, making sure to hide the small loop from the audience. Keep the top of the medium rope in your left hand, however, and pull it up through your right hand so that the audience can see its entire length. Count out "One..." as you do so. You'll now have the medium rope in your left hand, and the long rope looped through the small in your right hand so that they look like two ropes of equal length.

Count out the second of the three equal lengths. Subtly transfer the looped small and large ropes from your right to your left hand and the medium rope from your left to your right hand. Then, still holding the medium rope in your right hand, slide that hand down one leg of the long rope, making it look as if you simply put the second equal length of rope into your left hand.^[2] Count this rope out loud: "Two..."

• Now you'll have the looped long and short ropes in your left hand and the medium rope in your right hand. Simply place the medium rope in your left hand next to the other two and count it out loud to the audience as the third of the three ropes of equal length.