Here's something I made a few years ago for a Cub Scout Halloween Party. The kids enter a dimly lit room and sit in a semi-circle around a small table that has a old box supposedly found in the Egyptian sands near the temple of Isis on it. Three rope strands hang from the ceiling ending in hooks just approximately a foot above the table. Egyptian / middle Eastern music plays softly in the background. Ushers dressed in Egyptian cothing stand quietly near the table as if to portray security around the box.



Enter in the Egytian Priest wearing full Egyptian garb, carrying a tablet high above his head, murmuring some mumbo jumbo as he walks to the front of the table.



A story is told about how the hieroglyphics speak of a boy that was accused of stealing. The Pharoh tells the boy that if he tells the truth about stealing food he will set him free but if he tells a lie, he will cut off his hand. During the trial the boy is adamant that he did not steal the loaf of bread, but is later proven that several witnesses testify he did indeed steal it. So, off with his hand and it was then cast into the desert to never be seen again. NOW... thousands of years later, the hand is discovered near the tablet and the spirit of the boy is to now forever tell the truth when placed upon the turth tablet of Isis. Because as the inscription states, no one can lie when in the presence of Isis for the Eye of Isis "sees all truth."



At this time, the stone is then connected to the ropes, resulting in the tablet hanging suspended about a foot off the table. The Priest calls on the spirit of the boy, to help set an example for the young children in the room, the value of telling the truth. The priest after walking the box with the hand around the room to show the children a hand is in the box, then removes it from the box and places the hand on the suspended tablet.



During the show the Spirit of the Hand is asked questions that can only be factual and be answered with either a yes or no answer. Two taps of the index finger indicates a yes. A single tap indicates a "no." An Egytian like sign showing this is an added prop to help the audience remember that two taps = a yes, one = a no.





The show starts with well known aswers like "Is the president of the USA Barack Obama? two taps suddenly occur by the hand on the tablet. Soon, the kids are fixated on the hand. After several questions are asked proving the Spirit is correct, prediction type questions can evolve and the sky is the limit how much prediction / scary answers the audience can handle. Finally, the priest begins to sense the prescence of the boy is drifting away and askes the boy if this is the last question, then of course the answer is yes and the hand no longer responds.



Here is what you need to make the Spirit hand:

1. Door bell - the type with a real bell with a hammer striker that physically uses an electromagent to move the hammer to strike the bell.

2. A transformer to drive the electromagnet from 120 VAC.

3. A momentary pushbutton to complete the circuit to drive the electromagnet when pressed.

4. MDF for the stone.

5. Sculpture wire, plaster of paris, cheesecloth, and paint

6. electrical wire



