MAGIC WORDS • "The password to get into Abulafia had to be seven letters or fewer. Letters or numbers. How many groups of seven could be made from all the letters of the alphabet, including the possibility of repetition, since there was no reason the word couldn't be 'cadabra'? I knew the formula. The number was six billion and something." -- Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum (1988) Cadabra-Abra (see abra, cadabra, and abracadabra) Facts: This word is a transposed form of abracadabra. Common Magician's Applications: Production. For example: "The magician says the magic words, 'Abracadabra,' lifts the glass and places it (still face down) over the quarter. Suddenly, the quarter vanishes! Next the magician asks the audience to say the magic word . . . backwards ('CadabraAbra'). As this is said, he lifts the glass and places it where it was when the trick began. Once again the coin can be seen." Variations and Incantations: • Ca-dab-rah-abra "Scratch your head and say, 'I forgot to use the magic word. Let's see, I think it was ca-dab-rah-abra." -- Loris Bree, Kids' Magic Secrets (200 ) Canton, Hankow Facts: Canton is an old English name for the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Hankou is a port town in Hubei province, China. In Literature: • "The President of the Club paused a moment to dwell on the magical words, and then repeated them, almost whispering. 'Canton and Hankow.'" -- William Saroyan, Human Comedy (194 ) Caterpillar The magic word, caterpillar -- A.A. Milne, "Not that it Matters" (1920) Mystique: The caterpillar dramatically transforms into a butterfly. 5 Charles Kraus ("Charles the Magician") (2005)