[waves wand over top hat] Then reach in and pull out the rabbit. [gracefully removes rabbit from the hat.

After a few moments of silence one of the students raises his hand.] Yes?

Student: Where exactly does the rabbit come from?

Professor: In the hat.

Student: Well yes, but before that. I mean, does the rabbit just appear?

Professor: No, of course the rabbit doesn't just appear, you have to lift it out of the hat.

Student: But how did you get the rabbit into the hat?

Professor: I didn't put the rabbit into the hat, I just took it out. I could put it in now, but there wouldn't be much point.

Student: All I want to know is what happened between the hat being empty and the hat having a rabbit in it. There wasn't a rabbit in there when you showed us the inside, but there was a rabbit there when you reached down and pulled it out. Is there a trap door or a false bottom or what?

[Pause]

Professor: It has to do with the wand. . . . Let me not get into that right now. I think the next couple of examples will help make things clear. So let me just press on since we don't have much time. Producing birds is a very similar exercise. Here I have a red velvet bag. [shakes the bag, showing it is empty] First I turn it inside-out. Then I reach into the now inside-out bag and pull out a dove. [demonstrates]

Student: Why didn't you wave your wand?

Professor: Well, you don't use a wand for this trick.

Student: But you told us to use a wand for the first trick. Did we have to use it there?

Professor: Yes.

Student: Sooooooo........if we waved a wand here then would we get a rabbit?

[Long pause]

Professor: No, you can't do that here because the bag replaces the wand.

Student : Can you ever get a rabbit out of the bag?

Professor: You see, it depends. . . for example I can use this tuning fork as a wand and get a canary.

[waving the tuning fork, he reaches into the chalk box on the edge of the stage and pulls out a gila monster. The professor and the gila monster stare at each other puzzled for a few moments.]

Student in the Back: That is a 440 tuning fork which would be an A. You need to use a C.

Professor: Oh yes, because "canary" starts with "c." Homework Problem: Show that any amphibian produced from a Souzaphone will have turquoise eyes.