Making this trick box takes some work, but once you get it right, you can use it again and again to fool people into thinking you found a “dead” finger. This prank is pretty gross, so choose your victim carefully. Do it on a friend or a grown-up with a good sense of humor and a strong stomach. In other words, don’t try it on your baby sister who’s afraid of kittens.
what you need
* A small cardboard jewelry box with a piece of cotton in the bottom and a lid (ask your mother or sister if she has one she doesn’t need)
* Scissors
* Ketchup
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Ask an adult to help you cut a hole in the bottom of the box, almost in the center, but a little closer to one end. The hole should be just big enough for your middle finger or index finger to fit through.
2 Have the same adult help you cut a similar hole in the piece of cotton. When you put the cotton back in the box, the two holes should line up so you can stick your finger straight through both of them.
3 Hold the box in the palm of one hand and poke your middle finger or index finger through the hole. Then bend the finger so it lies down on the little bed of cotton. Use the other fingers of that hand to hold the edges of the box.
4 With your “dead” finger resting on the piece of cotton, use your other hand to put a little bit of ketchup on the cotton near your finger. You can put some on the finger, too, but don’t overdo it. A little looks real, a lot looks fake.
5 Now put the lid on the box, and you’re ready to go.
PULL THE PRANK
1 With the trick box in your hand, walk up to your victim. Before showing the finger, tell a good story about how you got it. For instance, you could explain that your uncle was born with an extra finger and recently had to have it amputated. The doctor gave him the finger after surgery, and you borrowed it for the day.
2 Then ask if your friend would like to see it. Remove the lid and hold the box out for your friend to see. If you want to freak him out even more, let him stare at it for a while. Then move the “dead” finger ever so slightly.