THE MAGICIAN

Houdini was the greatest magician during his time. He
was also a fantastic locksmith, and boasted that he
could escape from any jail cell in the world in less
than one hour. A small town in the British Isles built
a new jail and issued Houdini the challenge. Houdini
loved challenges and there was a prize money offered,
so he accepted the challenge. When the big day
arrived, there was a large crowd present and the media
was also there to cover the special event. Houdini
confidently walked into the cell, and the door was
closed. He immediately took off his coat and went to
work. Hidden in his belt was a flexible, yet tough and
durable ten-inch piece of steel, which he used to work
on the lock. At the end of 30 minutes, his confidence
disappeared. At the end of an hour, he was soaked in
perspiration. After two hours, Houdini literally
collapsed against the door – which opened! The door had
never been locked, except in Houdini’s own mind.