"It was a clear, moonlight night in midsummer, and the walk, though long, was not unpleasant. The lonely old building looked particularly grim by moonlight, and I felt an uneasy misgiving as I approached it. But I had gone too far to think of retreating."

This book of illusionary images must have delighted its young audience, although the compiler had a more serious purpose in mind: "the extinction of the superstitious belief that apparitions are actual spirits, by showing some of the ways our senses may be deceived."

Hocus Pocus is a compendium of timeless tricks and pranks. Well-worn from age and use, the booklet provides instructions for simple magic tricks ("To Pass Balls Through Cups"), astonishing feats ("To Cook An Omelet In A Hat"), and macabre pranks ("How to Cut Your Arm Off, Without Hurt or Danger").