The Mysterious Box

Méliès summary : As scene as pleasing as incomprehensible. A juggler summons two chairs, which come to the stage jumping and twirling around. Across the back of these chairs the operator places a sheet of glass on which he lays a box about four inches high. He then takes a table cover, with his servant's help, rolls it up and from the centre emerges a lady, beautifully dressed. At the juggler's order she jumps in the box, in which she completely disappears. The operator, in taking the box, notices an incredulous smile among the audience; he then affirms that the lady is still inside, and to prove it he puts the box on his knees and the girl appears again in full figure. He makes her go in again, and opening the box he shows that the girl has vanished and that her dresses only remain at the bottom. Then he jumps into the box himself, and his servant afterward; the box rolls off the stage without any help.