What's the name of the Three Rope Trick where you have 3 different lengths of rope, they then all end up the same length and then go back to 3 different lengths?

Professor's Nightmare.

Doug

Thanks Doug, I was wondering about that as well. Looks like a fun one for the kids.

Do the ropes stretch or something???
i've ordered it from mission magic.

No - regular ropes. Just a little sleight of hand required. But very easy to do. More important is the meaning you give it (the patter)

What might be a good, engaging patter story to accompany it? (Other than just a straightforward narration of what happens? “Here I have three ropes, of three different lengths....”)

You ordered it?
Are you saying you bought a pack with three ropes in it and instructions?
This is why I tell people to get a general magic book and learn some basics. At the very least you'll save yourself some money and will very likely learn a lot too.
'The Amateur Magician's Handbook' is one such all-rounder type of book that I'm pretty sure contains this classic rope trick, or, if not, will show you the workings behind this and many other rope tricks.
You can browse a lot of books for free at this site, and ive linked you to a page showing how rope tricks often work:
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli......page/n77

I was wrong though, I just looked and it seems that particular trick, The Professor's Nightmare, isn't in those books. So to get it with the full instructions I'd say is worth it. You'll have to post a video of you doing the effect once you've got it practiced well mate! You can show us exactly how it's done.

So true -try(read) before you buy ( magic isn't always cheap - if your on a budget)- I've found so many effects in Books at a Public Library ( and I have my own Library of about 50, some written in the 30's) -look especially the Childrens' section. Helps??

Bob Carver's "The Professor's Nightmare" is taught on page 100 of Peter Eldin's _The Magic Handbook_ under the title "Equal, Unequal Ropes."

The Eldin book is a great book for anyone just getting into magic. In addition to teaching tricks like "The Professor's Nightmare," it also teaches some other classic tricks like Paul Curry's "Out of This World," the trick that fooled Winstone Churchill. The book also provides an introductory history of magic, reproducing a variety of classic magic posters and photographs.

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

I did it in my magic show before it so simple and cool meany magicien asked me about when they see me doing it
if you train on it good enough it will look like real magic it fool everyone

Peter Eldin's 'The Kingfisher Pocket Book of Magic' caused a bit of a stir when it first came out as I recall, magicians were up in arms against it because it was giving the real gen on several of their favourite classics and was published in large numbers for the mass market of high street book shops.

Well it didn't finish off magic, despite appearing in Public Libraries up and down the country and being re-issued under different titles, indeed it possibly helped inspire a new generation of budding wizards. The overall quality of the book is high and despite its smaller size I'd still have it up there with Mark Wilson's Course and Henry Hay's Handbook as being a really sound starting point for a newcomer into magic.

In the U.K. the rope trick in question is usually known as 'Equally Unequal Ropes', I think the term Professor's Night mare is probably North American in origin.