This is one of those effects of magic that has no “theme” and makes no sense ! Yet it has been the favorite of many of the great performers, a hit with audiences over the years, and a feature effect with comedy magicians like Ali Bongo.
In Effect, the performer shows a “bamboo” rod, with a pair of pompoms on strings at both ends. One pair of pompoms are on a long string and one pair on a very short string. Actual colors of pompoms may vary in various sets, but we will presume your set has a red and blue pompom on a short string at one end and a yellow and green pompom on a long string at the opposite end of the rod. The rod is held horizontally. If you pull up the green pompom the yellow pompom goes up, and if you release it the yellow pompom goes down, “proving” they are attached to the two ends of the long string…. Then you pull up the red pompom on the opposite side, and the yellow pompom goes up and the red and blue pompoms are now on a long string and the yellow and green ones on a short string. Pull up the red pompom and the blue goes up, release it and the blue goes down obviously as you would expect. But then you pull down the yellow pompom and the blue goes up. This is continued over and over again, it seems every pompom is attached to each other in a magical way.
The apparatus supplied consists an approximately 12 inch imitation bamboo stick with the large pomp poms attached. A prop highly visible even for stage use.