Effect::
The end of a lit cigarette is placed on a white sheet of paper. The paper begins to burn like a fuse to spell out some message.

What You Need:
- large sheet of paper
- potassium nitrate
- water
- a rack
- catch basin or tray

What You Do Before the Show:
- Prepare a saturated aqueous solution of potassium nitrate.
- Paint the paper with the aqueous potassium nitrate solution to spell some message.
- Let the paper dry.
- Test the burning. Depending upon the paper, it may be necessary to repaint the message.
- Tape the paper to a rack.

What You Do During the Show:
- Ignite the message at one end with a the end of a lit cigarette.

What is Happening:
The potassium nitrate and the paper fibres act like a fuse when lit. The "smoldering fire" slowly follows the path traced on the paper. The paper itself does not burn.

Hazards:
- You have a burning (albeit slowly) piece of paper. Have a non-flammable material under the paper to catch any ashes.
- Note that "holes", as in the letter "O", will fall unless you tape them from behind.

Patter:
Use whatever is appropriate to the message. Be patient, the message appears slowly.