To P r e p a r e. You’ll need two identical coins

You’ll need two identical coins. One should be lying on the table, the other is in your lap. There must be a napkin and a knife on the table. During the course of your meal, or whatever other tricks you’re doing, casu-ally give the napkin an upward fold in the center of one side— so it’s very slightly tented. The napkin should be in front of you, just slightly right of center, with the tented side facing to the left (photo 1).

Now place a table knife (or fork, or whatever) on the right

side of the napkin to anchor it in place (photo 2).

To P e r f o r m

Position the coin on the table so it’s about two inches to the left of the tented napkin (photo 3). Lower your palm-down right hand over the coin and, with your right thumb, flick the coin to the right, under the napkin (photos 4 and 5). This is done secretly! Your thumb knocks the coin to the right the in-

stant it’s covered by your hand. This will take some practice because you don’t want to hit the coin either too lightly or too strongly. It must slide rapidly under the napkin—that’s why you tented it—and stop. If you tap the coin too hard, it’ll hit the knife and clink.

Without pausing, pretend that you are picking up the coin with your right hand, holding it between the thumb and fingertips of the palm-down hand (photo 6).

While your right hand is busy, your left hand has picked up the duplicate coin from your lap and is holding it with its edge pressed against the underside of the table (photo 7 is an exposed view from be-neath—the people watching cannot

see this). Your left hand should be directly below your right hand (separated by the table, of course).

Your right hand presses down on the table and moves around a bit as you say, “I’m looking for the soft spot.” As your right handmoves, your left hand moves di-rectly below, keeping the coin’s edge in contact with the underside of the table, and the scraping sound that results sounds as if it’s coming from the coin in your right hand.

After moving the coin around a bit, pick a spot, then pretend to push it through the table with your right hand, pressing down with only your second finger and spreading all the other fingers so the people can see that the coin is no longer there (photo 8). At the exact same moment, your left fin-gers push the coin they’re holding up against the table with a loud snap —the lower edge flicks offyour thumb and hits the underside of the table to produce the noise (photo 9).

Raise your right hand and show it’s completely empty. Your left hand brings the coin out from beneath the table to conclude.

Advanced Version: Have a penny, nickel, dime, andquarter in your lap. This way you can ask someone to hand you any coin—it doesn’t matter. No matter what coin it is, you’ll have a dupli-cate in your lap.

30.

Déjà Vu

Criss opens a matchbook and pulls out a single match. He strikes it, lets it burn, then blows it out and makes it disappear. The burnt match reappears inside the matchbook!

Дата добавления: 2015-10-24