FAMILY FUN

New Zealand Tablet, 2 September 1909, Page 36

FAMILY FUN

The Nerve Trick. — This feat is performed as follows: — A card having been selected, is returned to the pack, which is then handed to one of the company, who is requested to hold it by one end, horizontally before him, his thumb being above, and his fingers below. While held m this position, the performer strikes them smartly downwards, when all the cards, • save one only, fall and are scattered about the ground; while the single card left in the hand is found to be that which was chosen. -This curious effect is produced by very simple causes. The performer takes care, in giving the cards to be held, that the fingers of the holder shall project (as they naturally will do) about an inch on the under side of the cards. The. thumb, on the contrary, is not allowed to overlap the cards more than half an inch. If the cards are thus "held in a horizontal position, and pretty tightly, the effect of a smart downward rap will be to force out all the cards save -the bottom one, which is retained by the greater friction of the fingers. The performer has therefore only to get the chosen card to the bottom of the pack, and the remainder of the trick follows as of course. To the adept in sleight-of-hand the getting of a given card to any required position is a matter of no difficulty whatever; but the expedients of legerdemain would demand not only far greater space than we have at command in these pages, b*ut an amount of study and practice which comparatively few persons are prepared to undergo. We proceed, therefore, in accordance with our undertaking, to show the reader a mode of attaining the same object, for, which no dexterity whatever is necessary.

The Twenty-one Cards, terminated by the Nerve Trick. — Count off twenty-one cards, and lay aside the rest of the pack. Deal these twenty-one cards, face downwards, in three heaps, requesting one of the company to note any card, and to tell you to which of the three heaps it belongs. The heap having been indicated, you pick up the twentyone cards, placing that heap upon the other two, and deal the cards again. Once more, ask the spectator in which heap his card was, place that heap uppermost, and proceed as before. This must be repeated three times. When the spectator has for the third time stated which heap the card is in the card will inevitably be the top card of that particular heap. You place this heap once more uppermost, and placing the- twenty-one cards on the rest of the pack, give the whole to be held as directed above, but face upwards, thereby bringing the top card undermost.. . When the cards are struck down as above mentioned, this card will remain staring the spectator in the face.