Читать книгу Modern Coin Magic - J. B. Bobo - Страница 73

This bit of close-up coin chicanery has been a favorite with magicians for many years. It is one trick that can be performed anytime with excellent results, as it is strictly impromptu. Here are three methods.

Effect: A half dollar placed in the right trousers pocket is caused to penetrate the cloth in a mysterious fashion.

(a) Call attention to a half dollar clipped flat between the tips of the right first and second fingers, in position for finger palming. Holding the coin thus, the right hand enters the right trousers pocket. Immediately thumb palm the coin while the left forefinger presses against the outside of the pocket as if holding the coin. This action with the left forefinger is a natural one and serves as a bit of misdirection for the moves that follow. Withdraw the right hand with the coin hidden in the thumb palm. Next, release the coin from the thumb palm allowing it to fall onto the cupped right fingers. It is then pressed flat against the right leg as the left forefinger is taken away. At this moment the right hand lies flat against the right leg, fingers pointing downward. The coin is hidden underneath the fingers which press it to the leg.

The right thumb pinches a small fold of cloth behind the upper portion of the coin. The right hand turns the coin over, downward, forming the fold over the coin. Maintain this fold with the left forefinger as the right hand moves away. Snap the right fingers. Then grasp the cloth below the fold and pull downward slowly, allowing the hidden coin to come into view. When the coin is about two-thirds the way out of the fold, slide the left forefinger downward on top of it to prevent it from falling to the floor.

(b) In this version the coin is visibly dropped into the pocket, without the hand leaving sight of the audience.

Two identical coins are required. Have one finger palmed in your right hand as you display the other between the tips of your left forefinger and thumb. Reach across your body with your right hand, hook the fingers in the left pocket opening and hold it wide open while you slowly and deliberately drop the coin from your left hand into that pocket. Be sure to make these moves in such a manner that there will be no doubt in the spectators’ minds that the coin did actually enter the pocket. Allow the finger palmed coin to drop on the cupped right fingers, then press it flat against the left leg and finish as described in the first version.

Because the coin is actually seen to drop into the pocket this makes an excellent version to have on tap in case you have to repeat the trick before the same group of spectators.

(c) Dave Coleman Method.

Show the coin in the left hand. Execute The French Drop (page 79), as you pretend to take it with the right hand. Place the right hand (apparently holding the coin) in the right trousers pocket. The palm-inward left hand is brought over and placed flat against the right hand, which is still within the pocket. As this is done the coin is secretly deposited on the leg where it is held hidden underneath the left fingers. Actually the coin should be between the tips of the fingers of the two hands. Turn both hands over together, forming a vertical (and not a horizontal) fold in the cloth. Remove the left fingers from the fold, leaving the coin hidden underneath the cloth. The right fingers facilitate this action by holding the coin through the pocket until the left fingers are withdrawn. Retain this fold with the tip of the left thumb as you remove the right hand from the pocket.

With the right thumb above and forefinger below, grip the coin by its edges through the cloth so its form can be seen. Apparently the coin is in the pocket. Now, press the right thumb and forefinger together which causes the coin to emerge, apparently through the fabric, in an uncanny manner. Catch the coin in the left hand as it falls from the fold. Shake the trousers leg with the right hand and give the last fading fold a flick with the forefinger.

The Pocket Varnish (page 103) makes a fine follow-up trick. The two effects complement each other and blend perfectly into a nice routine.

First, perform Through the Pocket (a) or (c). Then explain that if a coin will come through the pocket it should penetrate back through the cloth, into the pocket again. This you proceed to demonstrate by performing the Pocket Vanish.