Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

Here is the king of hearts in my right hand, and the king of spades has passed to my left. I will put them in the boxes once more.” You put each in the box which it before occupied, in doing so again making the change, but without closing the boxes. You continue, “Please to notice which I put in each box--the king of hearts in the right hand box, and the king of spades in the left hand box. Is that right?” The audience reply in the affirmative. “Excuse me,” you say, “I fear you are mistaken. You did not notice, perhaps, that the cards had changed again.” You show that this is so, and then close the boxes so as to bring the cards originally drawn uppermost. Opening them once more, you show that the cards have again changed, and then remark, “I have shown you that the secret does not lie in the boxes, perhaps you would like to satisfy yourselves that there is no preparation about the cards,” which you accordingly hand for examination. Another form of changing card is known as a “flap card.” This is a card across whose centre is fixed a moveable flap of exactly half its size. When the flap is folded one way, it covers the upper half, and when it is folded the other way the lower half of the card, in each case revealing a different surface. (See Fig. 58.) On one of such surfaces is pasted, say, a queen of clubs (made thin by peeling off the back), and on the other surface, say, a nine of diamonds, prepared in like manner. Thus the card will appear, according as the flap is folded, alternately a queen of clubs or nine of diamonds. An india-rubber spring tends to draw the flap down, so that the normal condition of the card is to appear as, say, the nine of diamonds. When exhibited to the company, the flap is forced over in the opposite direction, so that the card appears to be the queen of clubs. The thumb and finger hold the flap down until the right moment, when they relax their pressure, and the flap flying up, the card is instantly transformed to the nine of diamonds.