Passing A Card Through The Knees
A card -`say the ace of spades, is held in the left hand in the position shown in Fig. 23.
Figure 23
It now vanishes, immediately reappearing in the right hand (see Fig. 24), having apparently passed through the knees. It is next passed back to its original position, and then
again into the right hand.
Figure 24
Both hands now assume the attitude illustrated in Fig. 25.
Figure 25
The card is caused to apparently pass along the arm into the left hand (see Fig. 26), and then back into the right (see Fig. 27). It is then taken in the left hand and vanished,
both hands being shown empty, and the card is reproduced at the finger-tips as though caught in the air.
Figure 26
Figure 27
This, to my mind, excellent trick is accomplished chiefly by the performer being able to execute the front- and back-hand palm with both hands with equal facility. There are, of
course, two cards used, and as the method for secretly obtaining possession of the duplicate card is some-what unique and novel, I have come to the conclusion that I had better
describe this trick in detail, as it is the foundation for innumerable other sleights.
In the first place, the performer takes in reality two aces of spades, but held closely together so that they appear to the audience as one card only. Both cards are now
back-palmed, and hands shown empty. One only of the cards is "caught" at the finger-tips, and this is forthwith taken into the left hand and held in the first position for passing
through the knees.
It is now (with a swinging motion of the hand as if to throw the card behind the knee) back-palmed, and the duplicate (which has remained on the back of the other hand) produced
in the right hand. This can be repeated at the wish of the performer. A certain time must be spent in getting the hands to work harmoniously together. If this is done, the illusion
is perfect. The passing of the card along the arm is, of course, accomplished in a similar manner.
The right hand now places the card which is visible to the audience between the second finger and thumb of the left hand, which forthwith back-palms it on top of the duplicate (by
the method described on page 25). Both hands are now shown empty, and as a finale the two cards are produced as one and laid on the table, this being easily brought about by tightly
holding them together as In the first stage of the trick.
|
|
 |
|
|