Looking for new principles is like searching for the proverbial needle.

Finding a really new dress for old tricks is luxury enough for most magi.

The following is something for many who want a stunt off the beaten path and away from the stereotyped message on the slate. Try it at your next housewarming.

Showing four pieces of ordinary silicate to be clean on every side, the performer has a member of his audience make a choice and two are banded together and held.

Ten cards, each bearing a single figure, and ranging from one to zero, are freely shown, all of them then being mixed by someone. Placing them in his pocket, the performer has four people remove one card each in turn, the selected cards indicating a four figured number. Let us say that the number is 2750. The performer recounts a bit, reminding that two pieces of blank board are being held by the audience, and that a four figured number has certainly been freely chosen by chance. He throws out the remaining six cards and asks that the board be separated.

Almost everyone will expect to find the number written on one of the pieces of silicate (didn’t you ?). But, no ! Written in large chalk letters of ancient script is found “NUMBER IV – 36”. This is an occasion for conjecture as to what has happened, but suddenly (if no one else has beaten you to it !) a bible is mentioned, and the gracious host or hostess provides one. The fourth chapter of the book of Numbers, verse 36, reads “And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty”.

And that’s the selected number ! Everything can now be examined as nothing is left to find wrong. Of the three component parts in the experiment, only the denouement with the bible is original. The method of the silicate pieces is credited to Dr Jacob Daley, and selection of numbers is a twist of forcing as yet unpublished by Annemann.

With the four boards in left hand, the writing is on the upper side of the third piece from the top. The practical size is 5×7 inches. The left little finger is holding a break between the 3rd and 4th pieces to start. With his pocket handkerchief, the performer rubs the surface of the top piece, and then turns it over with the right finger and thumb at the right corner nearest body. The new surface is cleaned and the top piece slid off and dropped on the table. The top of next piece is cleaned and then turned over, but this time two of the pieces are turned together.

The newly presented surface is cleaned and the second piece put on the table. Therefore the underside of this second piece carries the writing and the remaining pieces are cleaned in the same manner as the others. The four boards are on the table in a row and have been fairly cleaned. A spectator chooses two. If he includes the message one give them to him with the writing inside. If he misses it, toss the pointed at two into crowd and give him those left. So much for that.

Get two sets of cards bearing single figures from zero to nine. All magic dealers have them in stock. Take numbers 2-7-5-0 from one of the sets and put them in your inside coat pocket in correct order from back to face, and with the faces towards body. Put the remaining six cards of this set in the upper right vest pocket with faces to body. You have the other set of ten cards at hand. After these are shuffled and looked at, take them back in left hand and put them into inside coat pocket on the body side of those already there. Holding coat open with right hand pass to four people in turn, and have each reach into the pocket and pull out a card. Work this part without hesitation or stalling and the force cards in the correct order will be taken out and called aloud each time.

This four figured number is then repeated a time or two, and while doing so you apparently reach into pocket and take out the remaining unchosen cards. However, you take the six from the vest pocket instead and toss them out. Thus everything checks for the skeptics when your back is turned.

The climax is now in order. Most people think of the bible immediately. The effects builds from the point where they expect to see the numbers on boards and get something else. The trick is really a pocket item as can be seen, and done when wished in anyone’s home. For inventive minds, the book of Numbers has many verses with all kinds of combinations. Or did you know ?