Modestly, of course, this title is intended to indicate that this version of the Twentieth Century Trick represents a Century of Progress, so far as the working is concerned. The effect is as usual; but the flag appears between two ordinary and unfaked 18 inch silks, and there is no switch. Further, the silks are shown to be really separate in the first place, no Sympathetic Silk principle being used.
Having gone through the usual routine of whetting the reader’s appetite – magicians are all potential ad writers – let’s get down to the business of describing the working. The silks should be 18 inches or larger, and the flags (we may as well break down and admit you need duplicates) should be in proportion, about 18 by 12 inches for 18 inch silks. We will suppose that the silks are red and orange.
To prepare, take the corner of one of the flags which is diagonally opposite the field of stars, and either dye it red to match the red silk, or sew a piece of red silk to the flag. Canadian magicians will, of course, use the Canadian flag, in which case no preparation at all is necessary, and a spectator may be allowed to untie the silks at the end of the trick.
Tie the star corner of the flag to a corner of the red silk, making a small tight knot. Spread the red silk out on the table, twist the flag into a very loose rope, and lay it along the left hand side of the red silk (Fig.1). The knot should be folded slightly in, as shown. Double the flag back at the middle, and bring the prepared end up past the knot (Fig.2).
Now roll the red silk from the left hand side (Fig.3), so that the flag is enclosed in the red silk and only the prepared corner protrudes. (Fig.4) After you have done the rolling, shake the silk to loosen up the outside folds a little, so that the silk will hang much the same as an unprepared silk does when it is held by the corner. Lay the red silk on your table with the orange silk, also stretched out diagonally, lying over it and concealing the faked tip of the flag. Place the duplicate flag beside them, and you are ready to proceed.
In presenting, pick up the silks, take the red one in the right hand and the orange in the left, and tie the orange silk around the protruding, prepared corner of the flag. Bundle them up slightly, and give them to a spectator to hold. Vanish the other flag by your favorite method, then taking hold of the end of the red silk and flicking the silks from the spectator’s hands. The flag comes out of the folds of the red silk, and appears tied between them.
If you are working for magicians and want to put in an added touch, it is possible to let the red silk hang for a moment from the orange after the knot has been tied. This is done by tying a rather loose knot around the prepared corner of the flag, and catching the edge of the red silk in the knot. This will allow it to hang as described, and will even permit silks to be given a slight shake.
The silks should be held in the left hand, and the performer should be standing to the right of his table. To release the red silk from the knot, the right hand approaches the corner of the orange silk which is held by the left, and the left hand draws the silk through the right until the knot is reached. While you are asking for a volunteer to hold the silks, the right fingers push the knot down until it is clear of the red silk. If you prefer, this may be done quite openly, under the pretense of tightening the knot. The trick is then finished as described above. For the ordinary audience, however, this is a rather unnecessary refinement.
If you are not working close to the audience, the silks may be placed in a drinking glass on your table, instead of giving to a spectator.
(Ed., If one doesn’t want to use a flag, a possible combination of silks can be red, green, and one of the vari-colored silks on the market. These are nice looking, and the varied colored silk can be colored at the corner protruding.)
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