Displaying a slate which is divided into five spaces by painted white lines, the performer also shows a crayon box with chalks of five or six colors, including one white piece. He says he will hypnotize the audience into a state of temporary color-blindness, and after a bit of mumbo-jumbo announces that it has been accomplished.
To prove his assertion he asks for any color. When one is named, he takes the white chalk from the box, saying solemnly “Ah yes, here is the red chalk. (or whatever color has been called.)” And just as solemnly does he write the name of that color in the first space. Of course, the name of the color will be written in white chalk.
Placing the white chalk back into the box, he now asks for another color. No matter what color is named, he again takes the white chalk and proceeds to write the called-for color in the second space. This continues for the next two spaces. In the last, however, he writes “white” saying “No one has asked for white so we’ll put it in this last space”. He also asks for someone’s initials which are put in the same last space.
Now the performer turns the slate with the writing away from the audience and breaks the hypnotic spell by saying mumbo-jumbo in reverse. Upon turning the slate towards the audience again, it is seen that they were verily in a state of color-blindness, for the names of the colors ARE NOW REALLY WRITTEN IN THE COLORS THAT THEY DESIGNATE!
Somebody has been wrong!
The method for this surprising climax to a cute and original plot is simple and mechanical. One of the now fairly common addition slates is used, and one of which most active magi have. There are two good makes on the market, one by Al Baker and one by Thayer. Baker’s has a locking feature and the lines are drawn in place with chalk, but the Thayer slate is perfectly practical because these extra features are not necessary to the success of the trick. For those who do not have the device, it is a slate marked as per the illustration, with a half flap hinged to the middle of one side, and when up or down, this two spaces wide flap changes the writing in the first four spaces.
With the flap hanging down, print the names of four colors in their proper colors. The order I use is red, green, yellow, blue. The bottom space is left blank. Put the flap up and the slate is blank for the start. More than one color is always called, when a group or audience is requested to name them, and the name of the proper color is written in the proper space with the white piece of chalk. In the bottom space (which never changes) is written “white”, and also anybody’s initials. When the slate is turned and the audience de-hypnotized, the flap is let down, and the colors are then shown to be just what they are supposed to be. With the Thayer slate, if the chalk doesn’t stick well to it, use some water color paints.
This is especially good as an item in programs for older children, but it never fails to cause a lot of laughs before any adults, particularly at the start, when everybody gets the idea that they have been ‘sold’.
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