This is one of those subtly simple methods for producing, not a too startling effect, but one which will appear very clever and quite mystifying to audiences of the more intimate type.
Two small plates and two bowls are at hand and the performer shows ten coins on each of the former. These are set upon the bowls while the magician explains that he will be very slow in all of his actions to prove (?) that he is not attempting deception by sleight-of-hand. Thereupon he tips the plates allowing the coins to fall into their respective bowls. Continuing the movement he turns the plates completely over so that they act as covers for the bowls. Then each bowl and its cover plate are turned over together, each plate with a bowl inverted upon it (after this last move) being a distance from the other.
Saying that everything is to be left entirely to chance, the wizard produces a penny matchbox from which he dumps two small dice into the hands of a spectator. The person drops them back into the box which is closed. Then the spectator himself gives them a thorough shaking. The box is opened and the top side numbers on the dice noted.
The performer reminds that this number has been chosen by chance. He commands a change to take place, and openly lifts the two bowls at one time. The chosen number of coins have silently travelled from one plate to the other!
Presented as a strange feat witnessed on the curbstones of a dingy little street in Bombay, the individual performer can dress the effect into a delicately mysterious and oriental spiced affair. Not gaudy, not bizarre, not gigantic, and not a spectacle. Just an odd occurrence from strange quarters — the old, old world.
The plates and the bowls are unprepared. 20 pennies are at hand, ten on each plate. However, three of the pennies on one plate are secured safely to the surface by using a bit of wax or diachylon under each. Let us call the prepared plate #1 – the other #2. They may be resting atop the bowls at the start, the plate #1 to the left.
The performer states that 20 coins are used and apologizes for not having genuine rupees. Or possibly he may be artist enough to secure the proper coins for atmosphere. Picking up plate #1 he carelessly picks up loose coins and lets them fall onto the plate, separating them when he asks a spectator to count and say how many are there. The plate then is put back onto its bowl and the same thing gone through with plate #2. Ten coins are counted on each.
Asking that all watch him carefully for any quick motion which might give rise to a suspicion that sleight-of-hand is being used, the performer tips plate #1 towards him so that all the coins (except the secured 3) fall into the bowl. The plate then is carelessly put under the left arm for a few minutes while, with his right, the performer tips plate #2 in the same manner to dump its coins into its bowl.
This plate #2 is used in any gesture the performer may take as he says, “Each group of ten coins now rests inside its own bowl. There can be no material contact between the two resting places.” This action serves to unconsciously impress that the plate is empty of all coins. It is then placed bottom side up to cover, not bowl #2, but bowl #1. The performer keeps on talking, “And to further isolate the monies, we shall cover them even from above.” And during this the plate from under the arm is deposited upon bowl #2. This is the plate originally at #1 position, which has 3 coins secured to its surface.
At this point the match box and dice are brought from the pocket and the selection of a number left to chance. We shall describe this bit further on. For the moment let us say that the number thus chosen is “three”.
Dice out of the way, and with everybody convinced of the fairness of selection, the performer commands the passing of coins — silently. He picks up the right hand bowl and plate, turning them over together, lifting the bowl as the plate rests right side up on one hand, and the bowl is passed to a nearby spectator while the performer asks another to count the number of coins on the plate. At this moment, he says, “Remember that no one, not even myself, touches the plate’s top, or the coins. I want you to realize that something far beyond mere trickery has taken place before your eyes.” That prevents inopportune grabbing of the money. The spectator counts thirteen pennies.
The plate is put onto the table. The left hand bowl is picked up, turned over as was the first, the bowl handed carelessly to someone near, and the coins on this plate dumped into another spectator’s hands.
“We found three extra coins with the others,” says the performer, “and unless they came from someone’s pocket they should be accounted for here.” The spectator counts his pennies onto the plate so all can hear. Seven! The mysterious crossing has taken place once more.
The matchbox and dice? It’s all so simple, yet clean. Four dice are really used. Two are glued to the bottom of the drawer near one end, the two tops showing an Ace and Deux which total three, the number to be forced. The other two dice are dropped loosely into the box. The end of the drawer nearest the glued dice is marked by scratching so as to be determined at a glance.
The box is shown, tipped so that the loose dice fall to the unprepared end, and about half of the drawer pushed out so the dice may be dumped onto a spectator’s palm. He puts them back, the drawer is closed, and the box is given him to shake well. Taking it back, the performer gives it an extra shake to bring the loose dice into the unprepared half of the drawer, and then with the box level, the drawer is pushed out half way to reveal the glued dice which another spectator adds and reveals the total. It’s all very fair and much on the up and up. There isn’t a false move or quick motion.
(Note by Annemann: When Minoe, from India, and Grant, from New England and New York, can get together with the former’s coins and the latter’s dice, tocsins should ring for the unbelievers. I would like to offer the suggestion, though, that 12 coins be used on each plate and four made to pass. The dice would read Ace and a Three. 12 coincides (?) with the highest possible total on two dice and the performer can say afterwards, “You’d never believe even one coin could pass silently. When someone throws a double six occasionally, it’s really awe-inspiring to see the transposition of the entire 12 pieces of money.” I’d also make a practice of not fastening the coins down too hard. Then they could be scraped off with the fingers in picking them all up for the pocket, leaving the plates as well as the bowls on hand for any spectator prowling. I might even have a duplicate match box with two loose dice should anyone ask for it to test a few throws.) (You might even be able to write a trick yourself someday instead of waiting for two other people to get together and do it. Ed.)
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