Magic For the Slight of Hand
Written By Gregory Lauzon
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queen runaway
nobody can catch the elusive queen
Once you've set up the cards, this trick works itself, even when you break the cardinal rule for magicians and perform it twice.
the business: From an old deck of cards, remove a red queen and four black numbered cards. Overlap the five cards in a straight line, with the queen in the middle, so about ½ inch of each card's face shows. Glue together and let dry. Find a nice big colored paper clip (in a pinch any clip will do).
the show: Tell this story: "In the Kingdom of Odd, an evil queen has proclaimed an end to all pickles. When Prince Pickle hears the news, he runs to the castle to throw the queen in jail, but the sneaky queen escapes. Wait! She's just been spotted and we can help nab her!"
Show the cards face forward so the audience sees the queen in the middle. Offer the paper clip "handcuffs" to a volunteer. Turn the cards around so they face you and ask your volunteer to slide the paper clip over the queen. Then, with a flourish, turn the cards back toward the audience. The paper clip is nowhere near the queen. She got away again!
