When you start in the first
business of four coins on the
left hand and three on the
right, it is just to get the
people thinking about their
being a different number of
coins in the two hands.
When the thumb and first
finger of the right hand--the
other three fingers are
closed to hold the three
coins in that hand--go over
to the left hand to pick up
the coin, everyone's eyes
follow that coin.
The moment that the right
hand moves away from the
left, the left hand is closed
and turned over back up. On
this turnover, and the closing and turnover are one move, the fingertips
slide the coins to the heel of the palm, so that they extend down
edgeways between the tips of the fingers and the palm. In other words,
the edges of the coins point towards the floor and stick out of the closed
fist.
The right hand is then turned palm up and the third, fourth, and little
fingers opened. The fourth coin is then dropped from between the
thumb and first finger so that it falls on the rest. This is a perfectly
natural move, even if it doesn't read like it. The right hand is then closed
and the fist turned over, as had been done with the left hand. Both hands
are now closed and are back up.
Then the magician goes on talking about where the coins are--how
many in each hand. His right hand moves toward the left in talking and
he points either with the first finger, which he opens, or with the thumb.
Sometimes I do it one way, sometimes the other. Then he announces the
number of coins in the right hand. In doing that his left hand moves over
to the right and it looks like the right hand moved at the same speed
away from the left. Actually the hands meet, and in a sort of rolling
motion, so that the coins sticking out of the left hand are caught in the
same grip by the fingers of the right hand. The left hand then points
with the extended first finger, or the thumb, at the right hand, as the
magician tells the number of coins in the right hand. The change-over is
really easy to do when you get the timing down and the patter timed to
go with the moves. The sleight itself is easy.
At this point the coins stick down below the right hand; that is the extra
three coins do, the other four are still in the right fist. The magician then
starts to shake the coins and on the first shake the right hand opens
enough to get the outside coins in the hand with the others. Both hands
are shaken at the same time and the audience believe that they hear
coins in each hand.
Once again the hands are held still and the spectators asked to name the
number of coins in each hand. When they have finished the magician
says, "Chams cha la ta ax ba, which means I hope you like this trick.
Come my boy hold out your hand. And here are seven coins--and here
absolutely nothing." Of course, as has been suggested, the magician also
talks during the rest of the trick. He says: "Listen to the money jingle,"
when he shakes the coins. He also tells the number of coins in each
hand several times to build up the idea that he is going to have
something happen to that odd coin. He never suggests that idea, but the
audience don't need the suggestion for they will get the idea all by
themselves.
I have a lot of bigger tricks which haven't made the impression that this
one has made on audiences. It fools people and they like it and what
more do you want in a trick