Del Tree
by Mike Rogers
When
I attend magic functions I frequently make brief
notes of things I wish to remember or research
upon returning home. Quite often these memory
joggers are little more than scratchy lines
on the inside of matchbook covers, paper napkins,
and even the inside of the flap on card boxes.
Such was the case at the recent DMS. After arriving
home, while sorting through the various odds
and ends acquired at DMS, I discovered the word
Deltree on the back of Jon Racherbaumer's lecture
notes. I racked my brain trying to figure why
in hell I would have written Del Tree on the
back of a set of notes. As I recalled Jon performed
no effects involving a tree, and I already knew
how to construct a newspaper tree. Hence, a
mystery.
Finally
it hit me while working at the computer in DOS.
The culprit was Pat Hennessy. Pat was kept busy
at DMS explaining to dunderheads like me how
to use the internet to access Gemini. Del Tree
actually meant Delete Tree, or more correctly
written for the computer as Deltree. It's a
word used when deleting the tree to wipe out
something from your hard drive. Considering
my complete lack of knowledge with DOS, and
my almost complete lack of knowledge of Windows,
I still don't know what it is I'm to do when
using Deltree. However, it did remind me of
a card trick using a tree that's been in my
notes for more than 35 years.
There's
nothing new, different, or original here. It's
just a cute bit of business that will fool some
and bring a chuckle or smile to all.
First
the commercial message. There has been on the
market for several years a playing card having
a picture of a lush tree with blooms of bright
red hearts. The idea here being the Tree Of
Hearts rather than the Three of Hearts. The
late Ronald Haines was crazy about this card
and had them printed by the thousands. Both
the art work and color printing are beautiful,
and he had every right to be proud.. Be that
as it may, the card has seen little use in magic
other than as a gag. Thinks I, Mr. Haines was
about the only one ever impressed by the card.
Anyway,
dig this card out of your magic junk box, or
construct one to match the deck you use. A picture
of any tree glued or sketched on the face of
a blank card will do. Let's assume you are using
the Tree Of Hearts.
The Tree
card (gag card) is on top of the deck. Openly
remove the Ace, Two, and Three of Hearts retaining
the Tree on top. Hold the A,2,3 face up in the
right hand with the three being the face card.
Your left hand holds the deck with a little
finger break under the gag card. You now do
a Braue Add On in this manner: Place the face
up block of cards onto the deck picking up the
gag card on the back of them. Retain all four
in the right hand. Peel off the face up three
onto the deck proper and flip it face down using
the right hand packet. Repeat with the two.
Now drop the Ace (and the hidden gag card) on
top of all. Now flip the Ace face down. Immediately
count off the three top cards saying, "Ace,
Two, and Three." (This is all garden variety
card handling that should give no problems.)
Reverse
count the cards a couple of times to apparently
mix them. Actually, you need them in Ace, Gag,
Two order, which is how they will be if you've
followed along.
Now spell
aloud "A C E" dealing a card from the top to
the bottom with each letter. Say aloud "Ace,"
turn up the next card, the Ace, and deal it
to the table. Repeat with the Two spelling "T
W O." Say "Two," turn up the next card dealing
the Two on to the table.
You are
left holding one card, the gag card which they
think to be the Three. Spell "T R E E" while
moving the single card from hand to hand with
each letter. A couple of absurd things are happening.
First, there's no way to spell a word using
just a single card without looking ridiculous.
No matter how you try it won't make sense. The
other absurd thing is you have obviously forgotten
how to spell Three.
After
spelling "Tree" say it aloud, "TREE." Smile
and turn up the Tree card.
If your
thoughts on this little quickie lean towards
ruling it out consider this. This cute little
stunt was used by both Ed Marlo and Don Alan.
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