The Four Thieves

It may require a little practice to hold four Kings fan shape facing the audience and have two cards concealed behind one of the Kings, but a few trials will show you just how to hold them.

Let your audience see you pick out the four Jacks and place them one by one on the bottom of the pack, while you begin your story:

"The pack of cards is a warehouse, and the four Jacks are four thieves who plan to rob it. They all meet in the basement" - as you place them on the bottom of the pack.

"Someone sees the thieves in the warehouse and calls the police. The four Kings are the policemen who hasten to the warehouse." you are now picking out the Kings, letting the audience see that you place each one on top of the pack. But as you place the third King you find, have two extra cards with it, on top of it. They will become the second and third cards from the top of the pack, just below the top King.

(Suppose these two extra cards are the 7 of diamonds and the 5 of clubs. When you get all the Kings on top of the pack the cards will actually read, from the top down: K-7-5-K-K-K, but the audience must think they read: K-K-K-K.)

All the time you are going on with your story :

"The police arrive by airplane and land all together on the roof. But in the meantime the four thieves have scattered. This one"-take one Jack off the bottom, show it, and place it anywhere high in the deck, being sure it is not above the sixth card-"goes to the fourth floor . This one"-take another Jack, show it, and put it in the pack a little lower than the other-"goes to the third

floor. This one"-the same with another Jack-"to the second floor. And this thief goes from the basement to the first floor"-placing it a little above the bottom of the pack.

Be sure to show each Jack, as this will allay suspicion when you fail to show two supposed Kings.

"The four policemen are on the roof, all together." Pick up the top six cards (which are supposed to be only four) and spread them fan shape so only the four Kings will show when you hold the cards up with their backs to you. The two plain cards must be hidden completely behind the second King.

The audience sees the four Kings spread fan shape and sees you then place them all on top of the pack-the roof; and all the time you are going on with your story, which partly distracts their attention from the cards:

"The policemen know they will never catch the thieves if they stay together. They must scatter through the building. One goes to the basement." Lift the top card, show the audience that it is a King, then place it on the bottom of the pack.

"Another policeman goes to the second floor." Place the next top card (which is not a King, so it must not be shown) low in the pack.

" Another to the "third floor ." Place this one, too, quickly, as it is not a King.

"The fourth decides to remain on the roof, lest the thieves try to escape that way." Lift up the next top card, show the audience it is a King, then replace it on top of the pack.

"Now the four policemen are all scattered, searching for the four thieves."

Put the pack on the table and ask someone to cut it (just one cut), being sure the bottom part of the cut is placed on the top part in the proper way.

"The policeman on the third floor" (or on the second floor if the cut was high in the deck) "saw one of the thieves running up the stairs. He blew his whistle, and all the other policemen rushed to his floor.

"So now they are all together again !"

Turn the pack over, face-up, and lightly spread it on the table-and there are the four Kings, huddled together about midway!