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Deal three files of seven cards each, face-up and over-lapping.

Ask someone to note one of the cards-any card-and tell you which of the three files it is in.

Now pick up each file separately, bunching the cards together in a pile without disturbing their order, and put one pile on top of the other in your hand, face-up, being careful to put in the middle the file containing the selected card. (If it was in the first file, pick up the second, then the first, then the third. ) Turn over, face-down, the stack of cards in your hand.

Once more deal the cards, without shuffling, face-up in three files, laying out three cards across (one card in the first file, one in the second, one in the third) , then three more across overlapping the first three, and so on until the layout looks as it did in the beginning.

Ask your friend to tell you which file his card is in now. Once more gather up the three files, putting his in the middle. Turn the cards over in your hand, face down, and deal them face-up again in three files, as before.

For the last time he is to tell you which file his card is in. And now you know the card, for it is the middle card in that file.

Do not tell him yet, however. It will be more mystifying if you gather up all the twenty-one cards, shuffle them a little, then scrutinize them closely before you pounce upon the right one and display it.

You can vary this trick, and make it even more baffling, by not seeing the faces of the cards yourself at all.

Deal the three files face-down. Then, without disturbing their order, hold up each file so your friend can see the cards, but you can see only their backs.

When he has noted one card, and told you which file it is in, gather them all up, face-down, with his file in the middle, and deal them again face-down.

Hold up each file, as before, for him to see which one his card is in. Once more gather them up, with his file carefully in the middle, and deal them again face-down.

Hold the files up for the last time for him to see, and when he has told you the file, gather the cards together, still face-down, his file in the middle.

Then begin to deal the cards off, one at a time, throwing them face-up on the table, but carefully counting them to yourself as you do so. When you reach the eleventh card, you can safely say, "That is it!"