Routing the Rat

Effect is an item that performer uses while doing impromptu card work. Couple of specially printed cards are added to the deck. One placed on the face-up card of the deck, the other held in the hand, face down. The face-up card bears a picture of Hitler and the other has a drawing of one of his Nazi henchman giving the Hitler salute.

Patter along to the effect of Hitler's stand in the middle east, aided by his Nazi horde, then place the saluting Nazi face to face with Adolph saying, "But they received a slap in the face recently," and then remove the facedown card and Der Feuhrer is shown running away from a U. S. soldier with fixed bayonet. Then the face down card in the hand is turned over and it reveals the Nazi with both arms raised in surrender. Both cards are then handed out for examination.

It's the old paint-brush color change, as you've probably guessed. Three blank cards are used and one face card with a blank back.

The set-up is: Pick the duplicate of the face card printed on the back of the Heil Hitler card and have this card face up on the deck.

Stack three of the printed cards as follows: Kamarad card face up. Fleeing Hitler face down. Heil Hitler card face up. These three cards are held as one, as in Fig. 1.

Hitler card is placed on the face-up card on deck, which is, let's say, the Three of Diamonds.

While talking, let spectator see card beneath the Hitler card. Slide Hitler card off slightly while talking. In fact, let it fall to floor, and spectator can pick it up and see that it has a back and ask him to replace it, "Right on that Three of Diamonds." Fig. 2.

Now exhibit the Heil Hitler card as one card (really three) and let 'em see the back. Slap the two cards together and square up, then remove top face-down card only, but don't turn it over. The face-up card shows Hitler being

chased by soldier — slide this card off on to table, and Three of Diamonds will be seen face up on deck, making everything look fair. Then, slowly turn over face-down card revealing the surrendering Nazi. Toss this card also toward a spectator, who'll probably want to examine them.

Casually slide deck in pocket and ditch the top two cards, and withdraw the deck as you think of another four-Ace trick.