. | BARRIE RICHARDSON Kaster Egg Divination: A Weighty Problem nis effect follows the same basic plot ofa trick I “Kurotsuke” appealed to me for is directness and also for its lished years ago, unt fo method, which utilized "a bluff.” [ have borrowed this rus sa and added some other bits and pieces. Wh former's ‘When I was a small boy I used to think ect d hic powers. She 1¢ performer aurel had ifully produced m. His presen a ifying. One in particular, visiting us eachGenii select a colored Easter egg while her back was turned. She tunertingly would tell each person the color of the egg they were hiding from her. Sounds ikea simple demonstration, yet it was perplexing to me and to everyone who saw her do it. “A few years ago she explained the secret to me, The solution has nothing to do with mystetious powers. but is the result of a careful reading of body language and voice clues, Let me give you a demonstration of what she did and to make this more inclusive I will invite everyone in the audience to participate. Since I am not as experienced at this as my sister, you may not see perfection.” Four persons are invited to come forward and to either stand in a row or sit in chairs provided. Four different col- cored plastic eggs are shown and placed in an ordinary small paper bag, The performer's head is clearly curned away as he extends the bag and invites each petson to dip in and remove an egg. They are asked to hide the egg between their palms, “Now ler try a warm up experiment. lam going to ask. cach one of you the same question ... ‘do you have the red gg?’ I want each of you to answer with one word—thar word is ‘no.” This means one of you is fibbing and, of course, thrce of you willbe telling the truth. I want the a Tisen to the answers and watch the behavior of the partci- ppants as I query them. “Are you ready? Remember, only one word. Please be sctious for a few minutes.” The performer points to the first person, “Do you have the red egg?” "No,” she replies. The same question is asked of the other three helpers and they respond by saying “No.” “Turning tothe audience. “Have you made a decision? Let ime sce if you can tell who is telling che truth. This gives you pretty good odds since we have three truth tellers.” Looking at Mary, he asks, “How many people believe Mary is telling the truth? Raise your hand if you believe she does not have a red egg?” Most hands go up. “In this case | agree with the majority. Mary you are a ruth-teller. Now open your hands and show everyone the white egg you have hidden.” The audience looks a litle puzded. They are thinking, “How did he know the color ofthe egg in Marys hand? “Lets tay the experiment again, but this time I will ask each of you ro answer yes to my question. Two of you will be lying and one ‘of you will be telling the truth, Remember, just one word yes.” Addressing the first person, “Do you have the red egg” “Yes,” she says. The other two respond by aso saying “Ye.” “Turning to the audience, “Are you ready co find the truth teller? That is the one who has the red egg,” A short pause. The performer confidently identifies a person and asks her to show the audience she has the red egg Turing co the last wo persons, the performer pauses and then says dramatically, “You, st, have the white egg and you sir the green egg. Pease show the audience your egg.” The per former is correct. Not an astounding feat, but quite puzzling ‘Method:The plastic oggs | use are slightly smaller than real cegs. They open and can be filled with sweets and snapped shut. A bag of 24 miné Easter eggs cost around a dollar. “Two of the eggs, for example, the red and the green gg arc filled wich heavy steel or lead fishing weights. I pur three, 3/4 ounce steel bullet weights into each ofthe two eggs. This isa very snug fit so there is no rattling, Ya may choose to use other size weights and then place small amount of tissue paper into the egg to hold the firmly in place. ‘The other two eggs are filled with loosely-packed ti paper. This gives them a litle more weight and, importantly, makes the eggs less translucent. The fou resting on a table look the same (in terms of lucidity), ‘wo are clearly heavier. To perform the effect, place only three eggs in the bag ‘The fourth egg, for example the heavy red eg is held b in your lefc hand. ‘The fingers ofthe left hand (thumb isa the outside of the bag) conceal the egg, This is like a "Mis Dream” position with a coin bucket. “The frst person is invited to select an egg, If che he green ogg is taken, you will immediately know this by change in the weight. The green egg will be selected on third of the time, You then drop the hidden red egg into bag as you shake it and invite another person to remove «gg. As this process continues you will know by the d cof weight, the “owners” of the red egg and the green egg If the frst person does not take the green egg, dol drop the red egg. Now the next person has 2 50/50 ch of taking the green egg. Ifthe green egg is removed, drop red egg and proceed to have the eggs removed. Once agi you know the persons who have the heavy eggs. ‘Seventeen percent ofthe time the green egg will not taken by the first wo persons. In this case, tile che bag allow the green egg to roll and lodge at one corner. Th release the red egg in such a way so iti situated on the ot cersideof the bag. Now you can have an egg selected andy can tell by the way the bag is weighted which eg sd. Another approach is to hold the bag on the the Fingers of your left hand for the last wo se tions and have your lefe thumb press against the side ofh and hold the green egg. Then release the red egg. Then of the bag, holding it by the bottom, and of course you know which egg, is removed. In all cases you know which person has the green which person has the red egg, and you also know that other two persons have either a blue or a white egg. The first revelation is a bluff (Mavens idea). Yo approach one of the persons who has either the white a blue egg and declare them a truth teller, which you kno But how do you know the color of the egg this p is holding? You don’t! But, you pater on with confideng and when you say “open your hands and show the audi your white egg.” You do not know the color is white you catch a glimpse as their hands are opening, Time ya patter to coincide with the hand opening action. you have determined who has the white egy now know which colored egg is held by the three rem ing participants. 1 originally thought of using ping pong, balls. Ha pong balls, however, are a curiosity and would se pingtricky wo a helper. A heavy plastic eg fels firm and solid and does not seem particularly strange. Thave recently discovered that rather than using fishing weights, the exgs can be filled with coins. The light eggs could have 2 dimes and be filled with tissue paper. The heavy eggs could be filled with pennies or nickels. The spec- rarors could keep the eggs and the small gift. They need not be sealed shut, since they snap together. I do not do this. keep the eggs and thank my helpers. My old friend Fred Robinson would have called this a weighty trick.