Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment

o here we are. Hanging out at the top of the page. Exploring the edges. Looking for pieces of strange. It's actually
kind of exciting. It also seems like a long way down, but it's really just a perspective thing. Okay, let's put on our
socks, lean way over the edge and prepare to unleash the moment.

BUCK NAKED

This first concept wanted to be so many things in so
many ways that it became topheavy with its own
potential and finally toppled over. So it just sat there,
staring inward at it's own infinite possibilities until it
got bored with the view, stripped off it's conflicting
ideas, and became completely, one-hundred
percent...
BUCK NAKED
EFFECT - You mention a weird thing you read
about in some underground magazine. It explained a
strange technique for illegally altering a dollar so it
sort of looks like a Five. Some people have even been
able to pass off these obviously phony Five's as the
real thing! You don't have high hopes that you can
make one yourself, but you decide to give it a shot.
You take a quick look around to make sure no
one's spying on you, then fold the borrowed dollar into
quarters. You rub her folded dollar against your two
Fives "to get some ink" then rub it against the the table
top "to do something to the bill's paper fibers." You
place the illegal ly-a Itered dollar under your
astonishee's hand, then wait a few moments for the
ink to react to her body heat. Your two Fives are still in
full view. Your hands are otherwise empty. She knows
that the only thing she can have under her hand is her
own dollar.
But when she lifts her hand, her buck now looks
exactly like a Five-dollar bill! It really worked! You're
still not convinced the phony Five looks good
enough to fool the Feds so you let her keep it and
take her chances.

You bring out two NORMAL Five-dollar bills and

borrow a One. All three bills are carefully examined.
Your hands are empty. There are no extra bills or
pieces of bills. Nothing is concealed. Nothing else is
used.
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment

PRE-NAKED Set the three bills down in a row from left to right in
front of you. The One is portrait-side DOWN on the left
(1) Fold two Fives portrait side out (FIG. 1).
with the bottom of the bill facing to your right. The
Fives are portrait-side UP with the bottom of the bills
facing each other. The "flap" Five is on the right with
the flap in the upper left corner (FIG. 4).

(2) Fold each of them again lengthwise so the

BOTTOM of the portrait is on the outside as in FIG.
2.

STEP TWO - Now pick up both Fives, one with each

(3) Hold one of the folded Fives in front of you with
the partial portrait of Abe in the upper-right corner.
Fold up the lower-left corner of the bill in a diagonal
crease that runs from the upper left to the lower right,
creating a triangular "flap"(FIG.3).
hand, thumb on one side and fingers on the other.
Each hand casually re-folds its bill (easy because of
the pre-creasing) by pinching the sides together and
folding the end furthest from you UNDER with your
forefinger. The secret "flap" is now underneath the
folded right-hand bill, the flap's wide end towards you
(FIG. 5).

(4) Unfold the flaps, smoothing the creases

somewhat so they are not too visible but still easy to
re-fold. Put the two creased Fives into your wallet
and wait for the right moment.

PRE-FLAP
STEP ONE - Borrow a One (or in a restaurant use
the tip left on the table) and openly crease it into
quarters like the Fives. (Do not put in a secret flap.)
Bring out your pre-creased Fives and have all three
bills examined.

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 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment
STEP THREE - Take a look at the right hand's Five,
and notice how the back layer of the bill (the flap) at
the inner left corner flares down from the rest of the
bill. You'll fold this corner into "flap position" under
cover of the following action: Bring the inner sides of
the two bills toward each other until the inner right
corner of crossing the right-hand bill over the left
(FIGS. 6 - 9).
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You're now looking at one Five crossed at an angle
on top of the other Five. The lower right corner of the
bottom bill is covered by a matching flap from the
upper Five. This position exactly matches the
appearance of two normal Fives. There are no
discrepancies, despite my best intentions.
To achieve this setup is a non-move. It should
appear as if you simply placed the two bills into your
left fingers ... and they happen to be in this crossed
position. The natural spring of the secret corner-flap
allows for an easy, instant folding into "flap position"
as the bills are placed together.
STEP FOUR - Pinch the audience end of the two
crossed bills between your right thumb and forefinger.
Openly revolve the two bills as one unit so that the
secret flap-end is toward the audience (FIGS. 10 - 12).
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment

STEP FIVE- Fold the One-dollar bill into quarters

with your left hand as you pick it up.
If you need help, fold it against the table. Hold the
folded dollar in your left fingers so it's oriented like
the lower Five in your right hand (FIG 13).

STEP SIX - Place the spectator's folded dollar on

the table and direct her to cover it with her hand.
Stroke the back of her hand with the two Fives then
have her lift her hand. Her dollar is still there. Pick up
the dollar again, and openly place it perfectly squared
under the bottom Five. This leaves your right hand free
to gesture toward the spectator's other hand as you
say, "let's try your other hand instead."
STEP SEVEN - Position her palm-down hand so
it's about three inches off of the table. Your right
fingers then pinch the inner end of the One and the
Your spectator is compelled to believe that she
lower Five (FIG 14). With both hands hanging onto the
just placed her hand on top of her folded dollar
bills, duck the entire unit under the spectator's hand.
because the other two Fives are clearly visible in your
Using her hand as cover, your right fingers slide out
left fingers. What she doesn't know is that the lower
the Five from the middle. It's directly under your right
Five is actually the One, disguised as a Five by the
thumb (FIGS. 15, 16). While you direct her to press
secret flap of the Five on top.
her hand flat onto the bill. As her hand presses down
your left hand comes out with what appears to be the
same two crossed Fives.

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 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment
FINE POINT - Instead of ducking all three bills
under her hand, your right fingers can openly slide out
just the secret Five and move it through "open space"
on its way toward the spectator's hand. It's a very short
ride. The one smooth movement from your hand to
under the spectator's will blur the Five's true identity.
Everyone will assume it's the dollar.
The partial portrait showing on the lower "Five" is
actually a piece of George from the dollar. It's not a
perfect match of the portrait on the real Five but it's
very close. (If you don't believe in the Discrepancy
Fairy you can adjust the bills so your thumb covers
the piece of George on the lower bill. Now your life is
perfect.)
STEP EIGHT - Stroke the "two Fives across the
back of her hand again, then innocently put your two
Fives away. She lifts her hand to discover her One
has changed into a Five. Tell her to keep it. She'll say,
-Really?" You say, "Sure, put it in your pocket, it's
yours to keep forever and ever."
Pay attention to the comments and curious looks
that follow. It's easily worth the four bucks.
FINE POINT - The spectator will keep thinking that
you are going to ask for the money back. Don't. Let
the tension build until she can't stand it. Then look
calmly into her eyes and say "No, really. It was made
from your dollar. It's yours to keep. Just promise me
you won't tell anyone where it came from."
PHOOTNOTE - I know. Four bucks is four bucks,
especially after buying all three volumes of this book.
(I'm still saving to get my own set.) But if you are
doing this in a coffee shop or a restaurant you'd
already be spending the same money, so while
you're at it you might as well unleash a moment of
astonishment for dessert.
9 You can also do the above presentation using
all of your own bills, which means that you get to
keep whatever you make.
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BUCK NAKED GRANT
You can do a version of "Grant's SlowMotion Bill
Trick" (the one with the fake corner glued on a bill)
without any gaffs using the Buck Naked principle. Just
do the basic Buck Naked to the point where the "One"
(really the Five) is under her hand. Magician's-force
the lower of the "two Fives" in your left fingers. Gently
stroke the fake Fives across the back of her hand - as
you cover the flap with your left thumb and slowly rub
the bills together to massage the lower One-spot into
view. This creates a daylight change of the "selected"
Five into her One. When she lifts her naked hand
she'll find the transposed Five.
BUCK NAKED FANTASY
This uses maximum flap-technology to create a
double change of two singles into two Fives. Be
certain you're familiar with the Basic Buck Naked
handling before working through this extended
sequence.
EFFECT - You bring out two normal dollars and
borrow a Five to demonstrate a remarkable optical
illusion. The three bills are carefully examined. You
tell her to burn the image of the Five into her mind ...
then you slide the real Five under her hand so she
won't be distracted. She now projects the mental
image of her Five onto your two dollars ... and the two
dollars instantly transform into two more Fives! Of
course they're not real. She checks her own Five, it's
now a dollar! Not to worry. It's all just an optical
illusion.
You make up for her percieved loss by adding one
of your fantasy-Fives to her deluded-dollar. Her six-
dollar mirage puts her ahead of the game, until it
deflates into two dollars! You pay her Five bucks for
her two so you both make an optical illusion profit.
She checks her Five every now and then just to be
sure.
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment
PUTTING IN THE WORK
(1) Take a couple of seconds to look at how the
flap is folded in the setup to the first Buck Naked.
See how that works? Okay. This time you need two
dollar bills of your own (you'll borrow the Five). Pre-
crease one of the dollars as follows:
(2) Take one of your dollars and fold it in half the
long way so you're looking at the lower half of
George's portrait. Now fold the right side back and to
the left so you see Washington's right cheek, and the
letters "ONE D." Make the flap by folding the top
single layer up and crease it diagonally from the
upper-left corner to the lower-right corner (FIG. 17).
(3) Check it from the other side to make sure most
of the " 1 " on the flap is visible. Completely unfold the
bill. Take the second dollar, fold it in quarters and
completely unfold it. Put it with the other One and wait
for the perfect moment.
PERFORMANCE
STEP ONE- - Offer to demonstrate a
remarkable optical illusion. Toss out your two
singles and borrow a Five.
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STEP TWO - Take the Five and fold it in half the
long way just like you did with the One. Then fold the
left side back and to the right. The "5" is at the lower-
right corner and you see Abe's mouth and beard. Ask
the lender to examine your two Ones to "make sure
they're real." Take advantage of the distraction to put a
secret flap in your Five by folding the top single layer
up, creasing it diagonally from the upper right to the
lower left as in FIG. 18. (For fingertip handling of the
secret fold see Naked Pre-Crease.) Do this with the
bill behind your fingers so no one can see exactly
what you're doing. (You're just folding and creasing
the bill. No one cares.) As soon as you've put in the
crease, undo the flap, flip the bill over and drop it to
the table.
STEP THREE - Take back the two folded Ones
from your spectator and hold one in each hand. The
pre-creased dollar is in your right hand (FIG. 19).
 Paul Harris Me Art of Astonishment
STEP FOUR - Cross the inner ends of the two
Ones to secretly fold the flap over the inner end of the
lower bill (FIGS. 20, 21). Hold the crossed Ones in
your left fingers. Rotate the unit with your right fingers
so the flap end is toward the audience (FIGS. 22, 23,
24).
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STEP FIVE - Pick up the Five in your right hand so
the "5" is in the upper right corner. Put the Five under
the left-hand's dollars to free your right hand to make
a palm-down gesture as you say, "Hold out either
hand, flat like this."
STEP SIX - Your right fingers take back the Five
and quickly slide it under the spectator's hand.
Suddenly notice that she used the wrong hand. Have
her lift her hand while you pick up the tabled Five and
place it perfectly squared under the lower dollar to
free your right hand to gesture again, for her to hold
her other hand out palm down and flat. Position her
hand so it's just a few inches above the table.
STEP SEVEN - Now for a repeat of the bill
switch from the first version:
Bring the bills down right next to the spectator's
hand. Your right fingers pinch the One and the Five
together at the inner end (thumb on top) then slides
just the One (it's directly under your right thumb,
apparently the Five) out from between the other bills
as in FIG. 25 and in a sweeping action slides this
dollar under her outstretched hand. Again, the
sweeping action prevents the dollar from being
recognized and since she clearly sees two dollar bills
remaining, she has to believe the Five went under her
hand.
Now grasp the packet in your right fingers so
your right thumb goes onto the partial portrait of
Lincoln (In this version the difference between
portraits is more noticeable and needs to be
concealed.)
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment

STEP EIGHT - Clearly show the two Ones STEP ELEVEN - Give her one of your Fantasy-
(privately thank the flap for hiding the Five). Then ask Fives to keep with her deluded-dollar as follows:
for the spectator's other hand. As she stretches out Pick up the One from the table with your left hand
her palm-down hand rotate the bills so the flap's so you can see the serial numbers on the top, so the
ends are toward yourself. Cover Abe with your left "I" is in the upper-left corner. Place this dollar squared
thumb, as your right fingers secretly fold the Five's under the bottom "Five" and take the entire packet in
flap over to the left into open position. Just swing it your left hand, thumb on top and fingers underneath.
open underneath the packet as you "smooth out the STEP TWELVE - Turn your right hand palm down
bills." It should neatly line up with the left end of the so your fingers can grasp the upper end of the bills
upper dollar. The two bills are now double-flapped, in as in FIG. 27. (Note that the right fingertips press
preparation for the double-naked change. down on the top Five and not on the lower flap.) Your
STEP NINE - As soon as the Five-flap is in place, right fingers now completely conceal the lower Five-
rotate the packet so the flap ends are again toward flap. The entire packet is now held between your right
the audience. Re-take the packet with your right fingers and thumb.
fingers so your thumb covers that little bit of Abe.
STEP TEN - Put your left index finger directly on
top of the " 1 " flap as you duck the whole packet
under the spectator's outstretched hand. Once the
packet is hidden under her hand, two things happen
in the same instant: your left fingers unfold the " 1
flap so it goes up flat against the bottom of the One
(to ungimmick the One) as your right fingers pull the
Five out from underneath the One and put it on top of
the One.
Before you bring the packet back into view, do a
quick peek to make sure the flap on the Five is
perfectly covering the One so it looks exactly like two
Fives (FIG. 26). Cover that bit of George with your left
thumb as you bring the two transformed bills from
under the outstretched hand. Give this startling
double change of the Ones into Fives a moment to
register, then ask the helper to check the Five under
her hand. It looks just like a One. "Oops, that'll Just as your right fingers grasp the ends of the
happen every now and then." bills, your left fingers take the lower two bills down,
to the table, turning palm down which turns the two
bills over. Your right fingers hang onto the single
Five - still concealing the flap. During this action say
something like "I'll keep this Five, and give you the
other Five and the One."

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 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment
FINE POINT - Slide the top tabled bill to the right
until the lower One shows part of the portrait and the
letters "E DO" (or in some cases
"E D") as in FIG. 28. This is a very subtle thing, but
because two different parts of Washington are
showing it seems to be a different portrait, meaning
two different denominations. Don't
point this out, just let it be. This fine point is so subtle
that it borders on the meaningless.
STEP THIRTEEN - Your palm-down left fingers
then grasp the left end of the flapped Five (still held in
your palm-down right fingers). Your left fingers turn
the bill over away from you, to automatically unfold the
secret flap as it brushes against your right fingers
(FIG. 29). Casually unfold your Five.
STEP FOURTEEN - When she checks her six
dollars she finds only two Ones! Sell her the Five you
hold "for the paltry sum of two bucks. This way
everyone makes a profit."
OPTION - To avoid putting the secret crease into a
borrowed bill, you can do this using all
your own pre-creased money.
You can stop here, or push this over the edge by
taking the two dollars she just gave you and go for
the..
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BIG BUCK NAKED
You offer to sell two examined "magic dollars" for
the drastically discounted price of twenty bucks. You
had personally paid fifty bucks for the pair just last
week so you're offering a real bargain here. But for
some strange reason no one sees the value of this
deal. So you reluctantly transform your two magic
dollars into two genuine Hundred-dollar bills, which
you plan to use as a down-payment on some magic
beans.
* You can do this as a solo or as an encore to
one of the other sequences.
During a lull in your life: Fold and pre-crease the
Hundred in the same manner as the precreased
Five. If you don't have a Hundred you can improvise
by carefully drawing two zeros next to the "one" on a
dollar (be sure to use a matching color ink).
PERFORMANCE
STEP ONE - Under cover of removing the bills
from your wallet (for whatever version you're doing)
slip the folded Hundred under your wallet so its pre-
crease is on the bottom facing away from you. It's
okay for the audience to see the bill going under the
wallet. You just don't want them to know its
denomination.
Table the wallet so the normal end is sticking
out toward you just enough to be seen as a bill, but
not enough to be identified as a Hundred. If anyone
asks, mention that you'll get to this other bill in a
moment.
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment
STEP TWO - Perform one of the other Buck Naked
sequences, then get the two dollars into the crossed-
flapped position (flap towards you) and hold them in
your right fingers directly above the wallet and over the
Hundred. Openly add this third "dollar from the wallet"
to the underside of the two crossedOnes, by moving
them straight down as your left hand moves the wallet
aside (FIGS. 30,31). The two Ones should slide off
the top of the wallet and down onto the Hundred as
you move the wallet. The Hundred should be square
with the lower One. Hold all three bills in your right
fingers. The audience knows you've added a third bill.
They don't know it's a Hundred.
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STEP THREE - Pretend to slide out this bottom
bill but actually take the lower (nonflap) dollar at the
inner right. This displays a third dollar, apparently
the bill you just picked up from under the wallet. The
Hundred is still on the bottom of the "two" crossed
Ones disguised as a dollar.
STEP FOUR - Hand the loose single to a spectator
then pivot the two crossed "Ones" so the flap ends
are toward you. Secretly open the Hundred's flap, then
pivot the bills so the flap ends are again toward the
audience. Direct your spectator to rub the magic dollar
against your two bills. Then take the dollar back and
put it in your pocket. Thank her for transforming your
two remaining dollars into "Magic Dollars" (which still
look like two normal dolI a rs).
STEP FIVE - Offer to sell one of your Magic Dollars
to your spectator for twenty bucks, which is a real
bargain when you consider how rare genuine Magic
Dollars are. After she laughs in your face direct her to
hold her hand palm down, where you rub the two
dollars against her palm, secretly putting the flapped
Hundred on top of the One. "The great thing about
Magic Dollars is that by adding a little body heat you
can turn them into almost anything you want." Reveal
the two Magic Hundreds, put them in your pocket.
Offer to pay for lunch (credit to Mr. Jack and the
Beanstalk for inspiring this presentation).
PHOOTNOTES
Eric prefers this load ing-technique for a start-and-
finish clean change of a single dollar into a single
Hundred under her hand. Add the third" dollar" from
under the wallet to the two crossed-Ones, slide out
the normal dollar, then place it back under and switch
as you slide it (really the Hundred) under the
spectator's hand. You can now unfold your two normal
Ones so you're squeaky clean before the Hundred is
revealed.
 Paul Harris The Art of Astonishment

WING TIPS
* During any of the versions, when the two bills
There is a refined technique for secretly making the
are crossed and flapped, you can casually open out
flap-crease while everyone's watching:
the top bill into a long strip. Then refold it to get on
Fold the bill into quarters and oriented in flap-
with the show. This is not a make-or-break moment,
position. Hold the bill up in front of you so only you can
but it can be a minor amusement if you don't have an
see the flap side. Now by slightly spreading the two
active social life.
"wings" of the folded bill you'll have a little "screen" to
work behind. Look right at the bill as you fold up the
flap of the inner wing. The outer wing completely hides
this action from the front. Immediately unfold your flap
- You can also spread your wings so they sort of
and allow the bill to settle back to normal position.
look like extra bills. Save this as a treat for yourself
Casually do the folding actions under cover of
after you've exhausted the entertainment value of the
flattening the creases in the wings.
first tip.

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