Coyote Dines on Dung
by Robert E. Neale
For Jeff McBride with thanks to Larry White

Robert Neale should not be a stranger to anyone in magic, but just in case... Robert Neale is the author of "Life, Death, and Other Card Tricks" and "Tricks of the Imagination" and co-author of "The Magic Mirror" with David Parr. He's also written a few dozen other things you should read, but those should get you started. There's a lot I could say about Robert Neale, but I'll just say the one that embarasses him the most: he's a damn fine thinker and one of my greatest influences in magic. I hope he's blushing. The following piece is typically Neale: simple magic with a simple story that makes for a neat performance piece. I think you'll like it. -- Shane

Coyote is a Native American trickster. Please name one of the jacks to represent him. The Jack of Diamonds. As Coyote. . . (the chosen card is sought) he is boastful and hopeful. (The card is shown on the face of the deck). Here he is: sometimes very dumb and sometimes quite clever. (The deck is raised for focus on the Jack.) A hero who brings us such gifts as fire and food. . . by tricking everyone. (The Jack is pointed to be the free forefinger.) So this Jack of Diamonds is an extravagant absurdity. As we shall see when we hear this tale, "Coyote Dines on Dung."

Coyote was wandering about, wondering about the possibility of something to eat and somebody to fool. (The Jack of Diamonds is placed facedown on the table.) Not paying attention to his path, he fell into a hole. It was narrow and deep. But he was unwilling to openly call for help. So he sang a song, loudly and tunelessly. (The performer “sings.”) “I am Coyote. I can never fail. I am Coyote. I always succeed.”

As he hoped, the terrible noise attracted others. (The three top cards are removed from the deck in a fan and held and shaken over the single card.) Among them were Fox, Rabbit and Skunk. They looked down at Coyote and laughed, “Ha! Look at you! Got yourself in a hole?”

“No problem,” said Coyote. “Go tell my Buffalo friends that I am captured by a hole and they can have their way with me.”

(The three cards are replaced on top of the deck and the deck is shuffled overhand.) These small animals left and traveled over the land to round up the much larger ones that had been teased and taunted over and over by Coyote. (The deck is held above and moved around the single card.) The Buffalo came running to the hole and lined up around the edge for a good view. “Welcome my friends,” said Coyote. “Fate offers you a chance to show your appreciation for my wisdom. Turn around, let your rear ends hang over the edge and allow me to dine on your dung.”

(Small piles of cards are dropped, most nosily, around and overlapping the single card. Plop-sounds abound.) The buffalo complied joyfully and fully, taking turns letting go and covering their enemy. (The piling is continued until all the cards are placed.) When they were emptied out, turned around and facing the hole again, they saw only the pile of dung that had risen from the depths.

(The two hands are placed around the border of the pile and the cards shoved a little toward the center.) Then there was movement. Was the dung just settling? No. (The uppermost card is turned face up and held up to reveal the Jack of Diamonds.) For there, at the very top, emerged Coyote, free from the hole at last.

“Thank you, my Buffalo friends. “I did dine on dung. But dung delivers. (Or, as we say today, “Shit Happens” and can add, “Shit Saves.”)

A Most Simple Card Trick
A playing card is placed on a surface facedown after being seen. Other cards are tossed on top from all sides. The top card of the pile is turned over and seen to be the card originally at the bottom. This is my version of the classic Ambitious Card. The method is of little importance. The mime is.

Shuffle the deck face up, cut the required Jack to the face, and then hold the deck face up in dealing position at waist level, thumb at one far corner and forefinger at the other, so all can see the Jack. Raise the deck chest high for greater audience focus on the Jack. Lower the hand back down so that the deck is facedown. Use the Glide, sliding back the bottom card with the third and fourth fingers and pulling out the newly exposed card from the bottom with the free hand. Set it facedown on the table. Grasp the deck with the free hand and retake it in the dealing position.

Sing as badly as you can.

Thumb off a fan of three cards facedown and place it over above the single card. Shake it as the animals speak. Return them to the top of the deck. Overhand shuffle the deck, getting the bottom card, the selected Jack, to the top. (The handing of the three cards is used to justify the required shuffle.)

Grasp the deck from the top with the palm-down free hand. The thumb is at the near end, the forefinger at the center of the top, and the other fingers at the front end. The goal of the following moves is both messy distribution and noise. Actually, the biggest goal is laughter. Take your time. Some people will take longer than others to catch on to what is happening. Pause, nod and grin at few times at those who get it. Hold the deck about a foot above the single card. Spring the deck and allow some cards to fall from the bottom in a noisy clump. Move the hand in a circle around the single card, spreading the clumps around to cover it totally. The clumps may vary in size. Make as many clumps as you desire, or as happens accidentally, ending with the final clump in the very center of the pile. Hey, try for eight or ten at least!

Place the two hands so as to somewhat cup and encircle the pile. Squeeze the cards inward a little to suggest the settling of the dung and rising of Coyote.

Touch the top card with a forefinger. Turn it over and lift it up to reveal that it is the Jack placed down at the beginning.

Add-On Conclusion for Coyote Lovers
Coyote ambled off, still hungry and still looking about for someone else to fool. (The back of the Jack, and then the face, is wiped on the table.) First however, he took a lengthy bath in the river, pretending to be just fishing. (The card is tossed onto the others to indicate the conclusion of the tale.) And he very nearly drowned, but that is another tale.

Sources
It is my great pleasure to tell how Jeff McBride and Larry White prompted the presentation. Rarely do I create something all by myself, but often I do fail to give sufficient credit to others. In this case, you get the full story and I am proud to tell it.

Jeff McBride sent the following tale to me in December 2006:

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Jeff added: “This story made me think of you Bob! Insert shit for the word dirt.” I was stimulated to create a trickster tale. (For a fine collection of Coyote tales beautifully and spiritedly written, see Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with His Daughter. (Barry Holstun Lopez, N. Y.: Avon Books, l98l.)

My first version allowed a most sedate plopping by the buffalo. My dropping of the packets was terribly orderly and gentle. Larry White responded:

As I read the story (laughing) my mind wandered to the old "Cow Pasture Shuffle" which is often included in a "fancy shuffling" demonstration for comic relief. As you say, “And then there is the Cow Pasture Shuffle" you hold the pack in one hand and allow small packets of cards to fall off the bottom onto the table. Sounds (and looks) like dropping cow flaps.

If you incorporated this shuffle into the story you have 'sound effects" as well as visual. How to do it though? Gotta get that Coyote card to the top first. I suppose you could simply give the deck a nonchalant overhand shuffle aright after you lay down the coyote card and begin the tale. I really think the sound effect and the "Cow Pasture Shuffle" would add a nifty comic touch to this.

Larry’s suggested addition of sound to the presentation was superb! And his method for this was most simple. All I did was add a rationale for the required shuffling.

The entire event brought to mind a puzzle I created many years ago when attempting to ignore Coyote. You will find it at the end.

Notes on Handling
Obviously, other methods can be used to replace the Glide, for example, the Elliot Change or the Curry Turnover. But why bother?

There are other alternate handlings possible. (1) Do a double lift from the top of the facedown deck, leaving the selected Jack there covertly. (2) Use the Glide, but then hold the deck facedown in dealer position and lift off portions and dump them. Start high from surface and drop forcefully, getting closer as you go. Make noise by pressing down the last card by itself. Pull off packets upward by the thumb at one end, second finger at the other, and forefinger at the middle of the top. (3) Do the Glide, allowing the end of the deck to extend more than usual. Keep position and pull out packets from the top and dump. Or, keep glided card injogged and pull out packets from the bottom. But again, why bother?

Tish’s Clean Spell
Tish is a modest and chaste young woman. (Just the kind who attracts someone like Coyote.) She asks you to rearrange the letters in her name to spell four different words. They must be squeaky clean.

Solution
this, hits, hist (exclamation for getting attention), sith (since -
archaic)

Robert E. Neale