Soldier's Prayer Book

Soldier's Prayer Book is a classic plot on card magic in which the cards are used to tell a story.

The original patter story related the various characteristics of a deck of playing cards to both God and the calendar by a soldier in the field to justify carrying a deck of cards with him.

It was published in London hundreds of years ago but was revived in 1937 by Hugard as "The Perpetual Almanac or Gentleman Soldier's Prayer Book".

It has involved into telling other stories from a pre-arranged sequence of cards with one of the most popular being "Sam the Bellhop" by Bill Malone.

Some story effects use the complete deck, while others use just part.

Versions

• The Perpetual Almanac or Gentleman Soldier's Prayer Book in Jean Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks (1937)
• Sam the Bellhop by Bill Malone
• Monty The Spiv by Harry Stanley's Unique Magic Studios in the 1950's
• one in Scarne on Card Tricks (1950)
• Chip and a Chair from the Underground Collective by Scott Grossberg a story effect based around texas hold 'em. http://www.underground-collective.com
• Mark Phillips does one with giant cards based on visiting the department of motor vehicles
• Who Killed Lilly Longlegs by Simon Lovell in Simon Says (1997)
• After Hours by David Regal
• Diamonds on the Islands - unknown - Doesn't use full deck
• Risen - Michael Paul - Web: http://www.michaelpaulmagic.com
• The Adventures of Diamond Jack (original version) - Namreh - Reprint in Encyclopedia of Card Tricks (1937) (Hugard)
• The Adventures of Diamond Jack - Eugene Burger - Book: Secrets of Magic
• The Adventures of Diamond Jack - Diamond Jim Tyler - Book: Precious Gems Lecture Book
• After Hours - David Regal - DVD: Power, Premise, Participation Vol. 4
• A Night at the Improv - Eric Mead - DVD: ETMCM Vol. 1 or Magical Arts Journal - Paul Harris Issue
• Hopping Henry - Tim Sutton
• A Detective Story - Al D'Alfonso - Web: http://www.online-visions.com/effects/0512al.html also in September 2005 issue of Magic Magazine under the title of Private Ace.
• Aristocrats by Eric Mead performed on the DVD Aristocrats - Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztBZcfAIqXM
• An Englishman in New York by Wayne Dobson in Dobson's Choice
• Joe Kerr's Love - Robert E. Neale - Book: Tricks of the Imagination (1991)
• The Journey of Joe Kerr by Robert E. Neale in Tricks of the Imagination
• The Fleeting Queen - Murry A. Sumner - Linking Ring, Sept. 1988
• Love Conquers All - Jack Vosburg - Jinx no. 109, 1940.
• Elliot "The Hawk" - Vid: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oyV7n4WstMY&feature=related (based on Night at the Improv?)
• Silas and the Slickers in Hugard's More Card Manipulations N° 2 (1939)
• Juan Tamariz has two story-tricks in his Mnemonica (p.189) (2004) titled as "First story" and "Second story". Both use only half of the deck.
• Treasure Trail, and is a tale of adventurers hunting for diamonds.It doesn't quite use the entire deck (just 32 cards). John Fisher's Magic Book (1968)
• Shawn Farquhar performs an ambitious card routine to Sting's song Shape of my Heart, displaying cards to the appropriate words in the song.

References

• http://www.newtscards.com/history_biblestory.asp
• Frank Garcia & Ed Newman in Magic Manuscript (Jul/Aug 1989)