DarbyArt

Darby and Art
a Card Story

"Darby and Art" is a story told using every card in a standard deck of playing cards. It requires a good memory. Following is the sequence for stacking the deck and memorizing.

This is the story of a couple of jokers named Darby and Art.

Darby invited Art to come to his house for a card party while Darby's wife was away.
Art was too busy to attend, but he had four guys who wanted to play.

Where did Art find these guys so quickly? Down on 468th Street.

So Darby gave Art $2 for his trouble.

After a short while, one of the guys asked Darby whether any women were planning to attend the Party.
Darby went out to find Art, hoping that Art knew some women who were willing to join them.
Of course, Art had four women available.

Where did Art find these women so quickly? Down on 864th Street.

So Darby gave Art $2 for his trouble.

After a while some of the guys complained that the women were less relaxed than seemed convienient.
They wanted to know where Darby kept the alcohol. But Darby hadn't thought to provide any.
The stores were all closed, so Darby went looking for Art, just in case Art had some booze handy.

Art just happened to have four bottles of Ace-High Whiskey for Darby.

So Darby gave Art $2 for his trouble.

But the fates were in conspiratorial mood, and the women refused to imbibe.
This had the men so perturbed that they drank until they had become quite sodden.
Darby's intention to have them drive the women home, (before his own wife returned), was moot, and his anxiety high;
So Darby went looking for Art in need of a solution.

As ever, Art had an answer. His four body-guards, all sober gentlemen, would follow Darby home and drive the four women away.

So Darby gave Art $2 for his trouble.

But when the four gentlemen saw how drunk the four guys were, they decided to drive the drunks home.
They left Darby with four young women, only $5 to his name, and his wife due home within the hour.
Darby needed $35 to get the women home in taxis, so he went looking for Art.

Darby snatched them, saying: That's fine; here's my $five.

Art said: I only have four ten's.

Art got upset and left the city, and Darby was walking home along 57th Street

When he ran into a policeman.

The policeman asked: What are you doing out so late? You look like you're about 78 years old!

Darby answered: No, I'm only 63.

I have a wife and seven kids;

4 boys and 3 girls.

The policeman asked: what have you been doing tonight?
Darby said: I was playing cards.
Did you win?
Darby answered: No,

I had four nines

with a five

but the other guy had a straight-flush.

Finding Art and the end of each sequence is the only "trick" involved in this story, and its solution is a simple one. When Darby is looking for Art, he goes four cards at a time. Eventually, the dealer will run into the five-card straight-flush just before Art.