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One Two Buckle My Shoe Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

GeoCrater: I am regretfully archiving this cache since there's been no word from the owner in the month or more since the last reviewer note was posted. If you want to re-activate the cache during the next couple of months, please contact GeoCrater to see if that's possible. If the cache meets current guidelines, consideration will be given based on the circumstances surrounding the original archival.

GeoCrater
Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

NOTE: My preferred method of communication is through notes on the cache page in question. However, should you wish to use email - please do not select "reply". In general, a replay to the geocaching.com mail bot will not reach me. Instead, please go to your cache page and e-mail GeoCrater from the log there or email me directly at geocrater@gmail.com, referencing the cache URL, or waypoint number.

Additional translation added as I support a number of countries:

Lamento archivar este caché, ya que no ha habido ninguna comunicación del propietario en el tiempo transcurrido (un mes o más) desde que se publicó la nota del revisor. Si deseas reactivar el caché durante los próximos dos meses, por favor, ponte en contacto con GeoCrater para ver si esto es posible. Si el caché cumple con las directrices en vigor, se estudiará dicha petición teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias que llevaron el archivo original.

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Hidden : 6/8/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

One, Two Buckle My Shoe I located near a busy road. Parking is nearby, but please be careful! Bring tweezers.

This series comes to you via Mother Goose and a bit of historical trivia. One Two Buckle My Shoe was always a favorite of mine as a kid, but I never understood it because the lines didn’t seem to relate to each other. On a whim, I looked into this puzzle and came up with the following:

Where as many nursery rhymes were cloaked commentary remarking on royalty or the ruling class, this one seems to be a set of lyrics regarding the craft of lace making.

One Two Buckle My Shoe:
This refers to the lacemaker getting ready for work in the morning.

Three Four Shut The Door:
The door is closed when leaving home or the lace shop’s door is closed to begin the day’s work.

Five Six Pick Up Sticks:
Wooden pins are gathered and used on a lacemaking machine.

Seven Eight Lay Them Straight:
These pins are placed in specific order on the lace fabric.

Nine Ten A Big Fat Hen:
Always the most bewildering line to me. . . the hen was a pillow stuffed with straw that supported and stabilized the lace as it was woven.

The remaining five lines seem to have left the lacemaker’s realm and refer to the working class who served in great houses.

Eleven Twelve Dig And Delve . . . .Gardeners
Thirteen Fourteen Maids A-Courting...... House Maids
Fifteen Sixteen Maids In The Kitchen......Kitchen Maids
Seventeen Eighteen Maids in Waiting..........Serving Maids
Nineteen Twenty My Plate’s Empty......Now Clean Up Begins

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

340401

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)