Let me tell you what happened to me last week!
I was cleaning up the shop when I thought I heard a scratching sound on the back door. At first I didn't think anything of it, but it persisted, so I went to take a look. I opened the door, looked around and didn't see anyone. I was getting ready to head back inside when something at my feet caught my eye. Glancing down, I jumped back startled. There before me was a very large cat with tufted ears sitting on its haunches staring up at me!
I own a taxidermy so I recognized the animal as a lynx, or more commonly known as a bobcat. I had even stuffed a few for some customers. Knowing the type of animal did nothing to lessen my surprise when I found one sitting in my doorstep! My surprise only increased when it opened its mouth and said, "Now, don't freak out, but I'm not really a lynx!"
A few moments later, I was awakened by the feeling of something wet and rough going over my face. I opened my eyes to see the tongue of the lynx washing my face. The cat took a step back and said, "Oh good. You're awake. I really didn't mean to make you pass out, but I couldn't figure any other way out to let you know what I was....or wasn't!"
Eyes wide, I stared at the talking cat and tried to slow the pounding of my heart, "If you're not....a lynx, what ARE you!?!"
"oh hmmm, it's a long story, so I'll try to be brief. I'm actually a public defendant and I was assigned to work the case of a old lady who lived in the woods by herself. This company wanted to buy her land, but she was putting up a fight. To make matters worse, she had a reputation in the area of being, well, a witch. She was brought in on some trumped up charges about being a nuisance, and that's how I met her. Long story short, we lost the case. Even though I did everything I could have done to plead on her behalf, she blamed me for the outcome. As she was being led out of the courtroom, she shouted at me, 'Curse you! May you wander the earth on all fours until you can prove yourself capable!' With that, she threw a letter at me, and that was the last I saw her. I just placed in my briefcase and left. The next morning I found myself like this. I dug out the letter and it said,
~~~~~~~~~~~
To return to your human form, you must prove yourself capable. Demonstrate your physical prowess, your educational training, and your ability to think on your feet through three tests:
1) Drop Box of 100 dead rats off at a taxidermy to prove your physical prowess.
2) Solve this problem to show your training.
3) Find the glass globe to show your ability to think.
Once you prove yourself, you will return to your normal shape….if you still desire to.
lynxlady dot txt
~~~~~~~~~~~
"And there was a math problem on the back. That's all it said. So here's the box of rat tails. They were much easier to find than I though they would be. I'm used to fighting rats in the courtroom, and fighting rats in the street isn't very hard."
I was dumbfounded. Not only was a lynx sitting there talking to me, the tale woven was almost too much to believe! But there he was sitting there covered in spotted fur! "What do you want me to do with the rats?"
"Oh, I don't care. I don't think it matters. I think the main thing was that I Drop the Box off. But if you could help me with this math problem, I would be very grateful. I always had trouble with math."
"Sure. I can help you with that….."
We were able to solve the math problem and the lynx left shortly after, thanking me for my help. I don't know if he ever found the glass globe or was ever transformed back to a human, but yesterday an old lady stopped by my shop. She said, "The cat proved himself by retrieving the glass globe and chose to remain a lynx. For helping him along his journey, you will be rewarded. Go to the place of the glass globe and you will find it there….that is if you are capable!"
Are you capable?
You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.