Scrabbletales is a new game invented by Mogmother and Optimist on the Run on 19/11/2017
- Play a game of Scrabble (proper rules or not...)
- Record all the words used.
- Use all the words in a short story.
Mogmother then wondered what to do with her stories once she’d got them... Puzzle caches, of course!
The cache is not hidden at the above co-ordinates. Please park with consideration for local people. At the GZ, please do not detach the initial container, and replace everything carefully. Although this area is open 24/7, it may be somewhat insalubrious after dark.
The cache is hidden at: (word for where the Ladies’ Guild went, minus what Yvonne calls her father); (Hammurabi’s first name), (the last part of Mac<’s email address), (word for a questioning noise, minus four), (word for a number), (word for the type of fat bought at the village shop); (Mac’s full surname, minus one), (the boy’s first name, minus one), (the Mater’s source of horticultural ideas, plus one); (name of the property Hammurabi investigates, minus four), (word for red-brown colour in Shetland sheep, plus one), (the female tenant’s name), (the female tenant’s job, times two); (word for the material used for the cages, minus one),(what Hammurabi suggests they could wade to), (site of the camera Hammurabi went to check, minus three), (name of the shopkeeper); (word for tool/weapon, plus one), (name of mythical creature), (word beginning with Q), (how Hammurabi refers to his home, plus one), (how Hammurabi refers to his mother), ( the metal which was coated with zinc, minus three), (Hammurabi’s surname, plus one), (the name Hammurabi, halved); (The manservant’s first name), (word for metal beginning with Z); (Word for a drink the village shop does not sell, minus one), (word for what the Mater wants to do to the paths), (word for menagerie, plus two), (number of cages, minus two).
[Where ‘word’ is mentioned, this refers to words from the original Scrabble game, not extra ones added to make up the story. However, some of the names were too useful to leave out...! Ignore the possibility of Double Word Scores and Triple Letter Scores etcetera: just add up the letters.]
Words: hiked, quark, guild, wade, wine, eh, horn, shop, agents, pa, toys, cites, moorit, intruder, pave, lard, zinc, arena, dumps, whiffs, cages, axe, jaw, nix, lit, zoo, oval, eely, bulb, one, to (au)
A Boy Named Q- “It whiffs of fish”
‘What’s happening next holidays?’ Mackenzie Minor enquired.
‘If your cousin cannot have us, you are welcome to visit the Grange.’ Quentin Hammurabi Mortmain spoke confidently into the phone. ‘You can handle an axe, so we could cut wood, or assist Jeremiah around the estate; the Mater cites Gardener’s World as the reason to pave the paths, but gravel would be better; we could wade out to the islet or visit the zoo-‘
‘The zoo?’
Hammurabi laughed. ‘I hiked northward to check the camera at the ford, and then beyond the perimeter to the village shop. Anna informed me that the newcomers at Micklethwaite have installed cages; she thinks they are starting a menagerie.’
‘Out there?’ Mackenzie Minor was scathing. ‘Nix! It whiffs of fish! You need to find out what they’re up to!’
‘My opinion exactly. I intend to investigate tomorrow after the Model Engineers Club meeting. The Ladies’ Guild have a trip to the Arena so the Mater will be back late.’
***
At dusk the following evening Hammurabi was climbing across a wall watched by his mother’s moorit sheep. He dropped down into another field, aware that he was now an intruder. Who were the new tenants at Micklethwaite? According to Anna they had bought lard and a bulb, and asked if she sold wine or quark.
He approached the outbuildings with caution. There were the cages: a row of large wire structures, iron coated with zinc. One appeared to be occupied. Following an oval course round various dumps of building materials he approached downwind, aware he was trespassing, and crouched in cover with his field glasses.
He emailed Mackenzie Minor as soon as he was back at the Grange.
Mac<@kittitoe Re “it whiffs of fish”
Expedition at 21.30 hours to Micklethwaite. 6 galvanised cages suitably sized for large quadrupeds. One occupied by large quadruped. It appeared to be a pony with a horn protruding from its forehead. No doubt your jaw has dropped as far as mine did, unicorns being mythical/toys. Moved closer & noticed signs of recent surgery around horn. C10.15 house in darkness, one window brightly lit. Ventured up to said window in eely fashion, heard interesting conversation. “Yvonne” (vet) and “Pa” are agents for fake unicorn ‘breeding’ programme. Ingenious, eh? Will report to The Usual Place and watch with interest.
Yours etc., Mortmain.
FTF Chilli.monster FTF