King's Quest - Weeping Willow's Heart Mystery Cache

Grindstone Nature Area is open from 6 AM to 11 PM. Please note bow hunting is allowed between the months of September and January. Wear hunter orange when appropriate.

Seeking the evil wizard that kidnapped his family, King Graham traveled to the land of Serenia with his new companion, an owl named Cedric. The pair happen upon a tall, weeping willow tree standing in a salty pool of tears. She plays a small harp and sings:

How will I find this heart of mine
Taken from me for some time
Here I stand in my pool of tears
Here I'll stay throughout the years

Graham asks what he can do to help. Years ago, when the willow was a human princess, a witch from the nearby dark wood became enamored with her fiance. He refused the witch's advances. Enraged, she banished him to a distant realm and took the pricesses' heart turning her into a tree. If only she had her heart back, she could be human again!

But where is her heart? The only clue is the harp she holds. Graham, versed in stringed instruments, takes particular note of how the strings are tuned. The first three are C8, E5 and B2; the last three are A8, G3 and A1. Etched between the two sets of strings is the number 92. With some clever substitution, Graham knows where to go deep within the foreboding forest. Cedric is more than happy to wait with the weeping willow and avoid any peril.

Do you know how Graham knew where to find the weeping willow's heart? If so, be sure to bring your tools of the trade including a set of tweezers.

This cache is based on King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!, an adventure game by Sierra On-Line. Permission was kindly granted by the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation Department.