Arthur Transcript

[Map of 5 rooms that can be reconstructed from the transcript] >LOOK

Path

Your quest for the Seven Lost Jewels of Nimnul has brought you to a path, deep within a dark forest. The path goes north and south from here.

You see a small box half-buried beneath a pile of leaves.

>TAKE THE BOX

Succumbing to the thieving instinct that drives adventurers such as yourself to steal anything that isn't tied down, you take the box.

>OPEN IT

You open the box. Inside is a small scrap of paper.

>EXAMINE PAPER

Most of the writing is illegible, but you can make out the following words: "When thou wisheth to cause something to lose dimension, utter the ancient word 'Twerplotz' Contrariwise, if thou desireth to cause a thing to become enlarged, then shalt thou say 'Blimpsnarf.'"

>NORTH

Clearing

You come to a clearing in the woods. A path leads to the south, and the way to the east is blocked by a thick hedge of thorns. There is a woodsman here, roasting a deer over a huge fire. You haven't eaten all day, and the hunk of meat he holds in his hand looks particularly appetizing.

>ASK WOODSMAN FOR MEAT

"Well now," says the woodsman. "There's enuf 'ere for two, but me father told me never to give up sump'n for nut'n. 'Ave ye got anything to offer?"

>INVENTORY

You are wearing an expensive cloak that is fastened at your neck with a copper pin.

You are carrying a sword, a small box, and an incredibly battered brass lantern that is so banged up from past adventures that it's a miracle it gives off any light at all.

>TRADE BOX FOR MEAT

You give the box to the woodsman and he gives you the meat. You wolf it down and your hunger disappears.

>THANK WOODSMAN

"No need for thanks," the woodsman says, holding up the box. "It's a fair enough trade."

>EAST

You wave a jaunty farewell to the woodsman, turn, and walk face-first into the hedge, impaling yourself on the thorns. You pry yourself free and do a quick impression of a sieve leaking blood, then fall to the greensward, dead.

***** You have died. *****

[Do you wish to RESTART, RESTORE, UNDO, QUIT, or get a HINT?]

>UNDO

[Undone]

>CUT HEDGE WITH SWORD

You hack away at the hedge with your sword. For every branch you chop off, two grow back in its place. The woodsman chuckles knowingly.

>ASK WOODSMAN ABOUT HEDGE

"Oh, that there's an enchanted 'edge, that one is. On t'other side is a beautiful girl locked up in a tower. Legend 'as it that once a year - at the stroke of midnight on St. Winget's day - an 'ole opens up in the 'edge." He pulls his Old Woodsman's Almanac out of his back pocket and consults it. Then he licks his finger, holds it up to the wind, ponders a moment, and continues, "As luck would have it, today 'appens to be St. Winget's day."

>WOODSMAN, TELL ME ABOUT THE GIRL

"A lovelier lass never breathed. They say 'er skin is fair as heifer's milk, 'er neck is graceful as a swan's, an' she's lively as a young colt. Mind you, I've never seen 'er, but if I was twenty years younger, I wouldn't mind 'aving a go at 'er meself."

>WAIT FOR MIDNIGHT

[Time passes...]

In the distance you hear the sound of a church bell striking the hour. As you idly wonder if the hour ever strikes back, a hole opens up in the hedge leading to the east.

>EAST

You are too big to fit through the hole.

>TWERPLOTZ ME

You shrink to half your original size.

>EAST

Meadow

You walk through the tunnel and emerge into daylight on the other side. There is a perfectly round tower here that has no doors or other openings, except for one tiny window at the very top. To the north is a large tree with a huge trunk.

>CLIMB TOWER

The walls are to smooth to climb.

>HIDE BEHIND TREE

Meadow, behind the tree

You walk behind the tree and peer around the trunk at the tower.

>Z

[Time passes...]

Suddenly an old crone comes up to the base of the tower and cries, "Grizlbut, let down thy hair."

Moments later, a mass of golden hair cascades out of the window. The witch climbs up the hair and disappears into the tower.

[Do you want to continue waiting?]

>YES

After a while, the crone emerges from the window, climbs down the hair and disappears into the forest. The hair retreats into the window above.

>OUT

Meadow

You step out from behind the tree.

>GRIZLBUT, LET DOWN THY HAIR

A clump of hair falls from the window above, hitting you squarely on the head and knocking you unconscious. After a few moments, you recover and stagger groggily to your feet.

>CLIMB HAR

[You don't need to use the word har.]

>OOPS HAIR

Tower Room

Ignoring the shrieks and cries of pain from above, you climb up the side of the tower.

Climbing through the window, you discover to your dismay that the legend got the animals right, but the particulars wrong. The girl has the face of a horse, the figure of a cow, and the voice of an enraged swan. She looks at you as she hauls in her hair and squawks, "You're awfully small to be going around rescuing maidens."

>BLIMPSNARF ME

Poof! You regain your original size.

The girl smiles at you demurely, bats her one eyelash, and rasps, "Hello, sailor."

>LOOK

Tower Room

You are in a small room at the top of a tall tower. The only escape lies through the window to the west or the locked door to the east. Imbedded in the doorknob is one of the Seven Lost Jewels of Nimnul.

>TAKE JEWEL

You tug at the jewel, but it refuses to budge.

>OPEN DOOR

The door is locked.

The girl strokes her moustache meditatively and brays, "The witch who imprisoned me here told me that the door would open only if I would speak aloud the answer to the following riddle: Forward I'm heavy, backward I'm not. What am I?"

>SAY "TON"

The door springs open, and the jewel pops out into your hand.

[Your score just went up by 5 points.]

"Darling!" the girl honks. "I'm yours!" She leaps into your arms. You stagger backward under the tremendous weight and crash into the wall.

>DROP GRIZLBUT

The girl thuds to the floor and everything else in the room jumps. She wraps herself around your leg and beseeches you to take her with you.

>EAST

Corridor

Dragging Grizlbut behind you like a ball and chain, you leave the room to explore the rest of the tower.