Puzzle Picture No 6

[Ann]

I have a GOP in pieces at the moment ready to repair and rebind, so it seemed like a good opportunity to scan in another puzzle pic. After the Christmas and New Years holidays, it'll help to get the brains in gear again!



The writing on the chunk of "stuff" at the end of line 7 is "iron"

The writing on the chunk of "stuff" in the middle of line 9 is hematite.

1. Far over the sea where the wallabies grow,
2. And take flying leaps in the air;
3. Where ice is unknown, and the colour of snow
4. Is the same as it is everywhere;

5. Where oysters are sold at three pence for three scores,
6. Where the fishes are caught ready-cooked,
7. And lie in neat rows on accessible shores
8. To avoid the keen pain of being hooked;

9. Where the apple pies grow ready-made on the tree,
10. And roast chickens are common as flies.
11. Oh! that is the country of countries for me,
12. And you might let me know where it lies

[catsnaps]

I am totally lost Is there a list of rules/directions/instructions anywhere (from previous puzzles)?

[boheme]

ACK! Good grief, Ann -- couldn't you have found a DIFFICULT one this time ? ? ?

Have you made headway on any of the lines yet ?

For the first line, I get:

"Far over the sea ....."

and that's it. (LOL)

[catsnaps]

boheme said:

Far over the sea .....

EH? I think I might just stay out of this thread lol

[Ann]

Catsnaps,

The easiest way is probably to look at earlier ones we've tried. Most of them have the solutions added. We've never managed to get one completely finished, although the Victorians frequently did.

The "easiest" one (and I'm speaking relatively here!), which includes the solution is HERE

[Ann]

I was on a roll, but I'm stuck now. As far as I can work out, each line has 11 syllables.

Kaye, I was going to email you to let you know I'd posted another of these as I know how much you enjoy torturing yourself, but you beat me to it!

[Cathrin]

Line 9. where the apple pies grow a thousand ?

Line 10. are those baby birds the emu? and would that make sense as it looks like they are talking about Australia

Line 11. Oh that these symbals

[Ann]

cathrin said:

Line 9. where the apple pies grow a thousand ?

I think you're right with grow. I think, but I could be wrong, that the 1,000 probably signifies "m". I also worked out, not without difficulty, that where you see a division sign, it means that you insert the letter that follows the sign, in front of the letter before it.

Line 10. are those baby birds the emu? and would that make sense as it looks like they are talking about Australia

There's a thought! At least that should be easier to fit in than ostrich!

[boheme]

My brain hurts .....

(LOL)

[boheme]

I think the end of line 10 reads:

" ...... are common as flies."


And I'm not sure that I agree with line 11 being "Oh that these" -- I'm thinking it might "Oh that thy see ....."

? ? ?

[Ann]

boheme said:

I think the end of line 10 reads:

" ...... are common as flies."

I think you've got it!

And I'm not sure that I agree with line 11 being "Oh that these" -- I'm thinking it might "Oh that thy see ....."

How about

"Oh that this is...."

[boheme]

I'm sorry -- I pop in every now and then to look at this puzzle, but I'm simply flummoxed .....

[Ann]

I've been doing the same, but I'm pretty well stuck now too. I hate giving up, especially since this is the worst we've done out of all of them, but if everyone else is agreed..........

[boheme]

I surrender .....

[Ann]

I'm still trying to work out line 2! Even with the solution I can't see it. Nor would I ever have described the birds in line 10 as chickens!

To add insult to injury, the "Examiners' Report" says,

"Possibly the simplicity of the puzzle had something to do with the accession to the ranks of solvers. Be this as it may, nearly a hundred solutions were all but perfect and only after the most careful scrutiny were we able to marshal them into four divisions."

(Perfection required the indentations of the lines, hyphens in ready-cooked and apple-pies and the correct punctuation!)