Hidden Books Puzzler 2Here's the latest (last?) version of my Bible Books search puzzler.There are 43 book names, more than any other puzzler I have seen, hidden in the text -- along with a few other names from the Bible (just to keep people on their toes!!). Created by John and Dee Shaw For the answer send e-mail to jshaw@teleport.com and indicate version M000922b.wpd WITHIN THIS TEXT I HAVE CONCEALED THE NAMES OF FORTY-THREE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. WHILE I MANAGED TO FORMAT THE WORDS SUCH THAT THE LETTERS OF EACH NAME ARE CONSECUTIVE, THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS CONTIGUOUS, SO THE NAME MAY BE ENTIRELY WITHIN A SINGLE WORD OR MAY SPAN ACROSS TWO OR MORE WORDS. FOR THOSE WHOSE SPELLING IS TOO BAD, "I" AHEAD OF "E" IS THE RULE TO REMEMBER. BROTHER MARTINEZ RATES THIS A MOST DIFFICULT PUZZLE THAT SHOULD, IN FACT, SEVERELY CHALLENGE YOU. TO BE COMPLETELY TRUTHFUL, I MUST ADMIT IT USUALLY TAKES THE PREACHER, THE REVEREND JOSHUA WILLIAMS, TO FIND SOME OF THE NAMES. AND YES, THERE HAVE BEEN A BELEAGUERED FEW WHO HAVE FOUND THE JOB TO HAVE BEEN A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE WHICH, IN SPITE OF THEIR LAMENTATIONS, LEFT THEM WITH A DISMAL ACHING FEELING AND A DAMAGED EGO. ONE COMIC, A HEATHEN AT HEART, REMARKED THAT, NO, A HARD PUZZLE LIKE THIS COULDN'T BE DONE QUICKLY, IF AT ALL. HOWEVER, FIRST TIMOTHY AND JUAN REMOS ESTIMATED IT TOOK ONLY ABOUT ONE HOUR, THEN A JUDEAN BIBLIOPHILE, MONSIGNOR GALATI, ANSWERED THE PUZZLE IN LESS THAN THIRTY MINUTES WHILE FATHER PHILIPPI ANSWERED IT IN A LITTLE MORE THAN AN HOUR. AND JUST RECENTLY, A MISS HERMIONE WISHAG GAINED WORLD-WIDE NOTORIETY FOR SOLVING THIS PUZZLE IN LESS THAN TWENTY MINUTES AND JON, A HEADMASTER AT THE LOCAL SEMINARY, FINISHED IT IN ONLY TEN MINUTES! THESE SOLVERS CREATED SUCH A STIR WITH THEIR QUICK SOLUTIONS THAT THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE'S EDITOR, ALEX O. DUSHEK, DID A NICE ARTICLE ABOUT THEM IN THE SUNDAY EDITION. INCIDENTALLY, BOTH ALEX AND ERIN, HIS COUSIN, ARE ALSO TALENTED CREATORS, AND AVID SOLVERS, OF PUZZLES. THE APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM VARIES WIDELY. WHILE SOME GO AT IT BY THE NUMBERS, LOOKING SYSTEMATICALLY FOR EACH NAME, OTHERS RELY UPON A FLUKE OF LUCK OR SOME DIVINE REVELATION AND OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES IN A REAL JAM, ESPECIALLY WHEN LOOKING FOR SOME OF THE MORE OBSCURE NAMES. SOME CHOOSE TO WORK ALONE WHILE OTHERS FEEL THAT, WHEN WORKING SOLO, MONOTONY SETS IN BEFORE THEY CAN FATHOM A SIMPLE SOLUTION. EVEN WORKING TOGETHER, WHEN ABRAHAM SEES IAN FALLING ASLEEP, HE'S IAN'S ALARM CLOCK. SISTER DANIELLA, JOSE, PHIL AND LISA ACTUALLY PREFER TO WORK IN TOTAL SILENCE, WHILE BOBBY JOE LIKES TO LISTEN TO CLASSICAL MUSIC. MY FRIEND, LISA MUELLER SAYS THAT THOUGH SOME MAY CONSIDER HER ODD, SHE FEELS SHE CAN CONCENTRATE BETTER IF SHE BREWS HERSELF A CUP OF NICE HOT TEA. ON THE OTHER HAND, EUGENE ZEKIE LOVES COFFEE AND CHOSE A CUP OF HIS FAVORITE BLEND INSTEAD. I MIGHT NOTE THAT OF THE LISTS THAT I HAVE SEEN, GENE'S IS BY FAR THE SHORTEST. YOU MAY JUDGE SOME OTHER METHOD TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE, OFFERING, PERHAPS, ALMS FOR INSPIRATION OR, FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF MARY JOHNSON, BY CHANTING A FAVORITE MANTRA. SO, WHILE THERE IS NO CASH AWARD FOR DOING SO, IN CASE THIS PUZZLE HAPPENS TO APPEAL TO YOU AND YOU WISH TO COMPETE, READ THIS TEXT CAREFULLY AND LET NEITHER TEDIUM NOR ACHE LESSEN YOUR ENJOYMENT OR KEEP YOU FROM ANSWERING THE CHALLENGE OF FINDING THE NAMES OF ALL FORTY-THREE BOOKS. Back to Christian Poetry
| |
