Curiouser-Acrostic X-9-6-1

Acrostic X-9

DOUBLE ACROSTIC X MINUS NINE

Joanne Schott

(In Looking Glass Land, things go in reverse.
The next acrostic, should there be one, will be X minus ten.)

You will need to print the acrostic in order to solve it. When the diagram is filled in, it will contain a quotation from a published work. Numbered squares in the diagram correspond to the numbered blanks to be filled in with the answers to the clues. The first letters of each answer, when read downwards, will spell the name of the author and the title of the work from which the quotation comes. The letter following the number in each square indicates the clue whose answer includes the letter to be entered in that square. Nearly all the clues have something to do with children's literature. You do not need to know more than about 8 (some say 6) answers to begin. As skeletons of words begin to form in the diagram and some initial letters of author and title are in place, work back and forth. Soon the parts of the puzzle will solve one another. Answers will be posted on the site on August 2, 2002.

Note: Depending upon your printer and page setup options, some of the right hand columns of the acrostic may not print. If the printed version does not match what you see on your screen, try going into the print setup menu and change the page orientation from Portrait to Landscape. If your printer supports output scaling (and your eyesight is good!) you can instead try reducing the output scale from 100% (try 90% to start) until all of the columns appear on the printed copy.

The White Knight thinks that since there are two acrostics, one of them excessively long, that it should help a very little bit to know that they are by the same author (in two moods). And he thinks solvers should know that if they remember their English lit classes, they might really be able to steam ahead in X minus 8's grid. He supposes all the Harry Potter clues are a sort of antidote to the frequent heavy dose of historical ones. He's read about Harry, by the way, as he likes to see what some of the new authors are up to. He feels a bit sorry for him, though he admires his character -- old-fashioned virtues and all. But Harry can't make anything! Does everything by magic! Where will he be if the magic stops working? Stranded, that's where. He needs to learn just a little elementary carpentry, nothing fancy or advanced -- just survival tinkering.

Companion acrostics X minus 8 and X minus 9 are likely the final ones to appear in The Looking Glass, though puzzle-maker Joanne Schott and the White Knight may make a surprise appearance from time to time. For more of these deliciously difficult puzzles, go Down the Rabbit Hole and check for the Acrostic in our back issues. -- Ed.

6GG

8BB

10F

11I

12B

13D

14L

15CC

16EE

17G

18DD

19A

20X

21W

22M

23V

24O

25R

26J

27FF

28CC

29Q

30DD

31P

32F

33K

34U

35C

36W

37A

38D

39EE

…

40J

41O

42T

43L

44G

45P

46Y

47R

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49S

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5IX

52AA

53GG

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55W

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177D

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183GG

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241GG

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257L

258A

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260GG

261C

262M

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264AA

265R

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267O

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269W

270EE

271GG

272C

273D

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275F

276Q

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278B

279N

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281L

282J

283I

284G

285E

286C

A ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  280 225  78 185   9  37 214 243  64 258  19 130
Warrior princess of Russian folktales (2 wds)

B ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
   85 128 278 176  12
Natalie Babbitt's short story about Mr. Bezzle's encounters with a pig in hell

C ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
   89  82 272 106   4 221 200 146  35 186 286 261
American folklorist, collector of songs and stories, e.g. The Jack Tales (2 wds)

D ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   13 273 149 177  38   2  83 103 125 244 218  66
No game of Quidditch can end until the … is captured (2 wds)

E ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  100 246 154 285  75 193
Be present at; give heed; wait on --- a versatile word

F ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  207 102 121  73 275 250 180  10  32 141
Harry Potter's best friend (2 wds)

G ___ ___ ___ ___ 
   44 284 196  17
Bunting, Garnett, Rice and Titus

H ___ ___ ___ ___  
  142   1 239  97
"There is a … in the affairs of men" (Julius Caesar)

I ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  117 209 159  87 283  11 181 
Those born without magical ability

J ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   40  92 236  26 150  65 247 282
"The King … Queen and the Queen … Dairymaid" (2 wds, appearing twice)

K ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  240 145  76 172  33 104 
Harry Potter's owl

L ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   68 257 158 134 212 266  14  43 237  58  88 109 281
Romance written by Daisy Ashford, age 9, and published with an introduction by J.M. Barrie; The … (2 wds)

M ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  161  22 113 233 262
"… " said Sleepy-Head; "Let's tarry awhile" said Slow (2 wds)

N ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  162 279 153 135   7
19th century writer of over 80 boys' adventure stories, a staunch imperialist

O ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  267  72 210 143 156 170  24 222  90 251  41  56
County librarian of Derbyshire who donated his collection of early children's books to the Toronto Public Library (2 wds)

P ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  213 126 277  31  67 129 259 242 187  45 206 
Charles Dickens's Cricket … (3 wds)

Q ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  115  61 276  29 163
A number frequently significant in fairy tales

R ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   96 114   3 164  25 265 131 217 171  47
Hogwarts House whose students are hardworking and a bit stolid

S ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
   77 105 188 151 238  49 182 249
The word that Kay needed to make from pieces of ice to free himself from The Snow Queen

T ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  166 179  42  57 232 120 230 204
An Alan Garner title and an astronomical phenomenon (2 wds)

U ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  169 252  62 219 110  34
Quidditch player responsible for capturing the item of Clue D

V ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   93  50 189 215   5 255 160  23
"… Little Fish!" From an Edward Lear Nonsense Alphabet (3 wds)

W ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   84 226 101  21 144 152 269  36  55 111 
Headmaster of Hogwarts

X ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  184  20  91 256 116  51 148 165 199
Guardian of …, periodical published 1802-1806 by Mrs. Trimmer which contained the first serious attempt to review books published for children

Y ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 
  263 119 174  46 205 
The name of L. Frank Baum's California home

Z ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   48 201 157 194 132  74  60 253 228  98
Magical substance used by wizards to travel instantly by going from fireplace to fireplace (2 wds)

AA ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   112  52 264  81  70 178 127 211 198 231
When new students put this on, they learn which Hogwarts House they will belong to (2 wds)

BB ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   234 195   8 140  54  80 123
In Swarm in May (Wm. Mayne), the smallest choir school student must sing the Beekeeper's … as a solo in the bishop's presence

CC ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   216 139  28 248  15 118  94 197 229 268 173 202  71  59
The biggest city in The Rootabaga Country (3 wds)

DD ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   168  18 235  30 155 137 191  79 108 245
Wm. Mayne novel based on an 18th century Yorkshire legend about a drummer boy who went in search of Arthur's treasure

EE ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   192 270 224 124 136  16 138  39  69 254 203 175
Author of many science fiction novels for children, e.g. Trillions and Grinny (2 wds)

FF ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   167 147  27  86 122  99 208 274 223  63
Novel by the author of this acrostic's quotation, about a girl who must become a witch to save her brother from possession by a wizard, The …

GG ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   133 227  95 183 107 260  53 220   6 190 241 271
1944 Newbery winner for Johnny Tremain (2 wds)

Volume 6, Issue 1, The Looking Glass, 2002

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"Acrostic X-9" ©Joanne Schott, 2002
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