The secret word
There was once a very large, fat, and quite handsome bullfrog by the
name of Ribidip, who lived in a small pond in a forest. He was well
liked by the mud turtles, was friends with most of the fish, and was on
very good terms with all the birds.
However, there lived in the forest a very long, very terrifying black
snake whose name was Sinister Hiss. And Ribidip lived in constant fear
that one day he would meet Sinister Hiss and that would be the end of
him. For snakes are very fond of frogs—but not as friends!
Now, in a big hollow tree in the forest there lived an old badger who
was known far and wide for his wisdom. One day Ribidip went to see him,
to ask if there was any way he could be safe from Sinister Hiss. “Can
you tell me how to protect myself?” he pleaded.
“I’ll give you a secret word, but you must figure it out for
yourself,” said the badger. “Write down any number that has three
numerals, such as 265. But the first numeral and the last must have a
difference of at least two—such as 2 and 5, or 6 and 8.“Then, take the number you have written and turn it around so that the
last numeral in it becomes the first. If your number was 265, you’d
now write 562.“Now you have two numbers. Subtract the smaller of the two numbers
from the larger.“Take your answer and turn it around, so that the last numeral
becomes the first. Then add the turned-around number to the number
that you got when you subtracted. This will give you four numerals.
Each of the numerals stands for one of the letters in the code on the
birchbark. These letters will make a word that you must shout out as
loudly as you can if Sinister Hiss tries to eat you!”What was the secret word?
Follow the badger’s instructions. If you can’t work out the secret
word, look on page 21 and see how it’s done.
The badger thought for a while. Then, using ink made of berry juice, he
wrote this code on a piece of birchbark:
Rescue Ribidip
Help! The terrible snake Sinister Hiss is chasing Ribidip the friendly
frog! If the snake catches him, Ribidip is a goner!Can you show the little frog through the maze to the safety of the
pond? Lead the way by following the path with the tip of your finger.
But remember, if you go into a blind alley, or take the long way,
Sinister Hiss may catch poor Ribidip!If you can’t get through the maze to the pond, you’ll find the
shortest path shown on page 21.
