Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 10:37:18 -0400
From: John Bailey <jmb184@frontiernet.net>
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To: chris@questrel.questrel.com
Subject: Manson's Maze
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I just accessed the rec.puzzles FAQ to copy the official version of the
Manson's Maze puzzle and I found to my suprise that it only shows a path
to the center, stating the rest of the solution is unknown.

I expected to find Scott Purdy's answer:

(quoting)
What is the solution to _Maze_ by Christopher Manson?

In room 29, a door to room 17 is hidden upside-down to look like a
table. Notice that the two leftmost candlesticks are not
connected to the stand. In addition, the two candles for those sticks
are casting shadows back toward the fool, away from the
lit candle on the stand. This is also hinted at in the first room by the
two banners on the ground, nearest the entryway. They
contain the words "Go" & "17."

Using this door this 16-step tour exists:

1 26 30 42 4 29 17 45 23 8 12 39 4 15 37 20 1.

The various components of room 45, put together properly produce the
following question: "What house will all live in?"

     W + hat = What
     shoe + U (horseshoe shaped) = House
     Will (iam shake spear)
     awl = All
     elvi = Live

eye + N (sideways Z) = In

Beginning at the first room of the path, a hint can be phrased:

"Like Atlas, you bear it upon your shoulders."

     1: Like is written backwards on the banner hanging near the
entryway.
     26: salt + A = Atlas
     30: From text, "Why 'O' & 'U'?" = You
     42: A Bear is the main feature of this room.
     4: The holes and pegs are a form of intelligence test, abbr. I.T.
     alternately, the torches are I's and the gavel is a T
     29: up + on = Upon
     17: Why + Oh + You + Are = Your
     skip room 45
     23: Taken from the text is the word "shoulder" to which we add the
S from room
     8. This is not entirely satisfying, because the next rooms do a
good job of
     providing most of the letters, but not in quite the right
combinations.

i.e. S U D R (ELL spells) L house, hero, heroes S S

The acceptable answers were "The World, Earth, or Globe." In addition to
the hint, Shakespeare's theater was the Globe, and
among the banners in the first room is the Greek symbol for their
goddess of Earth, a circle with a dot in the center. (actually,
the banner has a square, and that is only a vague memory. I'm not sure
that the symbol is correct at all.)


Much thanks to Andrew C. Plotkin for the information provided by the
publisher and to Narciso Jaramillo for his
assistance in determining the reasons for these statements.

Although a letter has been sent to the publisher, nothing but the
riddle, hint and answer is certain. In, it, and shoulders
are particularly unsatisfying. Any additions, suggestions,
clarifications or comments would be welcomed.

Sco4tt "Fool" Purdy spurdy@pomona.claremont.edu
(end quote)

I am just preparing a new web page which will advance logic for an
extension to Purdy's solution:
"The world, without God is like a maze without a clue"(Woodrow Wilson)
and a seven room path (compliments of  Chris McManus), additional clues
(a discovered sheet from Henry Holt) and an exegesis of these clues by
Ian Finley.

-----------------------------------
What is the process validating these additions and getting them added to
the FAQ if appropriate?

Thanks
John Bailey
http://www.frontiernet.net/~jmb184