The Merlin Mystery facts for kids

The Merlin Mystery is a cool puzzle book for kids, released in 1998. It was written by Jonathan Gunson, who also drew the pictures with Marten Coombe. Warner Books published it, and even Mensa (a group for very smart people) said it was great! It's like an armchair treasure hunt, where you solve a mystery from your home. The book challenged readers to figure out a magic spell by looking closely at the pictures. You had to draw your solution and send it in. Over 30,000 people tried, but no one found the right answer! So, the big prize of £75,000 (about $125,000 at the time) was given to the World Wildlife Fund instead, to help protect animals.

The Story of Merlin's Mystery

The book begins with a curious black cat. She is exploring the old home of the famous wizard Merlin. Merlin is a legendary wizard from the stories of King Arthur. The cat seems to be looking for something valuable to take.

Inside the house, the cat meets a wise northern spotted owl. The owl guides her through Merlin's home. He tells her about Merlin's life and his amazing magic. The owl also explains something called 'The Pendragon Alchemy'. This is a special way of thinking. It teaches that giving to others brings more rewards than taking. These rewards can be money or even good feelings.

The story tells how Merlin protected a princess from evil sorcerers. He even created a ring of stones in Avebury to help her. Merlin also fell in love with Nimue, the Lady of the Lake. She is described as a water sprite princess.

A Surprising Twist

Later, we find out that the black cat is actually Nimue! And the owl is Merlin! They change back into their true forms. They are happy to be together again.

But then, Nimue takes Merlin's magic wand. She plans to give it to the evil sorcerers. She thinks they will help save the magical world. But Nimue has been tricked! When she realizes her mistake, she tries to use the wand against the sorcerers. Merlin sees this and thinks she is still trying to help them. He steps in to stop her.

A powerful blast from the wand hits Merlin. It traps him in a magical prison. With his last bit of magic, Merlin changes Nimue. She becomes the water of the lake near his prison. Merlin and Nimue are now stuck, but they are close to each other. They will stay trapped until a "seeker" (that's you, the reader!) casts "the spell." This spell is the solution to the book's puzzle. When the spell is cast, the magic wand (the prize for solving the puzzle) will appear.

Solving the Book's Puzzle

Just like other armchair treasure hunt books, the story itself doesn't give you the answer. Instead, you find the solution hidden in the book's pictures. You also need to look at the special squares around the edge of every page.

Every page is full of clues! You'll see Alchemical symbols, Astrological signs, and special family symbols called cadency marks. The borders of the pages have objects that are part of the solution. These include Latin names for plants, names of chemical elements, and symbols that show direction or movement. The book also shows pictures of famous places. You'll also see things from English culture, like Beefeaters, Town criers, and Toby Jugs.

How to Find the Solution

The answer to the puzzle is a list of 75 objects. These objects are hidden around the page borders. You find them by drawing 75 lines through the book. You have to think of the book in "3 dimensions."

Each line starts at a different border square on a page. These starting points are marked by silver Nimue symbols (which look like the Mercury sign) and witch hats. Gold and silver Merlin symbols then tell you to turn to a different page. On that second page, gold alchemy symbols show you which way to draw your line. You draw it across the page to a new border square. Gold and silver cadency symbols then tell you to turn to yet another page. On this third page, crescent moons guide you around the border. You move until you find the correct object. The 75 objects are put in order using Roman numerals. These numbers are hidden in etched tiles on each page.

Casting the Spell

Once you correctly figure out the list of objects, you'll know how to perform the spell. Here's what the spell involves:

• You need to do it during a full moon.
• You must face north.
• A pentagram (a five-pointed star) made of five different kinds of wood is placed inside a circle of salt.
• 12 runes (ancient symbols) are placed around the salt circle.
• A 13th rune goes inside the north point of the pentagram.
• Silver and gold candles are lit and placed on either side of the pentagram.
• A censer (a container for burning incense) with burning rosemary is placed in the center.
• To cast the spell, you speak the names of the 13 runes.
• Then, you put out the candles.
• Finally, you say the word "Peace".

The Prize for the Winner

The winner of The Merlin Mystery would have received a prize of either £75,000 or $125,000. These amounts were the same value at the time.

The winner would also have been given a special magic wand. It was thirty-six inches long. The top of the wand was made from old, gold-threaded Brazilian crystal. This crystal was set into silver. The staff (the main part of the wand) was gilded (covered in a thin layer of gold). It looked like a branch from the tree of life. The wand's head also had a ring of alchemy symbols around it.

Along with the wand, the winner would have received these cool items:

• A bracelet with twelve golden alchemy symbols.
• A larger golden symbol, called Sulphur Sublimate. This was attached to a piece of lapis lazuli, a beautiful blue stone.
• A small bottle filled with pure 24-carat gold pellets. The book said these came from the River Nile.
• Three charms linked together by a chain. These charms looked like the Sun, the Moon, and Saturn. They also represented three sorcerers from the story.
• A strong oak chest to hold all the prizes. This chest had three locks and three different keys. The lid of the box had the words "Merlinius Est Mihi Dominus" written on it. This means "Merlin is my Master."