Post by rolltideyallx on Dec 13, 2023 13:22:41 GMT -5
I submitted a new answer last night. I did a lot of work on this riddle, so I’m going to here share my work so that in case I am wrong, maybe something my efforts turned up will be the spark someone else needs to finally solve the riddle:
There are 42 variations to the text in “The Mad Tea Party” book when compared to the original “A Mad Tea-Party” chapter by Lewis Carroll. Three of those variations are unique to “The Mad Tea Party” riddle book:
“THE MAD TEA PARTY” riddle title
“A Mad Tea-Party” original title
“‘How dreadfully savage!’ exclaimed Alice.” is omitted in the riddle book text.
and,
“…stupidest tea-party” from the original is changed to “…stupidest Tea Party” in the riddle.
We know these are bonafide clues because they are unique to the riddle book. I own six copies of Alice which I used for my research, in addition to the riddle book text. I found three unique printings of Alice scattered about my six copies. Mostly punctuation differences, but there are some words changed or missing as well as some slight modernization of the text (cannot is shortened to “ca’n’t” in the original, whereas the modern “can’t” is used in the other versions). By eliminating all the changes also found in other printings of Alice, we can be reasonably confident that the three we are left with were put there in fact by the puzzle maker, i.e. they are clues.
Also missing is John Tenniel’s drawing of the March Hare and the Hatter stuffing the Dormouse into a teapot, the third of three drawings in the original chapter from Alice. It is noteworthy because it shows the first of three plots against the Dormouse, or the three attempts to bring him harm.
Additionally, there is a typo on page 23 in regard to the second plot against the Dormouse. “It would be a pity to see if/[it] fall from such a height.”
The third plot occurs right before Peter says “How savage” on the last page when the March Hare says “Beat him with a teapot!” We know the Dormouse is a “him” because of the pronoun discussion at the beginning of the book which is the one time that just three characters are present and speaking in the story.
The emphasis on pronouns is a clue that the answer to the riddle is made from combining PROper NOUNS. Which proper nouns? Three of them plus one letter:
T - - - - - - - - T
“ALICE”
T - - ICE - LAT
“HaRe”
THRICE - LAT
Using the above letters, one can also form the name “haTTer” using the two given Ts.
One and three, one P plus three proper nouns Alice, Hare, and Hatter. This is why the dash, or minus sign, is missing from the title before the P and from “stupidest Tea Party” as the P needs to be added not subtracted. Additionally, “stupidest Tea Party” is a clue that the first letter of the second word is P.
“Tea Party”
T - - - - - P - - T
I also have a theory that the puzzle maker hid the “P” in the riddle. The last word is “before” or “B4” or “backwards 4” which would be a “P” and so the “one and three” comes together to form: THRICE PLAT.
The riddle begins with “Hear ye! Hear ye!” and that is a clue that the answer will use Middle English words, like THRICE for three. PLAT is a Middle English variation of the modern “plot”. Remember, the White Rabbit is the herald not the March Hare so why would the March Hare speak as a herald? He wouldn’t, so it is a clue.
“Mark the letters, numbers too,
— to plot something
But which, and where, and what to do?
— elements of a plot
One and three will help you more
Than other words I’ve said before.”
— A plot is one, such as a single piece or parcel of land, which is also called a PLAT.
One and three, plat and thrice. THRICE is a Middle English variation of three and it also is formed from combining the three proper names (Alice, Hare, and Hatter) along with the Middle English variation of plot, PLAT.
Thus, my best efforts find the answer to the March Hare’s Riddle to be: THRICE PLAT.
Anyone else find any other clues?
There are 42 variations to the text in “The Mad Tea Party” book when compared to the original “A Mad Tea-Party” chapter by Lewis Carroll. Three of those variations are unique to “The Mad Tea Party” riddle book:
“THE MAD TEA PARTY” riddle title
“A Mad Tea-Party” original title
“‘How dreadfully savage!’ exclaimed Alice.” is omitted in the riddle book text.
and,
“…stupidest tea-party” from the original is changed to “…stupidest Tea Party” in the riddle.
We know these are bonafide clues because they are unique to the riddle book. I own six copies of Alice which I used for my research, in addition to the riddle book text. I found three unique printings of Alice scattered about my six copies. Mostly punctuation differences, but there are some words changed or missing as well as some slight modernization of the text (cannot is shortened to “ca’n’t” in the original, whereas the modern “can’t” is used in the other versions). By eliminating all the changes also found in other printings of Alice, we can be reasonably confident that the three we are left with were put there in fact by the puzzle maker, i.e. they are clues.
Also missing is John Tenniel’s drawing of the March Hare and the Hatter stuffing the Dormouse into a teapot, the third of three drawings in the original chapter from Alice. It is noteworthy because it shows the first of three plots against the Dormouse, or the three attempts to bring him harm.
Additionally, there is a typo on page 23 in regard to the second plot against the Dormouse. “It would be a pity to see if/[it] fall from such a height.”
The third plot occurs right before Peter says “How savage” on the last page when the March Hare says “Beat him with a teapot!” We know the Dormouse is a “him” because of the pronoun discussion at the beginning of the book which is the one time that just three characters are present and speaking in the story.
The emphasis on pronouns is a clue that the answer to the riddle is made from combining PROper NOUNS. Which proper nouns? Three of them plus one letter:
T - - - - - - - - T
“ALICE”
T - - ICE - LAT
“HaRe”
THRICE - LAT
Using the above letters, one can also form the name “haTTer” using the two given Ts.
One and three, one P plus three proper nouns Alice, Hare, and Hatter. This is why the dash, or minus sign, is missing from the title before the P and from “stupidest Tea Party” as the P needs to be added not subtracted. Additionally, “stupidest Tea Party” is a clue that the first letter of the second word is P.
“Tea Party”
T - - - - - P - - T
I also have a theory that the puzzle maker hid the “P” in the riddle. The last word is “before” or “B4” or “backwards 4” which would be a “P” and so the “one and three” comes together to form: THRICE PLAT.
The riddle begins with “Hear ye! Hear ye!” and that is a clue that the answer will use Middle English words, like THRICE for three. PLAT is a Middle English variation of the modern “plot”. Remember, the White Rabbit is the herald not the March Hare so why would the March Hare speak as a herald? He wouldn’t, so it is a clue.
“Mark the letters, numbers too,
— to plot something
But which, and where, and what to do?
— elements of a plot
One and three will help you more
Than other words I’ve said before.”
— A plot is one, such as a single piece or parcel of land, which is also called a PLAT.
One and three, plat and thrice. THRICE is a Middle English variation of three and it also is formed from combining the three proper names (Alice, Hare, and Hatter) along with the Middle English variation of plot, PLAT.
Thus, my best efforts find the answer to the March Hare’s Riddle to be: THRICE PLAT.
Anyone else find any other clues?