The Riddle Pox LbNA #19185 (ARCHIVED)

Most recent find 3/8/09

The Riddle Pox

Caution: Do not attempt the route given to find this letterbox when conditions are icy or the river is flooded!
The county is no longer maintaing trails on the right side
of the river so more bushwhacking will be required.

Both of the twins, Lorrie and Rolly, were born with a hearing defect that prevented them from distinguishing certain consonants well. In particular, they confounded T and D, twisted the explosives B and P, and switched the semi-vowels L and R. Because of these letter exchanges, words also would be swapped. For example, Door became Tool, Paces became Bases, Fire became File and vice-versa.

By the time they reached third grade, their ears were developed enough that corrective surgery was performed. Although their hearing tests showed improvement, their consonant switching became even more pronounced. Their doctors and teachers recommended a summer devoted to speech therapy. That threat had miraculous results; their speech, as well as their hearing, became practically normal and their summer remained free.

However, privately, or when they wanted to communicate secretly in public, they would revert to the language of their early childhood. Their friends, as well as their family, eventually joined in and would also converse with them in what became known to all as “Big Raddin”, although still if Lorrie and Rolly spoke it fast enough not even their parents, Lolly and Rorey, could decipher it.

In Big Raddin, in addition to interchanging T's and D's, B's and P's, L's and R's, some liberty is taken with vowel sounds to result in real, or real sounding, words. Thus Until-Under, While-Where, Right-Lied, Left-Reffed and Letter-Riddle. Note that this is all phonetic so that the T in TH remains unchanged.

Recently I received, from Lorrie and Rolly, the following letter describing a treasure they had hidden.

Teal Sky,

Heal ale the crews to the Lice Coundy Wirdleness Balk Riddlepox: The balk is off Hwy Thlee apoud foal mires nolth of Fallipo and aid mires south of Nolth Feart. Duln eased off the highway dowalts the balk, keebing the Cannon Livel on yule lied. Afdle a mire and a qualdle on the loat you're come due a balking rod foal the balk. Balk yule cal and wark acloss the ralge glassy feart. Forrow the bath due the south-eased arong the Cannon Livel. You're soon come due a betesdlian plitge. Closs oval the livel and forrow the baths town-livel keebing the livel on yule reffed. You're closs oval two cliques, a mutty one ant a locky one. You mide fint some rogs or locks due herb you closs.

In to dime, you're come due a pruff lied pie the livel. Dake the bath ub the pruff. Ad the dob, you're fint a nice oval-rook while you can rook oud with the livel perow ant the prue sky apove. Flom the oval-rook forrow a santy bath ubhirr ESE foal apoud 100 bases. Thele wirr pea thlee thlee-dlunket dlees due the reffed of the bath. The pox is add the pace of the thilt thlee-dlunket dlee. Goot Ruck!

Sinsillry yules,

Rollie & Lorry