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        riddles >> what happened >> Cursed island
        
(Message started by: Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:25am)
Title: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:25am
Tommy owes more than $4000 to loan shark for quite some time now, so one day loan shark decides to take him to the island, which locals call Cursed island. Nobody usually ventures there, as the island has a lot of sharp black rocks, and credulous locals avoid it because of frightening stories. Still, its middle is w/o these rocks, where minions of loan shark dig a hole with a pick, and lower down naked Tommy in it. The hole is not that deep, but it is certainly deep enough for Tommy, for he is rather short. Loan shark says to Tommy, that if he, somehow, manages to get out of the hole, he will give him another chance to meet the debt. Said that, loan shark and his men leave the island w/o attention of getting back, leaving only a spare boat behind. Nobody assists Tommy and nothing unusual happens, but Tommy manages to leave the island due to luck, as island's soil was to firm to manipulate it with his hands, and the nature was friendly. What happened?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by pex on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:30am
[hide]It started raining?[/hide]
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:35am
It wasn't raining.  ;)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by towr on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:55am
Is the hole rather narrow, so that he could just climb out by pushing out against the walls with hands and feet and moving himself up?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by srn347 on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:58am
He extended the hole to the spare boat.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Aug 30th, 2007, 10:11am
[hide]the tide came in and submerged the island. Tommy  swam to the boat.[/hide]
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 10:29am

on 08/30/07 at 09:55:57, towr wrote:
Is the hole rather narrow, so that he could just climb out by pushing out against the walls with hands and feet and moving himself up?

They are not that stupid.  ;)




on 08/30/07 at 09:58:13, srn347 wrote:
He extended the hole to the spare boat.

Huh?



on 08/30/07 at 10:11:41, denis wrote:
[hide]the tide came in and submerged the island. Tommy  swam to the boat.[/hide]

No tide. No tsunami. Good try though. Then again, the name of this island isn't Atlantis is back. The answer is not so dramatic, so the weather was fair and there were no quakes.   ;)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Aug 30th, 2007, 2:59pm
As the riddle says, the loan shark "decides to take him to the island".  But "the island is inaccessible".  So obviously the decision could not be realized.  After a lot of trying, they decided to leave Tommy on the spare boat and told him to "go there yourself".
Of course, he, just as the bad guys, is not that stupid.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 30th, 2007, 3:15pm
Tommy caved in the pit, which made it possible for him to climb up.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 3:30pm

on 08/30/07 at 14:59:47, Grimbal wrote:
But "the island is inaccessible".  

Good tip. I changed it. Hope it looks better now.  



on 08/30/07 at 15:15:38, mikedagr8 wrote:
Tommy caved in the pit, which made it possible for him to climb up.

Who climbed up? His spirit?  ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 30th, 2007, 3:40pm
He did. Imagine a wide pit (a square one, because I can't word it for circular). Then digout under one of the walls. It will cave in, lowering the distance to the surface, and create a mound for which Tommy can climb. Now he continues doing this on all sides, slowly, he moves the dirt over into the middle, levels it out, and starts again. Eventually he would reach the top. Tommy's body climbs out.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 30th, 2007, 3:43pm
I'm not familiar with the concept, and I am too tired to think about it. See you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Aug 30th, 2007, 3:44pm
You too.  :-*  :P
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on Aug 30th, 2007, 6:28pm
Doesn't "too firm to manipulate with his hands" rule out digging?  Or is digging allowed?  ???
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by ima1trkpny on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:40pm
If I haven't misread something, Icey never specified that the walls were somehow perfectly smooth or some such. That leaves the possibilities of handholds, etc with which it would just take some effort to get out. (Though I highly doubt this is imaginitive enough to be the solution, given Icey's record)
Though if somehow it is smooth and the walls so hard that in there current state they are unable to be manipulated by hands... he could use moisture (i.e. saliva, sweat if he gets worked up, etc) to moisten spots enough to make handholds.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Aug 31st, 2007, 1:12am

on 08/30/07 at 10:29:15, Iceman wrote:
No tide. No tsunami. Good try though. [...] The answer is not so dramatic, so the weather was fair and there were no quakes.

Maybe ground water collects, the walls get wet and collapse, and the hole becomes a pond with gentle slopes.

Another idea: The "sharp black rocks", can they be used as a tool to dig the walls?

Or: did you forget to mention that Tommy is a butterfly?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Aug 31st, 2007, 1:13am

on 08/30/07 at 10:29:15, Iceman wrote:
No tide. No tsunami. Good try though. [...] The answer is not so dramatic, so the weather was fair and there were no quakes.

Maybe ground water collects, the walls get wet and collapse, and the hole becomes a pond with gentle slopes.

Another idea: The "sharp black rocks", can they be used as a tool to dig the walls?

Or: did you forget to mention that Tommy is a butterfly?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 31st, 2007, 5:45am

on 08/30/07 at 18:28:51, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot wrote:
Doesn't "too firm to manipulate with his hands" rule out digging?  Or is digging allowed?  ???

It rules it out.  




on 08/30/07 at 21:40:26, ima1trkpny wrote:
If I haven't misread something, Icey never specified that the walls were somehow perfectly smooth or some such. That leaves the possibilities of handholds, etc with which it would just take some effort to get out. (Though I highly doubt this is imaginitive enough to be the solution, given Icey's record)
Though if somehow it is smooth and the walls so hard that in there current state they are unable to be manipulated by hands... he could use moisture (i.e. saliva, sweat if he gets worked up, etc) to moisten spots enough to make handholds.

.....quite smooth.;)



on 08/31/07 at 01:12:16, Grimbal wrote:
Maybe ground water collects, the walls get wet and collapse, and the hole becomes a pond with gentle slopes.


No water.



on 08/31/07 at 01:12:16, Grimbal wrote:
Another idea: The "sharp black rocks", can they be used as a tool to dig the walls?

No rocks there.


Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by ima1trkpny on Aug 31st, 2007, 8:25am
Condensation? This is overnight... so dew, etc would accumulate in rather large quantities.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Aug 31st, 2007, 11:20am
Nope.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Aug 31st, 2007, 2:23pm
Were there any plants around e.g. plants with very strong roots and that grow along the ground.I don't remember what exactly they are called.
                                     OR
May be the locals saw the spare boat and rescued poor Tommy.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Sep 1st, 2007, 5:27am
Hm... maybe the whale sneezes?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 1st, 2007, 7:41am

on 08/31/07 at 14:23:12, gotit wrote:
May be the locals saw the spare boat and rescued poor Tommy.




on 09/01/07 at 05:27:13, Grimbal wrote:
Hm... maybe the whale sneezes?

No.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 1st, 2007, 8:41am
Is there any significance that they used a pick instead of a shovel to dig the hole?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 1st, 2007, 10:12am
Not really.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 1st, 2007, 11:12am
[hide]A creeper plant started growing from inside the hole.[/hide]Tommy used it to get out of the hole.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 1st, 2007, 3:21pm

-Did the loan sharks leave the pick behind?
-Did the loan Shark leave Tommy's clothes behind
-Did Tommy soften the soil on the pit wall before he climbed out? (Lets just say he drank a lot of coffee that day)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Sep 1st, 2007, 4:31pm

Quote:
-Did the loan sharks leave the pick behind?


on 08/30/07 at 10:29:15, Iceman wrote:
They are not that stupid.  ;)


That'd be my thought.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 2nd, 2007, 5:46am

on 09/01/07 at 15:21:59, denis wrote:
-Did Tommy soften the soil on the pit wall before he climbed out? (Lets just say he drank a lot of coffee that day)

No.



on 09/01/07 at 11:12:27, gotit wrote:
[hide]A creeper plant started growing from inside the hole.[/hide]Tommy used it to get out of the hole.

No.


Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 2nd, 2007, 10:29am
Tommy is a short basketball player
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 2nd, 2007, 11:03am
[hide]Any trees with prop roots (roots growing from the stem for providing extra support)??[/hide]  :-/
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 2nd, 2007, 12:05pm
No winner yet.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 2nd, 2007, 1:18pm
Did Tommy take the help of any external object?
If yes,then was the object present in the island before the loan sharks brought Tommy to the island?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 3rd, 2007, 6:53am

on 09/02/07 at 13:18:54, gotit wrote:
If yes,then was the object present in the island before the loan sharks brought Tommy to the island?

Yep.  ;)




The answer will disappoint you, as Tommy got out of the hole due to luck. Regarding luckiness, I can think of two answers. How about you?  ;)  ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 3rd, 2007, 7:58am
If it was another object it seems to me it would have to be something that was buried in the hole and just below the level where they stopped digging. A pirate treasure chest comes to mind. With the treasure chest, not only does he get out , he gets to pay his debt back as well and there's lots left over for himself.

The only problem I can see is how he gets over the sharp rocks when he is naked. I guess he found some boots in the treasure chest.

Another thing pirates typically stashed underground is rum. If Tommy stumbled on a stash of rum, he can soften the soil enough to get a grip and climb out.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 3rd, 2007, 8:53am

on 09/03/07 at 07:58:05, denis wrote:
The only problem I can see is how he gets over the sharp rocks when he is naked. I guess he found some boots in the treasure chest.

There is a path leading to the boat where you can walk safely, sort of like secret steps leading to Mordor.




on 09/03/07 at 07:58:05, denis wrote:
If it was another object it seems to me it would have to be something that was buried in the hole and just below the level where they stopped digging. A pirate treasure chest comes to mind. With the treasure chest, not only does he get out , he gets to pay his debt back as well and there's lots left over for himself.

Nothing was buried.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 3rd, 2007, 9:18am
If it wasn't buried, then was it outside the hole they dug? If yes, did it somehow fall into the hole after the loan Sharks left?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Sep 3rd, 2007, 9:19am
Maybe an airplane was carrying cows high over the island and the door wasn't closed well.  I let you imagine the rest of the story.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 3rd, 2007, 9:44am
Did Tom dig the hole further?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 3rd, 2007, 9:58am

on 09/03/07 at 09:18:18, denis wrote:
If it wasn't buried, then was it outside the hole they dug? If yes, did it somehow fall into the hole after the loan Sharks left?

[hide]It is getting warm now.. [/hide]



on 09/03/07 at 09:19:48, Grimbal wrote:
Maybe an airplane was carrying cows high over the island and the door wasn't closed well.  I let you imagine the rest of the story.

Well, I suppose it is plausible, because of the way I worded the riddle, and the intended answer itself. Regardless, this is to extreme to me. I mean, what are the chances for something like that to happen in real life? Zero? Hm.. But yes, keep thinking like that, because you just might stumble on what I am looking for..



on 09/03/07 at 09:44:37, gotit wrote:
Did Tom dig the hole further?

He dug nothing.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 3rd, 2007, 10:04am
[hide]Leaves from some tree fell into the hole!![/hide]
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Sep 3rd, 2007, 2:29pm

on 09/03/07 at 08:53:26, Iceman wrote:
There is a path leading to the boat where you can walk safely, sort of like secret steps leading to Mordor.


Those weren't exactly safe  ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by wolfenstein on Sep 3rd, 2007, 3:37pm
as gotit said.... smthng fell from above....

and another thing that weather was friendly i.e stormy. So a tree (coconut tree) fell and the tip came inside over the hole so that the tips of the long branches reaches short tommy, he catches that branch and comes out...

wot say??? ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 3rd, 2007, 4:38pm
Maybe just a coconut dropped from a tree then rolled into the pit. He could use the coconut to carve hand holds and foot holds into the pit wall.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 3rd, 2007, 5:17pm

on 09/03/07 at 15:37:38, wolfenstein wrote:
as gotit said.... smthng fell from above....

and another thing that weather was friendly i.e stormy. So a tree (coconut tree) fell and the tip came inside over the hole so that the tips of the long branches reaches short tommy, he catches that branch and comes out...

wot say??? ::)


In the riddle, it has been mentioned that nothing unusual happened.Do you consider the falling of the tree a common thing !!! ;)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 4th, 2007, 9:48am

on 09/03/07 at 15:37:38, wolfenstein wrote:
as gotit said.... smthng fell from above....

and another thing that weather was friendly i.e stormy. So a tree (coconut tree) fell and the tip came inside over the hole so that the tips of the long branches reaches short tommy, he catches that branch and comes out...

wot say??? ::)

Yes, you got it. That is the intended answer, although I thought of yet another 'lucky' answer. So you got to ask yourself a question: do you feel lucky again? Well do you, riddler? ::)



on 09/03/07 at 16:38:48, denis wrote:
Maybe just a coconut dropped from a tree then rolled into the pit. He could use the coconut to carve hand holds and foot holds into the pit wall.

Nah.


on 09/03/07 at 17:17:06, gotit wrote:
In the riddle, it has been mentioned that nothing unusual happened.Do you consider the falling of the tree a common thing !!! ;)

Trees do fall, you know, there's nothing unusual about it. But I suppose it is a bit unorthodox to fall like wolfenstein suggested, so Tommy gets out of the hole. Quite a coincidence that is, but I said that he was lucky, and trees do fall, baby!  8)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by ima1trkpny on Sep 4th, 2007, 6:38pm

on 09/04/07 at 09:48:53, Iceman wrote:
So you got to ask yourself a question: do you feel lucky again? Well do you, riddler? ::)

Unless you have a .45 Magnum they should have nothing to fear...  :-*
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Sep 5th, 2007, 2:35am
plugh or xyzzy?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 5th, 2007, 5:49am
.........get serious for the funny & lucky answer.  ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by hiyathere on Sep 6th, 2007, 11:06am
Maybe one of loan shark's employees betray him and goes and helps tommy?

I mean it is possible that one of his helpers actually has a heart and feels sorry about tommy.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 6th, 2007, 2:12pm
No. Not his loyal men.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by gotit on Sep 6th, 2007, 2:22pm
Another loan shark, who is the enemy of the first one, comes to the island to put someone else in a hole. He sees Tommy and brings him out.Then he puts the other man in the hole.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 7th, 2007, 5:35am
Not even close.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by denis on Sep 7th, 2007, 6:36am
something else fell into the pit?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 7th, 2007, 7:12am
This time nothing fell.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Sep 7th, 2007, 7:37am
Something slide/flowed/sneaked/rolled/walked/jumped/apparated  into the pit?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 7th, 2007, 8:02am
I think not.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Sep 7th, 2007, 9:18am
Please do.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 8th, 2007, 6:13am

on 09/07/07 at 09:18:09, Grimbal wrote:
Please do.

All right.  



on 09/07/07 at 07:37:19, Grimbal wrote:
Something slide/flowed/sneaked/rolled/walked/jumped/apparated  into the pit?

Maybe. Probably.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by mikedagr8 on Sep 8th, 2007, 6:15am

Quote:
Something slide/flowed/sneaked/rolled/walked/jumped/apparated into the pit?  


Maybe. Probably.


Of those, which one occured. If flowed, maybe it was a VERY high tide.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Sep 8th, 2007, 8:05am
No water.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 3rd, 2007, 3:58pm
Here is the clue for the crazy alternative answer: [hide]blindness[/hide].   ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by thecow135 on Nov 4th, 2007, 2:07pm
he closed his eyes and imagined the hole was gone?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 4th, 2007, 4:38pm
No.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by cheesepuff on Nov 4th, 2007, 7:16pm
[hide]Tommy was blind and used a cane to walk... he used that to get out?[/hide]

Or he could be in a tunnel after a recent surgery... ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Nov 5th, 2007, 1:56am
Being blind, he didn't know he was in a hole.  He just walked away.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 5th, 2007, 6:54am

on 11/04/07 at 19:16:25, cheesepuff wrote:
Or he could be in a tunnel after a recent surgery... ::)

You know, something about this answer is real close..
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Ghost Sniper on Nov 7th, 2007, 10:14am
carpal tunnel syndrome?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 7th, 2007, 10:52am
No.  ???
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 10th, 2007, 10:47am

on 11/07/07 at 10:14:44, Ghost Sniper wrote:
carpal tunnel syndrome?

No. [hide]Not that tunnel[/hide]..   ;)  ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Aurora on Nov 12th, 2007, 8:29am
[hide]There is a large population of moles on the island and one, by pure luck manages to dig through the ground, making a tunnel which, due to the mole's very bad eyesight, ends up in the hole, allowing him to escape.[/hide] Good job he's only small. ;)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Grimbal on Nov 12th, 2007, 8:59am

on 11/10/07 at 10:47:28, Iceman wrote:
No. [hide]Not that tunnel[/hide]..   ;)  ::)

Something to do with quantum mechanics?
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 12th, 2007, 10:04am

on 11/12/07 at 08:29:33, Aurora wrote:
[hide]There is a large population of moles on the island and one, by pure luck manages to dig through the ground, making a tunnel which, due to the mole's very bad eyesight, ends up in the hole, allowing him to escape.[/hide] Good job he's only small. ;)

Yup. ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by JiNbOtAk on Nov 12th, 2007, 5:03pm

on 11/12/07 at 10:04:22, Iceman wrote:
Yup. ::)


Huh ? You're kidding right ? Not even Guybrush Threepwood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guybrush) would attempt that.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 13th, 2007, 7:57am
He puts his foot in the hole made by the mole. What? Then again, I dunno much about moles, so maybe you're right. Whatever.
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Aurora on Nov 13th, 2007, 8:02am
Wow, I actually got one of Icey's riddles. :o


on 08/30/07 at 09:25:00, Iceman wrote:
Nobody assists Tommy and nothing unusual happens

Just wondering, isn't a man crawling through the tunnel made by a mole considered unusual? ::)
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 13th, 2007, 8:05am
What is unusual about a mole making a tunnel? All silly mole ever does is to make darn tunnels. He was lucky, yes, and luck is also not unusual, as it happens now and then. Am I talking out of my butt? ::) Btw, he wasn't crawling through the tunnel. What are you on today? PCP?   ;D
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Aurora on Nov 13th, 2007, 8:06am
No comment. ;D
Title: Re: Cursed island
Post by Iceman on Nov 13th, 2007, 8:10am

on 11/13/07 at 08:02:18, Aurora wrote:
Wow, I actually got one of Icey's riddles. :o

1st out of many, I am sure.  8)


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