WORD PUZZLE #3 from THE SWORD AND THE CROWN
Christmas Bonus 2006 Chapter One: Back Again
Read the story passage at the bottom and try to find the twelve underlined words or phrases in
the letter grid below. The answers can be up, down, left, right or diagonal. Good luck!
N R R F R O N T D O O R Q A X
C V O S T C E J B O A H L T W
J G O A S M R G J A A P W R I
Z D T L T U K I I P G F B I N
A N M K C A Y R P G B S S C D
D Q D H T A A E M L L P G K O
E Y U N N F N N A X T D H O W
K A R R F E A I O B N B N R S
E Y T Y D D C X C S A B S T A
E Q E T H H N J K S I O V R R
P S Z Z L T F B B K G N A E O
D G A L I M A G I N E B U A B
P L I A C B B N M I O O J T G
G H S D R A C G N I Y A L P E
C R D F J K T Y Y B O I N R F
The one-eyed giant skipped merrily along the side of the road, its teeth as large as playing cards. A wispy white
ghost followed closely behind, its footsteps echoing clump clump clump in the frosty night air. The headless horseman
scurried to catch up as a string of volcanic sneezes erupted underneath his flowing black cape. The monstrous trio
zeroed in on a nearby house standing alone under a cover of stars. Warm yellow light streamed out of its windows,
gently washing over the driveway and front lawn.
One man watched this unfolding scene in secret, safely hidden behind some nearby shrubs. His curious gaze shifted
from one strange creature to the next as they approached the front door. He wrapped his cloak tightly about him to
ward off a chill, unable to imagine what the three individuals would do once they reached the house. Should he
charge ahead and stop them, or perhaps resort to more drastic measures? What strange goings-on, he thought with
a shake of his head. What had happened to this place over the last four years?
He stood and peeked over the top of the shrubbery, then raised a hand and began whispering a few words. When
the one-eyed giant rang a doorbell, however, and a lady opened the front door and didn’t scream in fright, the man
quickly lowered his hand and stopped speaking.
“Trick-or-treat!” the trio cried in unison, each holding out a cloth bag.
The man behind the shrubs watched as the lady tossed small objects into the bags while uttering delightful
comments to her visitors. He scratched his head and rolled his eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening. And
as for that chant of trick-or-treat, well, he couldn’t begin to imagine what that meant.
© 2006 Thomas J. Prestopnik All rights reserved. www.TomPresto.com