It Beckons From The Nile...

As you may recall, back in March I posted about an upcoming treasure hunt for my Mother-in-Law’s daycare. It is Egyptian themed. I made a bunch of quasi-hieroglyphs and got some treasure together. (you can compare mine with the real thing) Then we went to Arizona and I forgot about it…well, not completely.

This weekend, as is my duty, I left a drawing on the daycare whiteboard. I do so every few months. Last time it was something corny, like "Spring has Sprung" with a picture of a robin sitting on a branch. Well, this weekend, I left a drawing of pyramid and the words: “It beckons from the Nile…” I was trying to be innocuous, but one of the kids apparently has an eye for that and guessed that something was up…hence tonight’s post.

So begins the Egyptian Treasure Hunt of 2008. It begins with some letters from Sam Samson in 1845. He has gone off to seek his fortune and ends up wishing he hadn’t. He befriends a treasure hunter in Egypt and tends the treasure hunter’s horses. They uncover a tomb and soon find they have been cursed. (People just disappear…no deaths) The Local workers, who have presumably hauled things, dug holes and done whatever local workmen do on treasure hunting expiditions, scream about a curse when the tomb is opened, but the treasure hunters pay no heed (do they ever?). Then people (who would have guessed the local workers would disappear first, bad luck I guess...or is it because I wrote it?) and animals disappear. Even the treasure hunter finally disappears…after he gives his journal and the treasure to Sam (Luckily, or we would not have a treasure to find, would we?).

Sam decides keeping the treasure is dangerous (Apparently he does not want to wake up in a state of disappearance) and sends the treasure journal, several letters describing the events, and treasure to his cousin, Bill Williams. Bill is soon tormented by the curse, too. His horses are forever disappearing, as are his neighbors. He decides to leave his home to run away from the curse. It follows (Bill is not particularly bright at first). He finally hides the treasure and his notes in a valley in the Oregon Territory. He hides it in a place called Moksee by the Indians…(if he didn't, again, we would not have a treasure to find here, I just can't believe all the coincidences lining up to create a treasure hunt for these daycare kids!) He decides, however, to also leave a map and instructions on how to locate the treasure…except, he figures only someone who is worthy of the treasure can take the treasure without being cursed. So, he reads the treasure hunter’s journal, which we assume is extensive, and learns hieroglyphics (evidence of Bills Burgeoning Brilliance). He leaves the instructions to find the treasure in this hieroglyphic writing…the kids will have to use every little brain cell they have to find the treasure…or just use team work.

The letters go first. I hope my mother-in-law hides them in plain sight. The next time she should hide the journal (Bill kept a short journal on his escapades, which ends in 1848) I wrote the letters and journal tonight. They are bound by an accurate-to-the-era pink nylon ribbon. The paper is printer paper aged with tan/ochre chalk and ripping and rolling.

A map to the first part of the hieroglyph dictionary will be next. Then the coded messages…in Hieroglyphics. Then finally the treasure…at least that is the plan. I welcome suggestions. I hope this keeps them busy. I kinda got in trouble for starting something and not finishing it last year.

I worked maintenance today, and will for the remainder of the summer…when I am not being really, really annoyed by having to read numerous Cold War history books…whose idea was it to get a Master’s in History? Then I have to actually sound half-way smart and talk about them…what joy. And, to top it off, I ran out of whiskey last night. The problem with whiskey? Whenever I have it I drink it.

Tomorrow is our welcome to summer meeting, where the superintendent will praise the maintenance staff for what a good job they have done and then he will want more from us and then walk out while we enjoy our donuts…yeah, I have done this a few times, even though I am just a sub. What I really enjoy is the welcome back to school meeting in August. A couple years ago they had everyone take part in a team building exercise. We had several large packing peanuts and pipe cleaners and we were to make an ant…there was a science teacher at my table. Apparently she was not a very good one, because she thought ants had 8 legs…every kindergartner I have talked to knows that Spiders have 8 legs and insects, like ants, have only 6!!!!!