Sample Transcript from Arthur, typed in by Tom Schaefer
Comments in {} are mine, sentences in [] are in the original.
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This transcript is not from "Arthur", but it will give you a good feeling for
how Infocom's interactive fiction works. It contains some simple puzzles and
their solutions. The player's commands appear in capital letters after each
prompt (>).
{Map of 5 rooms that can be reconstructed from the transcript}
>LOOK
Path
Your quest for the Seven Lost Jewels of Nimnul has brought you to a path,
deep within a dark forest. The path goes north and south from here.
You see a small box half-buried beneath a pile of leaves.
>TAKE THE BOX
Succumbing to the thieving instinct that drives adventurers such as yourself
to steal anything that isn't tied down, you take the box.
>OPEN IT
You open the box. Inside is a small scrap of paper.
>EXAMINE PAPER
Most of the writing is illegible, but you can make out the following words:
"When thou wisheth to cause something to lose dimension, utter the ancient
word 'Twerplotz' Contrariwise, if thou desireth to cause a thing to become
enlarged, then shalt thou say 'Blimpsnarf.'"
{sic - Punctuation as printed in the original manual}
>NORTH
Clearing
You come to a clearing in the woods. A path leads to the south, and the way
to the east is blocked by a thick hedge of thorns. There is a woodsman here,
roasting a deer over a huge fire. You haven't eaten all day, and the hunk of
meat he holds in his hand looks particularly appetizing.
>ASK WOODSMAN FOR MEAT
"Well now," says the woodsman. "There's enuf 'ere for two, but me father told
me never to give up sump'n for nut'n. 'Ave ye got anything to offer?"
>INVENTORY
You are wearing an expensive cloak that is fastened at your neck with a copper
pin.
You are carrying a sword, a small box, and an incredibly battered brass
lantern that is so banged up from past adventures that it's a miracle it gives
off any light at all.
>TRADE BOX FOR MEAT
You give the box to the woodsman and he gives you the meat. You wolf it down
and your hunger disappears.
>THANK WOODSMAN
"No need for thanks," the woodsman says, holding up the box. "It's a fair
enough trade."
>EAST
You wave a jaunty farewell to the woodsman, turn, and walk face-first into the
hedge, impaling yourself on the thorns. You pry yourself free and do a quick
impression of a sieve leaking blood, then fall to the greensward, dead.
***** You have died. *****
[Do you wish to RESTART, RESTORE, UNDO, QUIT, or get a HINT?]
>UNDO
[Undone]
>CUT HEDGE WITH SWORD
You hack away at the hedge with your sword. For every branch you chop off, two
grow back in its place. The woodsman chuckles knowingly.
>ASK WOODSMAN ABOUT HEDGE
"Oh, that there's an enchanted 'edge, that one is. On t'other side is a
beautiful girl locked up in a tower. Legend 'as it that once a year - at the
stroke of midnight on St. Winget's day - an 'ole opens up in the 'edge." He
pulls his Old Woodsman's Almanac out of his back pocket and consults it. Then
he licks his finger, holds it up to the wind, ponders a moment, and continues,
"As luck would have it, today 'appens to be St. Winget's day."
>WOODSMAN, TELL ME ABOUT THE GIRL
"A lovelier lass never breathed. They say 'er skin is fair as heifer's milk,
'er neck is graceful as a swan's, an' she's lively as a young colt. Mind you,
I've never seen 'er, but if I was twenty years younger, I wouldn't mind 'aving
a go at 'er meself."
>WAIT FOR MIDNIGHT
[Time passes...]
In the distance you hear the sound of a church bell striking the hour. As you
idly wonder if the hour ever strikes back, a hole opens up in the hedge
leading to the east.
>EAST
You are too big to fit through the hole.
>TWERPLOTZ ME
You shrink to half your original size.
>EAST
Meadow
You walk through the tunnel and emerge into daylight on the other side.
There is a perfectly round tower here that has no doors or other openings,
except for one tiny window at the very top. To the north is a large tree with
a huge trunk.
>CLIMB TOWER
The walls are to smooth to climb.
>HIDE BEHIND TREE
Meadow, behind the tree
You walk behind the tree and peer around the trunk at the tower.
>Z
[Time passes...]
Suddenly an old crone comes up to the base of the tower and cries,
"Grizlbut, let down thy hair."
Moments later, a mass of golden hair cascades out of the window. The witch
climbs up the hair and disappears into the tower.
[Do you want to continue waiting?]
>Yes {sic}
After a while, the crone emerges from the window, climbs down the hair and
disappears into the forest. The hair retreats into the window above.
>OUT
Meadow
You step out from behind the tree.
>GRIZLBUT, LET DOWN THY HAIR
A clump of hair falls from the window above, hitting you squarely on the head
and knocking you unconscious. After a few moments, you recover and stagger
groggily to your feet.
>CLIMB HAR
[You don't need to use the word har.]
>OOPS HAIR
Tower Room
Ignoring the shrieks and cries of pain from above, you climb up the side of
the tower.
Climbing through the window, you discover to your dismay that the legend
got the animals right, but the particulars wrong. The girl has the face of a
horse, the figure of a cow, and the voice of an enraged swan. She looks at
you as she hauls in her hair and squawks, "You're awfully small to be going
around rescuing maidens."
>BLIMPSNARF ME
Poof! You regain your original size.
The girl smiles at you demurely, bats her one eyelash, and rasps, "Hello,
sailor."
>LOOK
Tower Room
You are in a small room at the top of a tall tower. The only escape lies
through the window to the west or the locked door to the east.
Imbedded in the doorknob is one of the Seven Lost Jewels of Nimnul.
>TAKE JEWEL
You tug at the jewel, but it refuses to budge.
>OPEN DOOR
The door is locked.
The girl strokes her moustache meditatively and brays, "The witch who
imprisoned me here told me that the door would open only if I would speak
aloud the answer to the following riddle: Forward I'm heavy, backward I'm
not. What am I?"
>SAY "TON"
The door springs open, and the jewel pops out into your hand.
[Your score just went up by 5 points.]
"Darling!" the girl honks. "I'm yours!" She leaps into your arms. You
stagger backward under the tremendous weight and crash into the wall.
>DROP GRIZLBUT
The girl thuds to the floor and everything else in the room jumps. She wraps
herself around your leg and beseeches you to take her with you.
>EAST
Corridor
Dragging Grizlbut behind you like a ball and chain, you leave the room to
explore the rest of the tower.
