Let's Yes & Know!

So I spent most of last week in Florida for my brother's wedding, and despite all the hours spent at the pool, my favorite part was reuniting with an old, old pal: Mr. Mystery.


Do people remember this guy? Did people get these books when they were kids? Are there any horse socks? Is anyone listening to me?

For the uninitiated, these are amusements you can buy at the airport or at a rest stop to keep the kids occupied while traveling. At least, that's where I've only ever seen them sold. And they come with an "invisible ink" pen that lets you do all the puzzles and stuff inside.

Whenever we'd go to Disney World (a four-hour drive that always began at, like, 5 a.m.), my brother would always get one. I assume I didn't partake because a) I was too young to do the puzzles, b) Reading in the car would get me sick, or c) I couldn't read, but it was fun to vicariously enjoy them.

The cover was so mysterious! Mr. Mystery, what a name! What excitement! And since I couldn't read, the games of Hangman and "Find the Twins" were ever so much more intriguing.

So while waiting for the flight back to the Big Apple (which, of course, was delayed), I picked up one of these to enjoy with Sarah.

And let me tell you, these are definitely puzzles for kids. Too easy! And there's not enough variety. Eleven types of puzzles are too few for a superior mind such as mine (and Sarah's).

"Fleet" is just another name for Battleship. "Hangman" is weird and dumb when you have SIXTEEN tries to get a word like "TESTIMONY" or "WARRANT." "Maze" is a maze, and "Find the Twins" is kind of fun, but disappointing that if you get it right your reward is just learning their names. And their names are things like "Charles" and "Akers," instead of something punny related to their profession (in this case, a Sherlock Holmes lookalike).

I will say this, though, I DID enjoy the riddles...

Mr. Mystery likes mystery, but not intrigue.
Mr. Mystery likes deduction, but not logic.
Mr. Mystery likes exploring, but not discovery.
Mr. Mystery likes solutions, but not problems.
Mr. Mystery likes detectives, but not investigations.
Mr. Mystery likes policemen, but not stations.
Mr. Mystery likes underdogs, but not dogfights.
Mr. Mystery likes hideaways, but not retreats.
Mr. Mystery likes patrolmen, but not beats.
Do you know what Mr. Mystery likes?

Too easy! But this one did give me pause.

Mr. Mystery likes suitcases, but not suits.
Mr. Mystery likes refrigerators, but not ice.
Mr. Mystery likes saws, but not wood.
Mr. Mystery likes briefcases, but not paperwork.
Mr. Mystery likes ovens, but not baking.
Mr. Mystery likes hammers, but not nails.
Mr. Mystery likes screwdrivers, but not screws.
Mr. Mystery likes skillets, but not frying.
Mr. Mystery likes paddles, but not canoeing.
Do you know what Mr. Mystery likes?

Well, I couldn't possibly solve this mystery. CAN YOU?