text: [Themes: Fantasy, Zorkian, kid-friendly, kids, platypi, zorkian]
  
  > Go down
  With great effort, you manage to squeeze yourself into the hole.
  
  You're in a damp underground chamber. Long, dark tunnels wander away to the north and west.
  
  Faint light is streaming in from a narrow hole overhead.
  
  You can see a small stone, a silver whistle, an umbrella, a horseshoe, a bottle, an earthworm, a candle (providing light), a violet note and a leaflet here.
  
  > get all
  The small stone: Taken.
  The silver whistle: Taken.
  The umbrella: Taken.
  The horseshoe: Taken.
  The bottle: Taken.
  The earthworm: Taken.
  
  The earthworm squirms with annoyance at your touch.
  The candle: Taken.
  The violet note: Taken.
  The leaflet: Taken.
  
  The small stone begins to glow again.
  
  > go north
  You're in a damp underground chamber. Long tunnels wander away to the south, east and west.
  
  > Go west
  You're in a dirty underground chamber. Long, smelly tunnels wander away to the south and east.
  
  The surrounding walls are almost obscured by the roots of a mighty tree. Feeble light streams in from an opening overhead.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots outside.
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  > Go north
  This is where the lake empties into the Witchville River. A road leads south along the edge of the lake, and bends east to follow the river bank. A narrow trail leads upward to the top of Lookout Hill.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the south.
  
  > Go east
  This is the south side of a covered bridge that spans the Witchville River. Paths lead off to the east and west, and a road leads south to the village.
  
  A dead branch is lying on the ground.
  
  > go east
  You're on a rocky path that runs east and west along the banks of the Witchville River. A dense, impenetrable forest borders the south edge of the path.
  
  > Go south
  You can't go that way now. The tide is in.
  
  > Go south
  This is the northern side of the Witchville Rotary. A road leads north, towards the river.
  
  On the corner stands a broken-down old church that looks as if it hasn't been used for years.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west.
  
  > see the marquee
  Now Playing!
  THE ONE IS WATCHING!
  starring
  THE EVIL ONE
  in
  Amazing 3-D!
  
  The little mailbox "clump-clumps" happily into view.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the south. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > see the schedule
  The schedule says:
  
  OPEN ALL NIGHT!
  ALL SHOWS ONE GOLD COIN
  
  The little mailbox "clump-clumps" into view and snaps a greeting.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the south. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > enter
  "You won't get far without a ticket!" cries Miss Voss.
  
  You're standing in the lobby of the movie theater. A short corridor leads north into darkness. Sound effects and music can be heard drifting down the corridor.
  
  The gravedigger is standing near the corridor, a large cardboard carton at his feet.
  
  > see the carton
  The open carton is marked, "Free 3D Movie Glasses Here!"
  
  > see the gravedigger
  No doubt about it. He's the town gravedigger, looking stiff and uncomfortable in his new usher's uniform.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots outside.
  
  > look in the carton
  It's empty.
  
  The gravedigger sees your disappointment, shrugs and mumbles something unkind about newfangled thingamabobs.
  
  > Go north
  The gravedigger blocks your path. "Can't get in without a ticket."
  
  > look under the carton
  You see nothing unusual.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots outside.
  
  > ask the gravedigger about the ticket
  The gravedigger doesn't respond. He seems to be a bit hard of hearing.
  
  > go east
  You're standing near the remains of the Pleasure Wharf. The Wharf extends eastward into Witchville Bay.
  
  To the south stands a ramshackle old building. Colorful lights, curious electronic sounds and a neon sign beckon you through the open entrance.
  
  A big mailbox is nearby.
  
  A voice behind you growls, "Feed me. I'm HUNGRY!" You turn to face the sound, but there's nobody here except you.
  
  > see the big mailbox
  The big mailbox seems ordinary enough. Or does it?
  
  You watch with astonishment as the lid of the big mailbox slowly opens by itself, then snaps shut with a clang.
  
  The little mailbox "clump-clumps" into view and snaps a greeting.
  
  > see the little mailbox
  It's the strangest little mailbox you've ever seen.
  
  The lid of the big mailbox opens again. "Mail!"
  
  The two mailboxes freeze at the sight of one another.
  
  The little mailbox snarls and stands protectively by your side. The big mailbox emits a frightful growl and throws its lid wide open, displaying rows of sharp little teeth. A crowd of postal meters and stamp dispensers gathers as the metal warriors circle each other with tense, snapping lids.
  
  With a sudden rush, the little mailbox throws itself at the big mailbox and clamps onto its forefoot. The big mailbox roars with anger, bites the little mailbox viciously and tries in vain to shake it off. You stare in wonder as the fighting boxes swell to twice their normal size, then four times larger, eight times!
  
  The big mailbox frees itself with a savage twist and bends to finish its foe. The little mailbox dodges, grips the descending lid and holds on for dear life. Locked in mortal combat, the giant boxes roll over and over, shaking the earth with the thunder of battle.
  
  The scene disappears under a cloud of dust. You hear a terrible scream of agony, then an even more terrible silence. When the air clears, the boxes and spectators are gone.
  
  > look
  You're standing near the remains of the Pleasure Wharf. The Wharf extends eastward into Witchville Bay.
  
  To the south stands a ramshackle old building. Colorful lights, curious electronic sounds and a neon sign beckon you through the open entrance.
  
  > go south
  This old building is the home of a sleazy arcade, lined with coin-op video games. The machines are crowded with half-crazed, stunted humanoids, who pay no attention to you as they satisfy their thirst for electric violence.
  
  One machine in the corner appears to be deserted.
  
  A sign on the wall says, "All Games One Token."
  
  > see the humanoids
  They have extraordinarily supple wrists, fast reflexes and tiny brains.
  
  > see the machine
  The game machine is equipped with a video screen, a joystick, a big red button and a narrow slot for tokens. A lurid logo ("TRANSMATTER!") is painted on the side.
  
  > see the screen
  The video screen displays a map of Witchville Village. A grid divides the map into 13 squares. The words "Insert Token To Play" are scrolling across the top of the screen.
  
  (You'll find the map inside your Wishbringer package.)
  
  > Go east
  The sea-worn planks of the Witchville Pleasure Wharf end abruptly a few feet to the east. You're surrounded by the dark, shark-infested waters of Witchville Bay.
  
  > look in the water
  You can see a brass token and a piranha in the fountain.
  
  > see the piranha
  The piranha stares back at you defiantly, its sharp little teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
  
  > eat the piranha
  You'd have to catch the piranha to do that.
  
  > feed the piranha with the worm
  It lands in the fountain with a splash.
  
  The piranha snatches away the worm and swims to the far side of the fountain to devour it.
  
  > get Token
  Taken.
  
  (Your score just went up by 3 points! Your total score is 51 out of 100.)
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west.
  
  > Go south
  This is the south side of the Witchville Rotary. A road branches south, towards Post Office Hill.
  
  The Witchville Public Library, once famous for its museum of local historic artifacts, stands in a pitiful state of disrepair.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > enter Library
  The library door is closed.
  
  The night is filled with rhythmic thunder, and a platoon of gigantic leather army boots marches into view. It's the Boot Patrol again!
  
  You're immediately surrounded, tied, gagged and dragged before an especially tall Boot. "What!" he cries. "I thought you were locked up with Sgt. MacGuffin. Tsk, tsk."
  
  You're thrown into an especially smelly Boot and carried, kicking and screaming, to the lobby of the Police Station.
  
  Sgt. MacGuffin glares at you as the boots dump you on the floor. His eyes narrow when he sees you. "Well, well. If it isn't the disappearing mail clerk." You open your mouth to reply, but a vicious little kick changes your mind. "The Tower wants a chat with this troublemaker."
  
  "The sharks are getting restless," remarks the Tall Boot hopefully.
  
  Sgt. MacGuffin smirks. "So is the Evil One."
  
  You're locked inside a damp, uncomfortable jail cell. Its thick steel door and stone walls offer little hope for escape.
  
  The only furnishing is a hard bunk against the wall.
  
  You can see a small stone (providing light), a silver whistle, an umbrella, a horseshoe, a bottle, a candle (providing light), a violet note, a leaflet and a brass token here.
  
  The small stone stops glowing.
  
  > Go north
  You're standing in a circular park, surrounded by the Witchville Rotary. Walks converge from four directions on a neglected marble fountain, filled with greasy water.
  
  A statue stands in the middle of the fountain.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west.
  
  > Go north
  This is the northern side of the Witchville Rotary. A road leads north, towards the river.
  
  On the corner stands a broken-down old church that looks as if it hasn't been used for years.
  
  The vulture appears high overhead.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west.
  
  > enter the church
  You're standing inside an abandoned old church. The aisles are littered with debris and bits of colored glass; everything is coated with a thick layer of dust.
  
  > ask the miss voss about the key
  "I don't have time for idle chatter," she replies.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the east. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > give the note to the miss voss
  Miss Voss shakes her head. "I haven't any use for a violet note!" she snarls.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the east. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > give the leaflet to the miss voss
  Miss Voss shakes her head. "I haven't any use for a leaflet!" she snarls.
  
  The night is filled with rhythmic thunder, and a platoon of gigantic leather army boots marches into view. It's the Boot Patrol again!
  
  You're immediately surrounded, tied, gagged and dragged before an especially tall Boot. "What!" he cries. "I thought you were locked up with Sgt. MacGuffin. Tsk, tsk."
  
  You're thrown into an especially smelly Boot and carried, kicking and screaming, to the lobby of the Police Station.
  
  Sgt. MacGuffin glares at you as the boots dump you on the floor. His eyes narrow when he sees you. "Well, well. If it isn't the disappearing mail clerk." You open your mouth to reply, but a vicious little kick changes your mind. "The Tower wants a chat with this troublemaker."
  
  "The sharks are getting restless," remarks the Tall Boot hopefully.
  
  Sgt. MacGuffin smirks. "So is the Evil One."
  
  You're locked inside a damp, uncomfortable jail cell. Its thick steel door and stone walls offer little hope for escape.
  
  The only furnishing is a hard bunk against the wall.
  
  You can see a small stone (providing light), a silver whistle, an umbrella, a horseshoe, a bottle, a candle (providing light), a violet note, a leaflet and a brass token here.
  
  The small stone stops glowing.
  
  > Open note
  But the violet note isn't addressed to you!
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the east. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > Go south
  You're outside the cottage of Miss Voss, the former town librarian. The road turns north toward the village, and bends upward to the summit of Post Office Hill.
  
  As you approach the cottage you are greeted by the biggest hellhound you've ever seen in your entire life. It charges across the street, roaring angrily and showing its sharp, bloody fangs.
  
  You can smell the hellhound's hot breath as it roars.
  
  > Enter
  The hellhound won't let you near the cottage.
  
  The hellhound glares at you through eyes red with hatred.
  
  > Go up
  The hellhound won't let you go that way.
  
  You can hear the hellhound's sharp, bloody fangs snapping as it nips your heels.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You're holding a brass token, a leaflet, a violet note, a candle (providing light), a bottle, a horseshoe, an umbrella, a silver whistle and a small stone (providing light).
  
  The hellhound circles you warily, snarling and growling with menace. It looks as if it's getting ready to attack!
  
  > Blow whistle
  A clear, sweet note stills the night with its beauty.
  
  With a savage leap, the hellhound lives up to its bloodthirsty reputation.
  
  Your score is 51 points out of 100, in 271 moves.
  
  Do you want to restart the story, restore a saved position, or quit?
  
  > Blow whistle
  A clear, sweet note stills the night with its beauty.
  
  The hellhound circles you warily, snarling and growling with menace. It looks as if it's getting ready to attack!
  
  > go to the north
  The hellhound roars a threat as you back away.
  
  This is the south side of the Witchville Rotary. A road branches south, towards Post Office Hill.
  
  The Witchville Public Library, once famous for its museum of local historic artifacts, stands in a pitiful state of disrepair.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the north.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the west.
  
  > put Token in machine
  The brass token disappears into the slot.
  
  Ding! You hear a pleasant electric chime, and a blinking star appears on the video screen.
  
  (Your score just went up by 1 point! Your total score is 52 out of 100.)
  
  (This might be a good time to SAVE your story position.)
  
  > see the screen
  The video screen displays a map of Witchville Village. A grid divides the map into 13 squares, and a blinking star is centered over one of the squares.
  
  (You'll find the map inside your Wishbringer package.)
  
  > see the machine
  The game machine is equipped with a video screen, a joystick, a big red button and a narrow slot for tokens. A lurid logo ("TRANSMATTER!") is painted on the side.
  
  > press the button
  Are you sure you want to push the big red button?
  
  > Yes
  The stunted humanoids in the arcade snicker behind your back as your hand touches the flashing button. This might be a trap! You don't really want to press that big red button, do you?
  
  > Yes
  (Hope you saved your story position.)
  
  A sudden power drain makes all the other games in the arcade go dim. Blue sheets of energy leap from the game machine, surrounding you in an incandescent aura.
  
  A shower of sparks erupts from the back of the game machine, and the video screen goes black.
  
  A synthetic voice says, "Game Over. Insert Token To Play Again."
  
  A vague electrical smell quickly fades.
  
  > Yes
  The stunted humanoids in the arcade hold their breath as your hand touches the flashing button. This might be a trap! You don't really want to press that big red button, do you?
  
  > Yes
  (Hope you saved your story position.)
  
  A sudden power drain makes all the other games in the arcade go dim. Blue sheets of energy leap from the game machine, surrounding you in an incandescent aura. You can feel your molecules being taken apart one at a time, analyzed, modulated and broadcast through space. It is not a pleasant sensation.
  
  You're on a hilltop overlooking the seaside village of Witchville.
  
  A tower stands in bleak silhouette against the moonlit sky. It rises a hundred feet above a barren plateau, and is encircled by a deep moat. The only entrances are a closed drawbridge and a dark window near the top.
  
  Roads run down the hill to the east and west. There's a signpost nearby.
  
  A synthetic voice says, "Game Over. Insert Token To Play Again."
  
  (Your score just went up by 5 points! Your total score is 57 out of 100.)
  
  > see signpost
  There are two arrows on the signpost. The arrow pointing west says "To Cemetery." The east arrow is marked "To Witchville."
  
  > see the moat
  The moat is 20 feet wide and filled with black, oily water.
  
  > Drink water
  Better not. The water might be dirty.
  
  > see the window
  It's wide open, and located a hundred feet above the moat.
  
  > throw the horseshoe at the window
  Unfortunately, the window is too far away for you to do that.
  
  > Go north
  One of the stunted humanoids eagerly takes over your game machine as you walk away.
  
  You're standing near the remains of the Pleasure Wharf. The Wharf extends eastward into Witchville Bay.
  
  To the south stands a ramshackle old building. Colorful lights, curious electronic sounds and a neon sign beckon you through the open entrance.
  
  > Go east
  You're on a rocky path that runs east and west along the banks of the Witchville River. A dense, impenetrable forest borders the south edge of the path.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the east. It sounds as if they're coming this way!
  
  > see sign
  Violators Will Be Jailed!
  
  > see Bridge
  You see nothing interesting about the covered bridge.
  
  You can hear the tramp of marching boots to the south.
  
  > look under Bridge
  The current looks swift and murky.
  
  > Swim
  (Presumably, you mean in the water.)
  You'd probably drown in the river if you went that way.
  
  > search the water
  The water is too deep to see much of anything.
  
  > see the cliff
  It's a sheer, featureless wall, a hundred feet high.
  
  > go south
  You're on the sandy shore of the lake. A road heads east towards the village, and another runs north along the edge of the lake. Looking south, you can see an open iron gate leading into the Witchville Cemetery.
  
  Misty Island, its outline shrouded in fog, is visible far across the water.
  
  You can see a narrow pit near the edge of the lake.
  
  > look in the pit
  The pit is more than five feet deep.
  
  > Go south
  The cemetery is a fearful place, especially at night. Are you sure you want to go in there?
  
  > Yes
  You have been warned.
  
  The trees here are so thick, it's almost too dark to see! You can make out an open iron gate to the north, and a narrow lane between the tombstones winds off to the east.
  
  As you glance around you notice luminous ribbons of mist darting among the tombstones. The air is filled with sinister voices.
  
  > listen
  At the moment, you hear nothing special.
  
  The luminous mists suddenly condense into a cloud of eldritch vapors! Circling like sharks, they stroke your face with ghostly fingers and whisper dreadful secrets into your ears.
  
  > see the mist
  The eldritch vapors stare back at you with translucent curiosity.
  
  Giggling with mischievous Glee, the eldritch vapors clutch your legs and cover your eyes with their luminous hands. The ground falls away beneath your feet as the foggy fiends lift you high above the treetops, scatter your possessions and carry you screaming into the night.
  
  You come to your senses empty-handed and aching all over.
  
  You're standing at the summit of a high, barren hill. Looking east, you can see Witchville Village nestled among the trees. A narrow trail winds down the north side of the hill, towards the river.
  
  Crowning the hill is the stump of what must have been a very large and majestic oak tree. An opening in the stump leads down into darkness.