text: [Themes: Children's, house setting, Skateboard, kid-friendly, magic, gender-neutral protagonist]
  
  > look around
  Cellar (standing on the wheelchair)
  The cellar is dim and dismal. A flight of stairs leads up. Near the foot of the stairs a slim chain dangles from the ceiling. Off to one side squats a heavy piece of machinery, and a plank shelf has been built into the opposite wall.
  
  The old wheelchair is resting just by the shelf.
  
  You see a glass jar (broken) (which contains a small metallic object) here.
  
  > get the jar
  (first getting off of the wheelchair)
  You pick up the glass jar.
  
  > take the object
  You pick up the small metallic object.
  
  > examine object
  It's an antique gold brooch, roughly round and about an inch and a half in diameter.
  
  > examine the machine
  The innards of the machine are concealed by a metal housing. On one side is a large vertically mounted wheel, around both sides of which a sturdy cable runs up through the ceiling. Not far from the cable a black-coated wire dangles down from the ceiling. The lower end of the wire swings free not far from a screw that protrudes from the top of the machine. Mounted in the north wall just behind the machine is a small metal door.
  
  > examine the door
  It's a small, gray, metal door set into the north wall. A thick cable runs up from the door to the ceiling. It's closed.
  
  > open the door
  Opening the metal door reveals a small box containing a large red switch.
  
  > pull the wire
  Touching the wire gives you a severe shock, so you let go of it at once.
  
  > hit switch
  Which switch do you mean, the large red switch, or the small flashlight?
  
  > Red switch
  (the large red switch)
  You cannot attack that.
  
  > press the red
  Which red do you mean, the red button, or the large red switch?
  
  > pull the wire
  You grip the end of the wire between two fingers and give it a little tug. It seems to be securely attached to something up in the ceiling, but this end is dangling loose -- not the usual situation, with electrical wires.
  
  > look at the screw
  The screw protrudes from the top plate of the machine housing.
  
  > Turn wheel
  It proves to be too stiff to turn by hand.
  
  > Screw
  What do you want to screw?
  
  > examine the red button
  The red button says "ON" in large square letters.
  
  > Inventory
  Please select a file in which to save the current position >
  Saved.
  
  You are carrying a small flashlight, a glass (full of water), a butter knife, three wigs (one green, one auburn, and one blond), a brush, a musical score, an ocarina, a remote control, a yellow book, a piece of paper, a framed photo, a bunch of keys, a glass jar (broken), and a gold brooch. You're wearing a black wig.
  
  > Go upwards
  The kitchen is small, and equipped with the usual appliances, including a cupboard, a sink, a stove, and a refrigerator, though most of the space is taken up by the unusually bulky wooden table standing in the middle of the room. The back door leads north, while to the south is an open doorway. A flight of stairs on the west side of the room leads down, roughly opposite the window in the east wall.
  
  The fridge contains a large wedge of blue cheese and a stale loaf of bread.
  
  There's an overpowering smell of over-ripe cheese.
  
  > go north
  (first unlocking the back door, then opening it)
  
  The back porch is a plain wooden structure, with no railing or decoration. It looks as if it was tacked onto the house as an afterthought. It's several feet above the ground, with a ramp leading up to one side. The back door leading into the house is just to the south.
  
  Mrs. Dogwood is working in the garden next door.
  
  > examine the ramp
  The ramp ascends smoothly from the ground to the porch.
  
  > give the brooch to Dogwood
  Mrs. Dogwood doesn't appear to hear you. Perhaps if you were closer to her....
  
  > Go north
  The back yard is in a dreadful state. Except for a few sorry weeds, nothing grows here. Someone has dug holes of various sizes, leaving mounds of dirt and gravel everywhere. A concrete birdbath stands in the center of the yard. The back porch of the house lies directly to the south.
  
  The driveway is off to the southeast, past the corner of the garage. The garage itself stands directly to the east.
  
  Mrs. Dogwood is working in the garden next door.
  
  > give the brooch to Dogwood
  "Hello again," you say.
  
  "Hi there, youngster," she replies.
  
  "Do you recognize this brooch, by any chance, Mrs. Dogwood?" you ask.
  
  "Yes! That's it! It's mine! I thought it was gone forever. Thank you so much for finding it for me." She takes the brooch and pins it to her jacket.
  
  > ask about the ocarina
  "My, but you're inquisitive!" she exclaims. "Just a regular little chatterbox."
  
  > ask Dogwood about the spells
  "You don't believe in magic, do you?" you ask.
  
  She titters. "Magic? You mean like spells and witchcraft and such muck? Certainly not! I'm a sensible modern woman. All the same, one hears tales...."
  
  > ask Dogwood about the music
  "I hardly know what to say!" she declares.
  
  > ask about the wigs
  "Can you tell me anything about Mrs. Pepper's wigs?" you ask.
  
  "Hideous, aren't they?" Mrs. Dogwood responds promptly. "I don't know why she's so fond of them, or where she buys them, but I daresay there's no accounting for taste."
  
  > ask about writing on the brush
  "Well..." she begins, then shakes her head, "No, I don't have time to explain all that now."
  
  > ask about the mozart
  "To tell you the truth," she begins, and then goes off into a rambling explanation you lose the thread of somewhere in the middle of the third sentence.
  
  > give the ocarina to Dogwood
  You show the ocarina to Mrs. Dogwood, and her face wrinkles in a disgusted frown. "That awful thing? I've heard Mrs. Pepper tootling on it, though I don't think she could carry a tune in a basket. She only plays it inside the house, thank goodness -- and I fancy the noise comes from upstairs."
  
  > ask Dogwood to play the ocarina
  You suspect that trying to boss Mrs. Dogwood around may not be the best way to secure her friendly co-operation.
  
  > Given the brush to dogwood
  (give brush to dogwood)
  
  "I'm afraid I'm not all that interested in that right now, dear," she replies, with a quick glance at the brush.
  
  > wear the green wig
  Okay, you're now wearing the green wig.
  
  "My goodness," Mrs. Dogwood exclaims. "What's that on your head? It looks just like one of Mrs. Pepper's awful wigs. It looks rather silly on you, I must say, but I suppose young people's sense of what's fashionable or trendy is not quite the same as mine."
  
  > look up the sleep
  (in the yellow book)
  You thumb through the index and find a listing for "sleep, inducing." On the indicated page, the book explains that to put someone to sleep, you need to be wearing a magically prepared garment or head-covering and chant a brief incantation while wielding the Sign of the Scarlet Fish. Unfortunately, the incantation is written in an alphabet you've never seen before, although it may be in the same script as the writing on the hairbrush. It looks rather like Arabic, but with a lot more squiggles.
  
  > give the book to Dogwood
  The word "sdzzpx" is not necessary in this story.
  
  "I'm afraid I'm not all that interested in that right now, dear," she replies, with a quick glance at the yellow book.
  
  > Go south
  Mrs. Dogwood returns to her gardening.
  
  The back porch is a plain wooden structure, with no railing or decoration. It looks as if it was tacked onto the house as an afterthought. It's several feet above the ground, with a ramp leading up to one side. The back door leading into the house is just to the south.
  
  Mrs. Dogwood is working in the garden next door.
  
  > wear the black wig
  (first taking off the green wig)
  Okay, you're now wearing the black wig.
  
  > press the button
  (the black button)
  You push the black button, but nothing happens.
  
  > Go upwards
  You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the back porch; south, back to the hall; east, to the section of driveway beside the house; and down, to the cellar.
  
  > play ocarina
  You tootle a few sour notes on the ocarina. The bedroom door shimmers pleasantly for a moment, as if a rainbow of light is passing across it.
  
  > open the door
  (the bedroom door)
  Opened.
  
  > Go south
  This boxy room is mostly unfurnished. Its most interesting feature is a large pot or planter -- the sort of thing you'd expect to see a potted palm growing in. In this pot, however, is a small brownish-green person.
  
  The door is to the north, and there's a window in the opposite wall.
  
  A pamphlet is lying on the floor.
  
  > read the pamphlet
  (first taking the pamphlet)
  You flip through the pamphlet. A lot of it is both boring and unlikely, but you manage to pick up one or two tidbits of information that might somehow be useful. First, the odd-looking little man in the pot is undoubtedly a garden elf, and not a pixie, leprechaun, or hobbit. The illustrations, though crudely drawn, make that pretty clear. Second, garden elves are reputed to be a type of plant, not an animal at all, though they look like little people. In the wild they're quite mobile: They can pop up out of the soil, duck down, and pop up again a hundred yards away in the blink of an eye -- but they can never venture more than a step or two away from the soil, as they have roots, not feet.
  
  > examine the window
  The window is narrow, consisting of a single pane of glass in a wooden frame. Curtains hang beside it. It's closed.
  
  > pull the curtains
  You pull the curtains closed, thereby shutting out much of the light.
  
  > open the window
  (first opening the curtains)
  Opened.
  
  > look at the window
  The window is narrow, consisting of a single pane of glass in a wooden frame. Curtains hang beside it. It's open.
  
  > look through the window
  The window affords a view over the front yard and the busy street beyond.
  
  > talk to the garden elf
  "Hi there!" you say.
  
  In reply, the elf makes soft croaking, choking noises. With an effort, he finally manages to force out a few intelligible words: "Water -- thirsty. Need water...."
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a small flashlight, a glass (full of water), a butter knife, three wigs (one green, one auburn, and one blond), a brush, a musical score, an ocarina, a remote control, a yellow book, a piece of paper, a framed photo, a bunch of keys, a glass jar (broken), and a pamphlet. You're wearing a black wig.
  
  > pour the water on the elf
  When you lean over the pot and start to tip the glass of tap water into it, the elf writhes and convulses as if an electrical current were shooting through him. "Nooooo!" he cries in a quivering little voice. "Nasty chemicals! Nooo, please. Need nice fresh water, not nasty chemical water." He falls back, sobbing.
  
  > go to the north
  The elf looks at you regretfully.
  
  The landing runs north-south past a steel door to the west. A staircase leads down to the floor below, and there's a black button low on the west wall. Immediately to the south the bedroom door is open.
  
  > go north
  This small, square room is furnished in a plain, unattractive style. Opposite the bed stands a dressing table, on which is a row of styrofoam heads. The way out is to the south, and there's a bathroom to the east.
  
  > Empty glass
  Emptying the glass here would only make a mess.
  
  > Drink water
  You drink all the water in the glass; it tastes stale, flat, and rather bitter.
  
  > fill the glass
  (from the faucet)
  (first turning on the faucet, then putting the glass under it)
  You hold the glass under the faucet until it fills up with water.
  
  > Go south
  You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads west, back to the back bedroom.
  
  > go south
  The landing runs north-south past a steel door to the west. A staircase leads down to the floor below, and there's a black button low on the west wall. Immediately to the south the bedroom door is open.
  
  > Go south
  This boxy room is mostly unfurnished. Its most interesting feature is a large pot or planter -- the sort of thing you'd expect to see a potted palm growing in. In this pot, however, is a small brownish-green person.
  
  The door is to the north, and there's a window in the opposite wall.
  
  > Go south
  You could easily break an ankle jumping out the window.
  
  > pour the water
  Emptying the glass here would only make a mess.
  
  > give the water to the elf
  "Hi there!" you say.
  
  When you lean over the pot and start to tip the glass of tap water into it, the elf writhes and convulses as if an electrical current were shooting through him. "Nooooo!" he cries in a quivering little voice. "Nasty chemicals! Nooo, please. Need nice fresh water, not nasty chemical water." He falls back, sobbing.
  
  > wear the green wig
  (first taking off the black wig)
  Okay, you're now wearing the green wig.
  
  > wear blond
  (first taking off the green wig)
  Okay, you're now wearing the blond wig.
  
  > look up rain
  (in the yellow book)
  You thumb through the index and find a listing for "rain, summoning." On that page, the book explains that rain can be induced to fall by wearing a garment or head-covering imbued with the proper power while pouring water on the ground and holding a bamboo stick. The spell for adding this power to an ordinary garment is quite intimidatingly complex, sad to say, and requires several ingredients that you not only don't have but have never even heard of.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a small flashlight, a glass (full of water), a butter knife, three wigs (one green, one auburn, and one black), a brush, a musical score, an ocarina, a remote control, a yellow book, a piece of paper, a framed photo, a bunch of keys, a glass jar (broken), and a pamphlet. You're wearing a blond wig.
  
  > ask the elf about the bamboo
  In reply, the elf makes soft croaking, choking noises. With an effort, he finally manages to force out a few intelligible words: "Water -- thirsty. Need water...."
  
  > take the elf
  His legs seem to be firmly rooted in the soil in the pot.
  
  > drop all
  small flashlight: You set down the small flashlight.
  glass: You put the glass down carefully.
  butter knife: You set down the butter knife.
  green wig: You set down the green wig.
  auburn wig: You set down the auburn wig.
  
  blond wig:
  (first taking off the blond wig)
  You set down the blond wig.
  
  black wig: You set down the black wig.
  brush: You set down the brush.
  musical score: You set down the musical score.
  ocarina: You set down the ocarina.
  remote control: You set down the remote control.
  yellow book: You set down the yellow book.
  piece of paper: You set down the piece of paper.
  framed photo: You set down the framed photo.
  bunch of keys: You set down the bunch of keys.
  glass jar: You set down the glass jar.
  pamphlet: You set down the pamphlet.
  
  > get the pot
  You pick up the heavy pot.
  
  > get the keys
  You find that it's impossible to carry anything else while holding the heavy pot.
  
  The elf looks at you regretfully.
  
  > Go north
  The pot is far too heavy for you to carry any distance.
  
  > drop the elf
  You set down the heavy pot.
  
  > look at the curtains
  The curtains are made of some thin material printed in a predominantly blue chintzy pattern. They're open.
  
  > close the curtains
  You pull the curtains closed, thereby shutting out much of the light.
  
  > examine the curtains
  The curtains are made of some thin material printed in a predominantly blue chintzy pattern. They're closed.