text: [Themes: Children's, Skateboard, child, kid-friendly, magic-object]
  
  > pick the orange
  The orange tree is not something you can pick. Possibly you meant to type 'pick up'.
  
  > get orange
  The orange tree is too far away.
  
  > get orange
  You pick the orange.
  
  > eat it
  You peel the orange carefully, remove a section, and bite into it. Quite possibly it's the best-tasting orange you've ever had in your life!
  
  > throw the orange
  (at Mrs. Pepper's house)
  The orange hits Mrs. Pepper's house without any obvious effect, and falls to the lawn.
  
  > Go west
  After taking a hurried detour to put Mrs. Pepper's possessions back where you found them, lock her house and garage, and toss the keys under the back porch, you head home, happy as can be: Not only did you meet an elf and save him from certain death, but you got your skateboard back too.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying a small flashlight, a glass, 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 glass jar (broken), a pamphlet, a bunch of keys, and a bamboo stick. You're wearing a black wig.
  
  > Go east
  (first unlocking the garage door, then opening it)
  
  The interior of the garage smells dank and musty. A little sunlight leaks in through cracks and knotholes, and a pile of clutter occupies one corner. A workbench runs along the wall.
  
  A long-handled rake leans against the wall.
  
  On the workbench is a toolbox.
  
  > open the toolbox
  The word "debris" is not necessary in this story.
  
  Opening the toolbox reveals a screwdriver.
  
  > Examine box
  The toolbox is made of metal, and has a hinged lid. Except for a few dents and dribbles of paint, it appears to be in good condition. It's open, and contains a screwdriver.
  
  > take the screwdriver
  You pick up the screwdriver.
  
  > examine the workbench
  The workbench is built along one wall of the garage. It's rather stained and nicked, as if someone used it at one time, but now it's mostly bare of tools. On the workbench is a toolbox.
  
  > get the rake
  You pick up the rake.
  
  > take the rake
  You are already carrying the rake.
  
  > look at the rake
  This is the long-handled rake that Mrs. Pepper tried to claw you with. Its long metal tines are filthy.
  
  > look under the porch
  Deep in the shadows beneath the porch, you spy your skateboard!
  
  > get the skateboard with the rake
  By groping with the rake under the porch, you manage to drag your skateboard close enough to get your hands on it -- and then you pick it up. Success!
  
  > examine the skateboard
  The flame decals are starting to peel off, but that's because you've spent so many happy hours zipping around town on your skateboard.
  
  > Go south
  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.
  
  > turn the screw with the screwdriver
  You give the screw a little twist with the screwdriver.
  
  > remove the screw
  (from the machinery)
  You can't have that; it's part of the machinery.
  
  > examine the door
  It's a small metal box, recessed into the wall behind a small gray door, and containing a large red switch. A thick cable runs up from the box to the ceiling. It's open.
  
  > look at the switch
  Which switch do you mean, the large red switch, or the small flashlight?
  
  > Large red switch
  (the large red switch)
  It's a large red switch, mounted on the wall in a gray box, and currently in the 'down (off)' position.
  
  > open the metal door
  The small metal box is already open.
  
  > look at the cable
  (the braided metal cable)
  The thick braided metal cable loops around the wheel on the side of the machine. From both sides of the wheel, it extends upward through small holes in the ceiling.
  
  > enter the metal door
  (the ocarina)
  The plastic ocarina is about the shape and color of a potato. There are a few holes across the top, and a sort of mouthpiece at one side for blowing into.
  
  You're not an ant!
  
  > touch the wire
  The wire fails to shock you. Evidently the switch on the wall is the circuit breaker.
  
  > 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: You set down the blond wig.
  
  black wig:
  (first taking off the 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.
  glass jar: You set down the glass jar.
  pamphlet: You set down the pamphlet.
  bunch of keys: You set down the bunch of keys.
  bamboo stick: You set down the bamboo stick.
  screwdriver: You set down the screwdriver.
  rake: You set down the rake.
  
  > attach the wire to the screw
  your skateboard: You set down your skateboard.
  
  To do that, you'll need a screwdriver.
  
  > take the screwdriver
  You pick up the screwdriver.
  
  > attach the wire to the screw
  Using the screwdriver, you attach the bare metal end of the wire to the screw on the top of the machine.
  
  > take all
  wheelchair: The old wheelchair would be far too awkward to carry. small flashlight: You pick up the small flashlight.
  glass: You pick up the glass.
  butter knife: You pick up the butter knife.
  green wig: You pick up the green wig.
  auburn wig: You pick up the auburn wig.
  blond wig: You pick up the blond wig.
  black wig: You pick up the black wig.
  brush: You pick up the brush.
  musical score: You pick up the musical score.
  ocarina: You pick up the ocarina.
  remote control: You pick up the remote control.
  yellow book: You pick up the yellow book.
  piece of paper: You pick up the piece of paper.
  framed photo: You pick up the framed photo.
  glass jar: You pick up the glass jar.
  pamphlet: You pick up the pamphlet.
  bunch of keys: You pick up the bunch of keys.
  bamboo stick: You pick up the bamboo stick.
  rake: You pick up the rake.
  your skateboard: You pick up your skateboard.
  
  > turn on the red switch
  A low humming sound starts coming from the machinery.
  
  > examine 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 wire is attached to a screw on the top of the machine. Mounted in the north wall just behind the machine is a small metal door.
  
  > open the door
  The small metal box is already open.
  
  > get in the door
  (the bedroom door)
  You can't board that.
  
  > enter the elevator
  This chamber is not much larger than a closet. The way out is to the east, next to a waist-height black button.
  
  > go to the west
  (first trying to open the steel door)
  The steel door seems to be locked.
  
  > Go upwards
  You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the back bedroom; south, to the front bedroom; west; and down, back to the hall.
  
  > Go west
  This chamber is not much larger than a closet. The way out is to the east, next to a waist-height black button.
  
  > press the button
  (the black button)
  The steel door slides shut; a few moments later there is a brief humming noise, accompanied by a momentary sensation of lightness.
  Then the steel door slides open.
  
  > ask the elf about the skateboard
  With some pride, you tell the elf how you got your skateboard out from under the porch using the rake. "I'm very happy for you," he says, not sounding particularly happy. "I've seen young humans racing down the walk on skateboards, and it does look like fun. But I've never been on one myself, nor am ever likely to be, since I have roots in place of feet."
  
  > ask the elf about the elevator
  "Did you know there's an elevator in this house?" you ask the elf.
  
  "What's an elevator?" he replies. "I'm a creature of the Great Outdoors, you'll understand. I know very little about what's inside houses."
  
  "It's ... well, it's a little room that goes up and down," you explain.
  
  "You mean, like a bird?"
  
  "Well, no," you admit. "An elevator isn't really very much like a bird. It's more like ... oh, never mind."
  
  > ask the elf about the elf
  "I don't know very much about ... little people," you venture. "Are you by any chance an elf?"
  
  "Why, that I am. A good guess. Not a very important elf, though, just a common garden elf. My name is Turlix." He bows.
  
  > ask the elf about yourself
  "That's not something I know very much about," he responds. "I'm very sorry."
  
  > ask Turlix about the mr pepper
  "I'm not much of a conversationalist," he admits. "You've stumped me ... if you'll forgive the term."
  
  > ask the elf about the mr pepper
  "You humans must lead such interesting lives," the elf says. "You're just bursting with questions and comments!"
  
  > ask the elf about the elves
  "Do all garden elves live in pots in houses?" you ask. "I mean, I wouldn't have guessed."
  
  "Oh, no," he says, shaking his head sadly. "I'm being held captive by that awful woman. It was my own fault," he says, looking chagrined. "Her garden is such a disaster, so dreadful and dismal and abysmal. Day after day I would see her out there raking, and nothing to rake but rocks! Finally, one day it was too much for me. I popped up and told her in no uncertain terms what a shameful mess she'd made of it.
  
  "She asked for my help. Demanded it, truth be told. I told her, there's not much I can do with a garden so decrepit. I can encourage a seed to sprout, or perhaps coax a tree to bring forth a few extra blossoms, but fill a garden of gravel with flowers and vegetables? It would take a hundred elves a hundred days to do it.
  
  "She listened to me, nodding all the while. I thought she understood. But then she did -- something, I'm not sure what, except that I think it was a magic spell that came from the absurd thing she was wearing on her head. I felt myself getting sleepy, and when I awoke I was up here in this room, in this pot, completely cut off from the soil of the Earth.
  
  "And then she told me if I wouldn't promise to make her garden grow, she would never let me go! I told her it was beyond my poor powers, but she didn't want to believe me. Lately she's begun tormenting me by not watering me. As if that would convince me to promise something I can't possibly achieve. We elves know better than to make promises we can't keep. If you hadn't come along, I'm sure I would have dried up and blown away before another day had gone by."
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying a screwdriver, a small flashlight, a glass, a butter knife, four wigs (one green, one auburn, one blond, and one black), a brush, a musical score, an ocarina, a remote control, a yellow book, a piece of paper, a framed photo, a glass jar (broken), a pamphlet, a bunch of keys, a bamboo stick, a rake, and your skateboard.
  
  > ask him about the pot
  "Are you comfortable in that pot?" you ask the elf.
  
  "Oh, it's not too bad," he replies. "It will be months before I'm root-bound, and if I can't escape from here before then I'm sure I'll be dead."