text: > describe your surroundings
  This homey-looking area surrounded by a gleaming chrome fence has several soft animals (and, in one case, squishy) for you to pet or feed. A gleaming chrome food table provides snacks for the animals: a lettuce tray, a crate of mushrooms, and a plate of bratwursts.
  
  A placid and professional zookeeper stands watch over the animals.
  
  A racing slug is oozing around here.
  
  A truffle pig is sniffing around the petting zoo.
  
  A tailypo is stalking back and forth.
  
  > examine the fence
  This fence must be polished daily. It's so bright!
  
  > ask the zookeeper about the fence
  You can only ASK someone about an important thing or person you've seen. For instance, you could ASK the zookeeper ABOUT the Devil's Food Tower, the paisley vest, or the Scarlet Empress.
  
  > ask the zookeeper about the ticket
  You can only ASK someone about an important thing or person you've seen. For instance, you could ASK the zookeeper ABOUT the sun orb, the zookeeper, or the Hunted Unicorn.
  
  > ask the zookeeper about the sausage seller
  "I don't trust any of the food vendors. Animals should have simple food, not elaborate concoctions!" she says.
  
  > examine the tray
  A tray filled with fresh lettuce.
  
  In the lettuce tray is a lettuce leaf.
  
  > Go south
  The crowd is more or less divided here, with younger kids and families headed west to the Melancholy Mall and more adventurous teens
  and adults headed east to Mechanical Marvels.
  
  A sign to the north proclaims "Cragne Meatpacking Presents:
  Petting Zoo". Some graffiti applied to the sign proclaims, "TOBY KNOWS."
  
  A sign to the south says "The Queen's Menagerie". You've heard
  this is where more dangerous animals are displayed.
  
  There are three food sellers here: a sausage seller, a ceviche chef, and a jelly man, each with their own menu and cart. But something about the food they're selling seems weird.
  
  David is contemplating the various attractions and people in the park with wide eyes. He's holding his favorite plush chimera.
  
  David starts going to the east, but sees something that makes him turn around.
  
  > talk to David
  "Lily, this park is awesome!" says David. "Did you know there's a giant castle cake in the snack shop?"
  
  > ask David about the chimera
  "Chimeras are awesome! They can multiattack and fly!" says David.
  
  > ask David about the tickets
  You can only ASK someone about an important thing or person you've seen. For instance, you could ASK David ABOUT the castle cake, Alice, or the lettuce leaf.
  
  David wanders off to the west.
  
  > Go south
  This attraction is lively and loud. You are in a red brick plaza in the middle of all the dangerous animal exhibits of the menagerie.
  
  To the west lies the Griffin Exhibit, to the east lies
  the Skull Scraper Sanctuary, and to the south is the Lupine
  Lair. You can also go up to the Abandoned Shrine and
  down from here is the Rawhead's Refuge.
  
  A large menu is posted on a sign here.
  
  Escape is to the north.
  
  A scabrous little man with a nametag reading Crust walks along the cages, banging the bars with an ornate scepter when the animals become too unruly.
  
  > look at the scepter
  This is a scepter, part of the Grooverland regalia.
  
  > examine the Crust
  He's a little man holding an ornate scepter. His nametag says Crust.
  
  > talk to the Crust
  "Step lightly, child. A misstep here would land somebody in a bad place. We serve the Scarlet Empress in this part of the park, not like that simple-minded zookeeper who serves the Mirrored Queen." He peers at you closely. "Ah, the special girl of the day! Well, we have a treat for you, don't we. If you want this," he says, tapping the royal scepter that he holds, "you'll have to beat me at my own game."
  
  He grins and says, "These animals are hungry beasts, never full. I have my own menu, which you can see in the plaza of the menagerie. I'll give you five tokens for the food carts up in the Promenade. Order your five best foods, and I'll bring my five best, and we'll see which beasts prefer your food over mine. If more animals like your food than mine, I'll give you this piece of the regalia."
  
  Then he hands you five tokens. "Go on then!"
  
  > take the ticket
  You peel off the ticket.
  
  > look at the ticket
  This is a white ticket that says "Good for one glass of milk at the Sugar Plum Snack Bar."
  
  > go west
  This exhibit looks has the appearance of dreadful wilds, with false crags and pools of water.
  
  There is an informational sign here.
  
  The rest of the menagerie is to the east.
  
  A griffin stalks back and forth here, watching you keenly.
  
  Crust arrives from the east.
  
  > examine Griffin
  This animal is not a pleasant one to look at. It has a large head with sharp teeth, powerful claws and a projecting tail.
  
  How they got an animal to look like that, you can't imagine. Its wings are moving, even. Is it an ostrich in a costume? It must be.
  
  > look at the Crust
  He's a little man holding an ornate scepter. His nametag says Crust.
  
  He is carrying the following menagerie food (with Blooodiness, Sloppiness, and Rawness)
  (B 7, S 5, R 4) Goat Meat
  (B 7, S 3, R 5) Lamb Meat
  (B 5, S 3, R 4) Bantam
  (B 3, S 3, R 5) Minnow
  (B 3, S 3, R 5) Rat Meat
  
  > look at the sign
  It reads, "The griffin is a fiercely independent but intelligent creature who loves bloody food."
  
  > go east
  This attraction is lively and loud. You are in a red brick plaza in the middle of all the dangerous animal exhibits of the menagerie.
  
  To the west lies the Griffin Exhibit, to the east lies
  the Skull Scraper Sanctuary, and to the south is the Lupine
  Lair. You can also go up to the Abandoned Shrine and
  down from here is the Rawhead's Refuge.
  
  A large menu is posted on a sign here.
  
  Escape is to the north.
  
  Crust arrives from the west.
  
  > go to the east
  This dark room is lined with many, many skulls. Plastic, you presume.
  
  There is an informational sign here.
  
  The rest of the menagerie is to the west.
  
  A vicous sharp-toothed skull scraper hops around this exhibit.
  
  Crust arrives from the west.
  
  > examine the scraper
  The skull scraper is small creature with extremely sharp teeth. You can only assume it must be a variant of rabbit, but it doesn't look like any rabbit you've seen. Instead of hopping, it scurries from place to place, occasionally gnawing on skulls.
  
  > look at the sign
  It reads, "The skull scraper is a fastidious creature that prefers raw food but detests sloppiness."
  
  > go to the west
  This attraction is lively and loud. You are in a red brick plaza in the middle of all the dangerous animal exhibits of the menagerie.
  
  To the west lies the Griffin Exhibit, to the east lies
  the Skull Scraper Sanctuary, and to the south is the Lupine
  Lair. You can also go up to the Abandoned Shrine and
  down from here is the Rawhead's Refuge.
  
  A large menu is posted on a sign here.
  
  Escape is to the north.
  
  Crust arrives from the east.
  
  > go to the south
  This unusual exhibit looks like an alley between two suburban houses. A strange choice for a menagerie, but Grooverland is a strange place.
  
  There is an informational sign here.
  
  The rest of the menagerie is back to the north.
  
  A wolf wearing a top hat prowls here, never looking away from you.
  
  Crust arrives from the north.
  
  > look at the wolf
  A wolf that is, for some reason, wearing a top hat.
  
  > Pet wolf
  You can't touch the wolf. He is too far away!
  
  > examine sign
  It reads, "This semi-sentient wolf is the only one of its kind known. It especially enjoys sloppy meals."
  
  > go north
  This attraction is lively and loud. You are in a red brick plaza in the middle of all the dangerous animal exhibits of the menagerie.
  
  To the west lies the Griffin Exhibit, to the east lies
  the Skull Scraper Sanctuary, and to the south is the Lupine
  Lair. You can also go up to the Abandoned Shrine and
  down from here is the Rawhead's Refuge.
  
  A large menu is posted on a sign here.
  
  Escape is to the north.
  
  Crust arrives from the south.
  
  > Go upwards
  This exhibit is made up to look like an abandoned shrine. There are so many places for something to hide.
  
  There is an informational sign here.
  
  The rest of the menagerie is down from here.
  
  A shadowy shrine beast prowls from hiding place to hiding place.
  
  Crust arrives from below.
  
  > examine the beast
  It's hard to see it, but it looks like a black panther, only...larger.
  
  > examine sign
  It reads, "The shrine beast is a legendary creature with sightings dating back to the Edo period in Japan. It prefers bloody, but not raw, food."