MEOW #52: You Are In A Maze Of Twisty Little Passages, All Alike

[benchen71]

I have no idea what this is about. Sigh.

Sorry about that. There will be some nudges coming at some point.

[benchen71]

Here's the list of solvers so far:

oldjudge
hoover
Schmeel
RPardoe
Cindy Weatherman
Meg
Boharr
whimsy
lbray53
Darth
Hector
BrennerTJ
Jeremy Smith
Carolyn
LuckyGuest
Kay W
Bird Lives
LB800
Cap'n'Rick
HeadingHome

[Dplass]

I have no idea what this is about. Sigh.

Sorry about that. There will be some nudges coming at some point.

No worries, I know it's not Saturday yet.

[Dplass]

Submitted and confirmed. Thanks for the puzzle!

[Cinny]

Very interesting puzzle. Solved and confirmed.

[woozy]

Is this a story most of us are supposed to know? I've heard of the author but not the story but google is your friend.

And that is a good picture of the story.

[MarkWoychick]

I’ve got the grid and 23A. Not familiar enough with author or stories to do more than guess at this point and all have been incorrect. Perhaps a typo and/or a title variation. Working on what to do next…

[edit] OK, I have the confirmation now via Crosshare….and some help from @benchen71 - thanks, Ben, and thanks for the puzzle!

[benchen71]

I’ve got the grid and 23A. Not familiar enough with author or stories to do more than guess at this point and all have been incorrect. Perhaps a typo and/or a title variation. Working on what to do next…

If you don't know the short story in question straight away - and it is not a well-known story, so this will be almost everyone - I was anticipating that you would use Google. And you can PM me with your answer, if you think Crosshare is failing you!

[Bird Lives]

And that is a good picture of the story.

I feel dense for not having noticed that, but now that you point it out. . .

[MamaE]

Excellent! Cat out of the bag. Nicely done

[benchen71]

An update to the list of solvers:

Cinny
Kochmanski
Gutman
dplass
woozy
MamaE
MarkWoychick

My puzzle was not featured on Crosshare this week, so I think that's kept the numbers down a little.

[sharkicicles]

Whoa, this was cool.

[SewYoung]

The cat has been out of the bag for a couple of days. I thought I had submitted my answer, but apparently had not. Discovered that little detail a few minutes ago and corrected. Just got confirmation.
Great Puzzle!

[benchen71]

Four more solvers!

em
CPJohnson
SewYoung
markhr

[benchen71]

Saturday is nudges day for MEOWs. Well, it has been Saturday here in Australia for 16 hours, so that's good enough for me!

1. Something very strange is going on with these clues. Yes, that's right: I've given you all of the answers! Except one, and you only get one interlocking letter for that one. You will, in fact, need to solve the meta in order to complete that last entry!

2. When you look at the grid for the first time, you might miss a couple of areas that are slightly different to the rest. These areas will become important, but you might still need to understand the rest of the grid first.

3. Some might recognise the story immediately. If not, you will need to use Google. Think of the puzzle as providing you with the relevant search terms. Getting the name of the story will then reveal the author.

4. Once you identify the story, click here to read it - it's really not very long! This will explain the unusual grid.

[benchen71]

Two more solvers:

Totally the real and not fake Benchen71
MaineMarge

[benchen71]

One more solver:

Tyrpmom

[Abide]

Solved via MamaE

[benchen71]

I know it's a bit early, but otherwise I will forget! Here's the solution to "You Are In A Maze Of Twisty Passages, All Alike":

There really wasn't that much to it. You just had to "understand" the grid by identifying all of the "labyrinth"s. Once you did that, the bits that didn't fit become clear. My intention was that you would "solve" the upper half first. Then, when you follow "labyrinth" down into the lower half, you would sort of know what to expect. (However, if you didn't choose to go left at that initial choice, then you would be in trouble!)

At that point, unless you happen to know the story, you would need to do a Google using the search terms provided by the grid: "two kings labyrinth". And the story and author would be revealed, allowing you to fill in the last entry in the grid: JORGE LUIS BORGES.

The story is worth reading, if you haven't already. And it's very short:

It is said by men worthy of belief (though Allah’s knowledge is greater) that in the first
days there was a king of the isles of Babylonia who called together his architects and
his priests and bade them build him a labyrinth so confused and so subtle that the
most prudent men would not venture to enter it, and those who did would lose their
way. Most unseemly was the edifice that resulted, for it is the prerogative of God, not
man, to strike confusion and inspire wonder. In time there came to the court a king of
Arabs, and the king of Babylonia (to mock the simplicity of his guest) bade him enter
the labyrinth, where the king of Arabs wandered, humiliated and confused, until the
coming of the evening, when he implored God’s aid and found the door. His lips offered
no complaint, though he said to the king of Babylonia that in his land he had another
labyrinth, and Allah willing, he would see that someday the king of Babylonia made its
acquaintance. Then he returned to Arabia with his captains and his wardens and he
wreaked such havoc upon kingdoms of Babylonia, and with such great blessing by
fortune, that he brought low his castles, crushed his people, and took the king of
Babylonia himself captive. He tied him atop a swift-footed camel and led him into the
desert. Three days they rode, and then he said to him, “O king of time and substance
and cipher of the century! In Babylonia didst thou attempt to make me lose my way in
a labyrinth of brass with many stairways, doors, and walls; now the Powerful One has
seen fit to allow me to show thee mine, which has no stairways to climb, nor walls to
impede thy passage.”

Then he untied the bonds of the king of Babylonia and abandoned him in the middle of
the desert, where he died of hunger and thirst. Glory to him who does not die.

My thanks to madhatter5 for the forum swap. It has been fun!