I'm Only the Trombone Player

Day 2 ~ Andre's Five Day Mini Challenge

January 11^th 2022 ▼

January, 2022 "Invalid Item"  5 Day Mini Challenge

What's Written On Dighton Rock?

In the 1950s, workers uncovered a huge 40-ton rock near Berkeley, Massachusetts with strange marks and symbols carved on it. It had first been described around 1680 and was studied many times by scholars in the centuries after, as per New England.

Because it appears to have both pictorial inscriptions as well as some letter-like carvings, not everyone thinks it is the work of Native tribes in the area, but possibly the work of sailors from Portugal or even proof of Viking or Phoenician visitation.

Andre says, "If anyone can decipher this message, it would have to be a writer."

Share your theory, and solve the message in the marks and symbols. Convince your readers that your theory is the only factual solution.

What's Written On Dighton Rock?

Andre was nursing a hangover this morning when I walked into the Bar looking for a fresh coffee refill. Luckily Lilith 🎄 Christmas Cheer had made yet another fresh pot.

Sitting down a few stools away from Andre, I waited until he downed two mugs o'joe before I even smiled at him. One mug later he grimaced back at me. He was ready to converse, or at least grunt in my direction.

"So, Andre ol' buddy have you ever heard of Dighton Rock?"

"Noncommittal Grunt." Andre slides his coffee mug down the bar, Lilli glares at the mug but fills it anyway.

"Ya see Andre ol' chap, I need some information. Buttering up a monkey is a necessary annoyance when you're dealing with Andre, that of bribery. That works too. "I'd be more than happy to pay the usual consultation fee

Andre drained his mug in one gulp and slid off his stool. Mumbling all the way he sauntered into the office, I think I might have heard a chihuahua barking, but it shut up too fast to be sure. When Andre returned he handed me an old leather portfolio. I took the pages it contained out gingerly.

This was the first thing I saw;

"Geeze, Andre," Staring at the parchment document. "Is this an original sketch—do you know what it means?

Another grunt and a gesture to flip the page.

Sure enough, there was the translation, plain as day. Let me summarize it for you.

Several centuries ago Vikings landed in North America. The native inhabitants, having just sent the Phoenicians packing, weren't happy with the new crop of immigrants. There was a lot of pushing and shoving until a young monkey named Andresdatter (Go ahead Google it!), one of Andre's ancestors stepped up. She calmed everybody down by whipping up a tasty treat.

To commemorate having some much better friends, and Andresdatter's tasty treat, the natives decided to inscribe the story on a rock in the middle of a river. (Obviously, there were more than one type of tasty treats involved.)

The only thing left to wonder about was just what treat Andresdatter used to mend the fences?

Andre grunted one last time, flipped the page himself, pointed at me, and then the kitchen. I had my answer{emdashand my orders.

P.S. Here's the last page of the translation. "Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies"