[Balin] Promises to keep (another homage)

[Balin]

You are in a dark room. There is a magnet in your pocket. Proceed.

Instructions & background: For several years in the 2000s, forum member ‘woubit’ would run an annual Christmas puzzle. This is my second homage; last year's can be found here.

This Christmas puzzle operates the same way as his did - the title provides a clue to what the actual puzzle is, and that puzzle has some sort of Christmas theme. (For example: the 2009 puzzle was called “There’s an old piano”; puzzlers first reasoned the continued lyric - “and they’re playing it hot behind the green door” - then deduced the green door was on an advent calendar.) To get an idea of how this will run, check out his puzzles: 2005’s, 2007’s, 2008’s, and 2009’s. They are very long (2007's is the shortest).

All forms of reference (and Internet searching) are acceptable.

At present, all you have to go on is the title and the brief introduction. Good luck.

[Enjay]

Focusing on the title - is the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” relevant? A particular line from that poem? Robert Frost?

[GalFisk]

Is it completely devoid of light? Can you feel the walls? If you trace the magnet along the walls, does it stick to anything?

[Balin]

Focusing on the title - is the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” relevant? Yes A particular line from that poem? Yes, although not an entire line Robert Frost? Only relevant as the writer of that poem

Is it completely devoid of light? Yes, right now Can you feel the walls? Yes, the wall behind me feels like cold metal If you trace the magnet along the walls, does it stick to anything? It sticks to the entire wall

[GalFisk]

Can you stick the magnet to the wall and see how many places it takes to circle the room and get back to the magnet? Do you encounter any light switches in the way? Door handles? Other things that are not a bare wall? Are you carrying anything else?

[Balin]

Can you stick the magnet to the wall and see how many places it takes to circle the room and get back to the magnet? Do you encounter any light switches in the way? Door handles? Other things that are not a bare wall? I'd rather not move too far, in case I bump into something dangerous. But from where I'm standing, the wall is entirely metal in the range I can slide the magnet Are you carrying anything else? No

[Acridian9]

Ok, this may be silly, but if you move the magnet up and down, it will emit electromagnetic waves. It could become luminous if you get to a high frequence... which seams impossible with no other aid, but it may induce a current in the metal wall.

Is "And miles to go before I sleep" the relevant line of the poem?

[wolfier]

Is the floor also magnetic? Could you reach the ceiling? Do the temperature and humidity feel normal?
I give out a shout, does the echo sound like the room is large or small?

[Balin]

Ok, this may be silly, but if you move the magnet up and down, it will emit electromagnetic waves. It could become luminous if you get to a high frequence... which seams impossible with no other aid, but it may induce a current in the metal wall. This doesn't work

Is "And miles to go before I sleep" the relevant line of the poem? It may help, but it is not the most relevant line

Is the floor also magnetic? Now that I've stuck the magnet to the wall, it's not coming off Could you reach the ceiling? No Do the temperature and humidity feel normal? Yes
I give out a shout, does the echo sound like the room is large or small? I can't tell

I think you're getting off track - focus on how the magnet (and that it sticks to the wall) plus the puzzle title (and the clues deciphered from that so far) get you something related to Christmas. If you look at the 2007 puzzle, it'll give you an idea of how this one will work

[peter365]

Is there a bell you can jingle to summon help?

[Acridian9]

Are you in front of a fridge?

Is the relvant line "To ask if there is some mistake"? Is there a mistake in the title?

[Balin]

Is there a bell you can jingle to summon help? Not that I can see or feel (although I really should have thought of that)

Are you in front of a fridge? I don't think so

Is the relvant line "To ask if there is some mistake"? No Is there a mistake in the title? No

[peter365]

The magnet makes me think of the North Pole . THe line from the poem 'the only other sounds the sweep.........' makes me think of chimneys (chimney sweep). Both of the above lead me to Santa Claus

Any of these ramblings relevant?

[Balin]

The magnet makes me think of the North Pole . THe line from the poem 'the only other sounds the sweep.........' makes me think of chimneys (chimney sweep). Both of the above lead me to Santa Claus

Any of these ramblings relevant? To the Christmas season, absolutely. To this puzzle, unfortunately no. (though that is excellent logic)

[trebor]

Is the horse the relevant part of the poem? The saddle? The farmhouse? Is the relevant part of the poem in the first stanza? Second? Third? Fourth?

Synonyms for magnet relevant? Such as carrot, as in to dangle a carrot as a lure? Snowmen relevant?

I'd never heard of this song before, but a quick google reveals there is a song entitled "Magnet and Steel". Does anything happen if you sing this song?

[Balin]

Is the horse the relevant part of the poem? ]b]This, which should render no need to answer the rest of this set[/b] The saddle? The farmhouse? Is the relevant part of the poem in the first stanza? Second? Third? Fourth?

Synonyms for magnet relevant? No Such as carrot, as in to dangle a carrot as a lure? No Snowmen relevant? No

I'd never heard of this song before, but a quick google reveals there is a song entitled "Magnet and Steel". Does anything happen if you sing this song? Nothing, but I feel a bit ridiculous

[Acridian9]

Is it relevant that the horse is little? a pony?
The shape of the magnet has any relevance?

[Balin]

Is it relevant that the horse is little? a pony? No, "horse" is all you need from the poem
The shape of the magnet has any relevance? No

[Acridian9]

Are horseshoes relevant?
Is the "Christmas related" thing we have to find a song? an ornament?

[Balin]

Are horseshoes relevant? No
Is the "Christmas related" thing we have to find a song? Songs will be more relevant later on, but right now, you're not looking for a song. You are trying to figure out where you are, and you're in a location related to Christmas an ornament? No

[Balin]

I have just realized that Peter's connection of magnet -> North Pole is quite literally on the right track.

[trebor]

Are you in Santa's workshop?

[peter365]

Are you on board the polar express?

[Balin]

Are you in Santa's workshop? No, but...

Are you on board the polar express? ...Yes indeed.
A magnet attracts iron; the narrator of "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" is on a horse. Combine the two and you get "iron horse," slang for a train.

Suddenly, the light flips on, revealing the interior of a locomotive, decorated with all sorts of tinsel and other Christmas ecoutrements. A rather short man stands facing you.

"Welcome aboard the LTPF Polar Express!" he bellows, although his high voice makes the bellowing less impressive.

You look at him, suspiciously. "Aren't you supposed to look more like Tom Hanks?"

"Didn't you hear me? This is the LTPF Polar Express. He gets the regular one. Although..." He pulls a stopwatch out of nowhere and checks it. "...we need to get started if we're going to catch up to him before we reach the North Pole. Unfortunately, he got all the fuel."

You look around. "So, am I the only one here, or..."

He looks up, surprised. "Of course not! There's lots of kids in the passenger cars." He pulls a lever and you hear a noise; turning to face the back wall, you see that a comically large filing cabinet has extended from both walls. But the door is still there, so you step toward it; however, the short man stops you.

"We've got to get started," he explains. "You can check out the rest of the train after we're moving."

[peter365]

Can you open the filing cabinet ? Can you describe its contents?

[GalFisk]

Do you need diesel? Oil? Wood? Coal? Coke? Uranium? Gas? Hydrogen?

[Balin]

Can you open the filing cabinet? Can you describe its contents?

You slide open one drawer of the filing cabinet; the force of its opening nearly knocks you flat on your back. You get up and take a look.

The drawer is full of stockings, each with a name on top. Iris, Isaac, Isabel... they're alphabetized, and all full of toys.

You turn to the short man, who says, "I don't find out until today who I'm bringing up north, so I've got emergency stockings for anyone who might end up on this train instead of the big one."

"Do you know who you've got today?"
'
"Nope." He shakes his head. "Although the big boss tells me that one kid who might be on board has been naughty. Unusual, to bring up a kid from the naughty list, but I've prepared just in case."

"Have I got a stocking?" you ask.

"Yup!" The short man pulls a stocking out from behind his back. "Here ya go."

I open my stocking and pull out:
-a Denver Broncos jersey,
-two copies of the video game Call of Duty,
-a DVD of the movie A Beautiful Mind,
-and an apple with a bit taken out of it.

I look up at the short man, who shrugs. "I got hungry. Sorry."

Do you need diesel? Oil? Wood? Coal? Coke? Uranium? Gas? Hydrogen? "This is an old-fashioned coal-powered locomotive," says the short man.

[peter365]

Is the Bronco's jersey no. 7 ? Does it have Elway emblazed on it? Does the apple the bit out of it represent the Apple Inc. logo?

Would you describe two DVDs of Call of Duty as Calls of Duty?

[Balin]

Is the Bronco's jersey no. 7 ? No; it does display a number, but that number is 30 Does it have Elway emblazed on it? There is a nameplate on the back but the name is covered up. I look to the short man, who says, "Freshly made. Needs time to adhere properly."

Does the apple the bit out of it represent the Apple Inc. logo? Yes

Would you describe two DVDs of Call of Duty as Calls of Duty? That is a clever way to describe them, but in this case, No.

[Acridian9]

So, Phillip Lindsay? Is it just the name that is relevant? or the position (RB)? age (24)? college (Colorado)?

Relevant which version(s) the two CoD cd's are?

Louis Bova relevant?

[Balin]

So, Phillip Lindsay? Yes - I was expecting the first guess after I gave the number to be Terrell Davis, so this is nice to see Is it just the name that is relevant? or the position (RB)? age (24)? college (Colorado)? Just his name

Relevant which version(s) the two CoD cd's are? They are of the original game

Louis Bova relevant? No

[trebor]

Are the initials PL relevant? P.L. Travers?

Can you ask the man if he has brought a lump of coal for the naughty kid? Perhaps we could use that to get the train going.

[Balin]

Are the initials PL relevant? P.L. Travers? No and No - for now, you can hold onto Phillip Lindsay's name and focus on the other gifts in your stocking

Can you ask the man if he has brought a lump of coal for the naughty kid? "Well, you know how Santa handles the naughty kids. I wouldn't be surprised if he stuffed that stocking with far more than a single lump." Perhaps we could use that to get the train going. Good idea, but there are so many stockings filed away, making it hard to get an idea where to begin looking.

[Acridian9]

What is relevant for CoD: date of release? developers? names of characters? other in-game detail? WWII?

For A Beautiful Mind: John Nash? Ron Howard? Russel Crowe?

Btw: do we need find the name of a person for each object?

[Balin]

What is relevant for CoD: date of release? developers? names of characters? other in-game detail? WWII? This is close, and one other thing that's been mentioned but not asked about. (There are two connected clues for Call of Duty, which is why there are two copies.)

For A Beautiful Mind: John Nash? This Ron Howard? Russel Crowe?

Btw: do we need find the name of a person for each object? No, and for some clues there is more than one step of logic - for instance, you've gone from A Beautiful Mind to John Nash, now you need to go from John Nash to something else

[trebor]

Is the relevant thing about the apple Jobs? Wozniak? Tim Cook? A product of theirs? The little i?

I know next to nothing about CoD. Is the other relevant thing a train? To do with trains? Fuel? Was it mentioned before we were handed our stocking? After

Is Nash's mental illness relevant? His contributions to game theory? Differential geometry? Partial differential equations? Is his wife relevant? The fact that he abandoned Eleanor Stier and their son? The fact that both of his sons are named John?

[Balin]

Is the relevant thing about the apple Jobs? Wozniak? Tim Cook? A product of theirs? This The little i?

I know next to nothing about CoD. That's fine; you don't need extensive knowledge of Call of Duty for this clue, and any forms of search aid (Google and the like) are allowed Is the other relevant thing a train? To do with trains? Fuel? No to these Was it mentioned before we were handed our stocking? After After - it's been mentioned twice now in context with the game, but never asked about

Is Nash's mental illness relevant? His contributions to game theory? Differential geometry? Partial differential equations? Is his wife relevant? The fact that he abandoned Eleanor Stier and their son? The fact that both of his sons are named John? No to these

[Acridian9]

Is storage format relevant for CoD? CD? DVD?

The band War relevant?

For John Nash: Nobel prize? some other person named Nash? other Nobel winner?

[trebor]

MacBook? iPad? iPhone? iMac? iPod? Macintosh?iTunes?

[Balin]

Is storage format relevant for CoD? CD? DVD? No to these

The band War relevant? No

For John Nash: Nobel prize? No some other person named Nash? Yes, but more than just that... other Nobel winner? No

MacBook? iPad? iPhone? iMac? iPod? Macintosh? This - or more succinctly, "Mac." The apple happens to be a McIntosh, the namesake of Apple's Macintosh line iTunes?

[trebor]

Is there another person named John Nash?

[Enjay]

Is the name Call of Duty relevant? The abbreviation CoD? Cod the fish?

[Balin]

Is there another person named John Nash? Yes, several, one of whom is relevant

Is the name Call of Duty relevant? The abbreviation CoD? Yes Cod the fish? Yes, in conjunction with the other relevant CoD clue (now that you have the abbreviation, I can abbreviate it too)

[Enjay]

Cod Wars (which I had definitely heard about before googling just now) relevant? Iceland?

[Acridian9]

For John Nash, wikipedia lists 4 politicians, 4 sportsmen, 2 architects, a painter, an archdeacon , a railroad executive and Johnny Nash.... my gues is the last one, isn't it?

[Balin]

Cod Wars (which I had definitely heard about before googling just now) relevant? Iceland? This isn't right, but after clicking that link, I wish it was right. (Remember, it's not "WWII" that's the other relevant thing, but "something related to WWII"

For John Nash, wikipedia lists 4 politicians, 4 sportsmen, 2 architects, a painter, an archdeacon , a railroad executive and Johnny Nash.... my gues is the last one, isn't it? No, but you have listed him - it's one of the architects you want

[Acridian9]

So the John Nash that built the Royal Pavilion and Buckingham Palace?

Cod liver oil relevant? Fish & chips?

If I got it right, the logical chain starting with the jersey ends with Phillip Lindsey. Is it Phillip the relavant name? or is it Lindsay?
Does the chain starting with the apple ends with Mac? ....because I found a Lindsay Mac.....

[Balin]

So the John Nash that built the Royal Pavilion and Buckingham Palace? Yes

Cod liver oil relevant? Fish & chips? Neither

If I got it right, the logical chain starting with the jersey ends with Phillip Lindsey. It does Is it Phillip the relavant name? or is it Lindsay? The latter
Does the chain starting with the apple ends with Mac? Yes ....because I found a Lindsay Mac..... Interesting, but incorrect

[Enjay]

OK Google tells me that Fleetwood football club supporters are known as the Cod Army, so:

Fleetwood, Mac, Buckingham Palace, and Phillip Lindsey --> Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac?

[Balin]

OK Google tells me that Fleetwood football club supporters are known as the Cod Army, so:

Fleetwood, Mac, Buckingham Palace, and Phillip Lindsey --> Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac? Exactly right, so...

[Acridian9]

Stevie Nicks? Adams?

[Balin]

Stevie Nicks? Adams? No, not them. Remember, that this is a Christmas puzzle, so the solution will have something to do with the holiday

[Acridian9]

So, a song from Lindsey? Holiday Road? If so, Jack? a character from National Lampoon's vacation?

[Balin]

So, a song from Lindsey? Yes Holiday Road? And Yes If so, Jack? And a third Yes. a character from National Lampoon's vacation?

With Holiday Road running through your head, you check the stocking for "Jack" and find it stuffed full of coal. The short man dives for it.

"Perfect! That'll get us going!" He runs up to the train's front boiler and tosses the entire stocking in. After tinkering with the boiler for a minute, the short man steps back as the train's engine roars to life. He stands proudly at the front of the locomotive and announces into an intercom: "Boys and girls, puzzlers of all ages, the Lateral Polar Express has begun its journey!" Sure enough, the train starts rolling, and you can hear loud cheers coming from concealed speakers. The cheers cut off, and you notice the short man has taken his finger off a button on the intercom.

"I've got some errands to run. Go explore the train."

He starts rummaging through the stocking filing cabinet, and you pass through the door into the next car. You've opened the door and taken just one step in when you trip over something and you fall on your face. Fortunately, you catch yourself, but only by putting your left hand on a toy xylophone and your right hand on a pile of discarded Legos. Standing up and rubbing your palms, you look around.

This car is not lit and the blinds on the windows are drawn, but light occasionally flashes through gaps. The floor of the car is cluttered with toys, and there isn't enough light to get through, so there's no way to know where to step safely, as your feet are only protected by thin-soled slippers.

Looking down at the item you tripped over, you spot a few small wrapped presents with a large envelope atop the now-scattered pile. The envelope contains two small sticks with round balls on the end, and a note:

for the abandoned toy car. the snow will follow.

[Acridian9]

Are the sticks fire matches?
The song Try to Remember relevant? the musical The Fantasticks? the movie?

[Balin]

Are the sticks fire matches? No
The song Try to Remember relevant? A little bit of it the musical The Fantasticks? See previous the movie? See previous to previous

[peter365]

Are the two sticks joined together? Are they a sports trophy? If not sport relevant at all?

[Balin]

Are the two sticks joined together? Are they a sports trophy? If not sport relevant at all? They are neither joined nor a trophy nor sports-related

[Enjay]

Do the sticks have a ball on both ends or just one? Are they lollipops? Xylophone sticks?

Can you open the wrapped presents?

[Balin]

Do the sticks have a ball on both ends or just one? Just one Are they lollipops? No Xylophone sticks? But they are these, nicely done

Can you open the wrapped presents? Yes.

It's still fairly dark, but there's enough to let you see the pile of presents you tripped over. You pick them up. Feeling them carefully, you notice that each has a paper tag on it, and when the light flashes in, you can make out the writing on the tag.

The first present, tagged "9," is wrapped in paper with bushy-tailed squirrels printed on it. You open it to find a stuffed dog.
The second has no tag, and its wrapping paper is decorated with musical notes. This one contains a small bottle of store-brand olive oil.
Present number three is wrapped in paper with different emojis all over it, and its tag says "11." Tearing open the paper reveals a cheap plastic doll of a 1600s Pilgrim.
The next present also has a tag marked "9." Its wrapping paper shows skydivers, and it contains a Difficult Bake Oven.
The paper of gift number five shows various faces yelling, each with a quotation bubble containing lots of cartoon swear symbols. You open this gift (which is tagged "6") and find a stuffed cat.
The last present has a tag with the number "5," and it's not even wrapped - just stuffed in a Walmart bag. This one contains a VHS tape of Disney's Robin Hood - you might want to keep this one.

[trebor]

Can you play the “follow follow follow follow” but from Try To Remember on the xylophone? Does anything happen?

Might the numbers on the tags have to do with the 12 days of Xmas?

[Balin]

Can you play the “follow follow follow follow” but from Try To Remember on the xylophone? Yes Does anything happen? It makes a nice sound that echoes through the train car, but nothing else happens

Might the numbers on the tags have to do with the 12 days of Xmas? Clever idea, but no geese a-laying, swans a-swimming, or maids a-milking have anything to do with the presents

[Balin]

I should add that for this car, it's particularly important to remember exactly what train you are on...

[trebor]

Is it there any way to tell whether the toy car mentioned in the note refers to a small plastic car or to the train car that is full of toys?

Is the important part of Try To Remember in the first verse? The second? Third? Are the lyrics “deep in December” relevant? Does anything happen if you play the notes DECEBE on the xylophone? Or DEEDECEBE?

[Balin]

Is it there any way to tell whether the toy car mentioned in the note refers to a small plastic car or to the train car that is full of toys? It refers to the train car. The LTPF Polar Express contains the same cars as the original train, including the abandoned toy car. The only difference is that since this is the Christmas puzzle, there will be a lateral challenge to pass through each car (or set of cars) on the train.

Is the important part of Try To Remember in the first verse? The second? Third? Are the lyrics “deep in December” relevant? This, and that is all you need from The Fantasticks Does anything happen if you play the notes DECEBE on the xylophone? Or DEEDECEBE? Again, it sounds nice and has a bit of an echo, but nothing out of the ordinary

[Balin]

...specifically, it's important that this is the LTPF Polar Express.

[Acridian9]

Are the presents for LPTF members (for example, the one with skydivers for GalFisk)?

Wait....
I just found a puzzle from December 2011 titled "Pilgrim" whose solution is related to emoticons!!!
Are we looking for the poster (Gourami)? the solver (Potato)?

[Acridian9]

Two more from Dec 2009:
[biograd] Let sleeping dogs lie (soultion involving a squirrel)
[TommyP] Cooking dilemma (solution involving skydiving).

From Dec 2006:
[BeccaAnn] The Cat (soultion involving the word "dammit").

And from Dec 2005:
[Tsoram1970] Robin Hood (solution involving a Walmart bag).

Found also this one from Dec 2012:
[Solo1] Extra Virgin
but I don't get how musical notes are related to the solution (apart from White Christmas).

[Balin]

Are the presents for LPTF members (for example, the one with skydivers for GalFisk)? No (but check out the '08 woubit's Christmas puzzle for that conceit)

Wait....
I just found a puzzle from December 2011 titled "Pilgrim" whose solution is related to emoticons!!!
Are we looking for the poster (Gourami)? the solver (Potato)? Neither, but see below

Two more from Dec 2009:
[biograd] Let sleeping dogs lie (soultion involving a squirrel)
[TommyP] Cooking dilemma (solution involving skydiving).

From Dec 2006:
[BeccaAnn] The Cat (soultion involving the word "dammit").

And from Dec 2005:
[Tsoram1970] Robin Hood (solution involving a Walmart bag).

Found also this one from Dec 2012:
[Solo1] Extra Virgin
but I don't get how musical notes are related to the solution (apart from White Christmas).
You've got all of it.

As you play "White Christmas" on the xylophone, the car's overhead lights get slowly brighter until the car is fully illuminated, allowing you to spot any potential hazards on the floor and cross to the next car.

Explanation - the LTPF equivalent of "abandoned toys" is the archived puzzles. The opened presents hinted at the titles of archived puzzles (all in December, as per the hint from [i]The Fantasticks), the tags gave the years where those puzzles could be found, and the wrapping papers clued at something found in the solution of those puzzles.
The five with a numbered tag were demonstrations of what you were looking for; the important one was the tagless present. The musical notes on the wrapping paper meant you had to find a Christmas carol in the solution of an archived December puzzle with a title related to olive oil, and play that carol on the xylophone.[/i]

Having reached the door of the abandoned toy car, you pass into the next car and find yourself surrounded by screaming children. Every seat is occupied by a young boy or girl; some of the children are crying, most are yelling, and all are making some noise or another. Oddly, each is holding a couple small torn pieces of rope.

No one's blocking the door, so you try the next car, but there are more children and more screaming. Again, every seat is filled, and each child here has a small bag of potpourri in his or her hand.

The kids still aren't paying attention to you, so you try the next car, but again find yourself in a fully occupied car filled with screaming children. These kids are are all holding small scales.

You try to get by, but a boy and a girl who are not sitting down are blocking the door.

"That elf gave us terrible presents!" yells the boy. "He's mean!"

"Go get us something good!" yells the girl, even louder.

[KayleeArafinwiel]

the kaylee kitteh seems to have wandered into a crazy train...o hai balin cat

So we've got: engine room with short dude (Santa's elf) and stocking filled with coal (plus a bunch of other stockings)

abandoned toy room (awww, poor puzzles)

three (!!) cars filled with screaming children; one car has children holding rope, another has children holding potpourri, and the last has children holding scales.

are they fish scales? or scales for weighing things?

can you ask the children blocking the doors why the children in all the cars are screaming? why they're holding scales? and potpourri? and rope?

if the ones blocking the door don't know, can you get any of the other children to stop screaming long enough to tell you? or to clue you in on anything?

what sort of rope do the children from the first car have? what is the potpourri made with? and the scales?

[trebor]

Can you also ask the two children blocking the door what presents they received?

[Balin]

the kaylee kitteh seems to have wandered into a crazy train...o hai balin cat Wilkommen.

So we've got: engine room with short dude (Santa's elf) and stocking filled with coal (plus a bunch of other stockings) Yes, although he never actually said he's an elf; only the kids have said that

abandoned toy room (awww, poor puzzles)

three (!!) cars filled with screaming children; one car has children holding rope, another has children holding potpourri, and the last has children holding scales. This is right.

are they fish scales? or scales for weighing things? Scales for weighing things, the old-fashioned kind of balance

can you ask the children blocking the doors why the children in all the cars are screaming? why they're holding scales? and potpourri? and rope? "That nasty elf gave us terrible presents!" shouts the girl. "He said these were for the ride until we got to the North Pole, but these are stupid!"

if the ones blocking the door don't know, can you get any of the other children to stop screaming long enough to tell you? or to clue you in on anything? Since the two kids blocking the door do know, it's probably safe to ask them if you have any more questions

what sort of rope do the children from the first car have? It's ordinary rope, very basic, but also old with frayed ends
what is the potpourri made with? Various herbs wrapped in cloth - smelling one, you get an overpowering odor of thyme
and the scales? Lightweight tin

Can you also ask the two children blocking the door what presents they received? "This stupid thing." They hold out scales.

[KayleeArafinwiel]

money for old rope? (I do love woubit puzzles, and you did say a homage...)
"I'm a frayed knot"? (dumb joke, less woubit's caliber, but hey, worth a try)

parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? *tries to remember thyme-related woubit puzzle, and fails*

might tin have something to do with tin soldiers? Nutcrackers? Can you take the scales from the children and examine them more closely?

[Acridian9]

Scales is justice symbol.... they all have scales, so.....and Justice for all?

[Balin]

money for old rope? No (I do love woubit puzzles, and you did say a homage...) An homage to his Christmas puzzles - I don't believe any other puzzles on the forum will provide any further clues
"I'm a frayed knot"? (dumb joke, less woubit's caliber, but hey, worth a try) Not far off the mark at all, especially with "fray"

parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? *tries to remember thyme-related woubit puzzle, and fails* No

might tin have something to do with tin soldiers? Nutcrackers? No, don't think "tin" so much with this one as what the present actually does Can you take the scales from the children and examine them more closely? The girl offers hers; it's a very simple balance for weighing objects

Scales is justice symbol.... they all have scales, so.....and Justice for all? Well, only one-third of these children... okay, just over one-third, since there are the two extra... have scales. There's another car of kids with potpourri, and another with rope. (Also, clever logic, but no.)

[KayleeArafinwiel]

fray rhymes with weigh, and potpourri...sachet?

alternatively, or perhaps additionally, a weigh in a manger? are the kids guarding the door to the dining car (a manger, someplace to eat?)

[peter365]

That sounds right Kaylee , i remember Woubit having that in one of his Christmas puzzles.

[Balin]

fray rhymes with weigh, "Fray" and "weigh" are correct (or rather, forms of those words are correct) and potpourri...sachet? But not this

alternatively, or perhaps additionally, a weigh in a manger? are the kids guarding the door to the dining car (a manger, someplace to eat?) No, but not a bad idea

That sounds right Kaylee , i remember Woubit having that in one of his Christmas puzzles. It was in the '09 puzzle, correct. But as I said, you won't find direct clues in any other past (or present) LTPF puzzles from this point on

[KayleeArafinwiel]

fraying? weighing?
frayed? afraid? weighed?

[Acridian9]

Should we go by assonance?
Freight? Wait?

Is thyme the oter "almost" correct word? If so, time?

[Balin]

fraying? weighing?
frayed? afraid? weighed? None of these

Should we go by assonance?
Freight? Wait? You have the right idea in searching for homophones, but the wrong words here as well

Is thyme the oter "almost" correct word? Yes If so, time? That's why it's the almost-correct word - right homophone, wrong form of the homophone

[trebor]

Afraid? Way? Does the “t” in “tin” combine to form part of the homophobe with either of these words? (Weigh + tin = wait in?)

[Balin]

Afraid? No Way? Again, right homophone, wrong form
Does the “t” in “tin” combine to form part of the homophobe with either of these words? (Weigh + tin = wait in?) "Tin" has nothing to do with the puzzle

[KayleeArafinwiel]

would scales made of: silver? gold? brass? iron? bronze? steel? alumin(i)um? be just as applicable to the situation, if tin does not matter?

[Balin]

would scales made of: silver? gold? brass? iron? bronze? steel? alumin(i)um? be just as applicable to the situation, if tin does not matter? The material of the scales is irrelevant. You have the word "weigh" from the scale, a homophone of "way," and you need the correct form of that word. The same for "Thyme"/"time" (again, need the right form), and "fray," whose correct form and homophone you do not have.

[trebor]

Whey? Wade? Little Miss Muffet relevant? Glen Frey of the Eagles?

Is the time homophone an English word? A name of a person? Place?

[Acridian9]

Is it "frays"? If so, fraise? phrase?

[Balin]

Whey? Wade? Neither Little Miss Muffet relevant? Glen Frey of the Eagles? Neither

Is the time homophone an English word? Yes, No to rest. Remember, you have the correct homophone (thyme/time); you just need the correct form of that homophone A name of a person? Place?

Is it "frays"? Yes, which should help in finding the other correct forms If so, fraise? phrase? The latter

[trebor]

Timed? Times? Timing? Weighing? Weighed? Weighs?

[Balin]

Timed? Times? This Timing?
Weighing? Weighed? Weighs? This (or rather, "ways")

Suddenly you feel a tug at your sleeve. You look down and the boy is staring at you angrily.

"Well? Go get us all better presents!"

[KayleeArafinwiel]

So...frays, times, ways?

*ponders the use of "ways"*

Go back to the "elf" and ask him who he is, and if "frays", "times", or "ways" mean anything to him, if you can.

[Acridian9]

Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" relevant?

[KayleeArafinwiel]

*facepalm* well now I feel stupid...XD "phrase" rather than "frays"? in that case? would singing "The Christmas Song" make any difference?

[Balin]

Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" relevant? Yes indeed, as indicated by the "simple frays," "many thymes," and "many weighs" that have been given to all the kids on this train, from number one to number 92. (If you'd counted the kids in each car: there are 30 seats in each of the three cars, and each seat has a kid in it, plus the two blocking the door.)

would singing "The Christmas Song" make any difference? You can't hear your own voice over the screaming kids.

Go back to the "elf" and ask him who he is. You make your way out of the passenger cars and out of the noise, As you re-enter the abandoned toy car, you see the short man entering from the engine with a small sack.

"Hang on," you say. "All those kids said they got terrible presents."

"Well, those are only supposed to tide them over until we get to the North Pole," he says. "I was just dumping some other old junk, but maybe you can do it." He tosses you the sack. "The boss had this hanging by the safe in the locomotive, but it all seems useless."

"Still, they want better presents. They said the elf gave them bad gifts, and..."

"ELF??" The short man's face turns red, and he storms back into the locomotive.

[KayleeArafinwiel]

Please examine the sack very carefully, then look inside to see what's there. If it seems to contain living things, so far as you can tell from the outside of the sack, please be even more careful when you look inside. Wouldn't want you to be stung by bees or anything like that, though that was a woubit puzzle. A cow and a sheep would probably be too big and heavy to throw at you, I think...which is all for the best anyway -for you and them.

[Balin]

Please examine the sack very carefully, then look inside to see what's there. If it seems to contain living things, so far as you can tell from the outside of the sack, please be even more careful when you look inside. Wouldn't want you to be stung by bees or anything like that, though that was a woubit puzzle. A cow and a sheep would probably be too big and heavy to throw at you, I think...which is all for the best anyway -for you and them.

In here are some more lame toys:
-a doll with wild hair, still in its box, labeled "Messy-Hair Millicent"
-a jar of play putty that smells terrible, even without opening the lid
-a few very small plastic bones, with a note: "The wrist bones that go with 'Skyler's First Skeleton'"
-a small foam 2
-a plastic horse that's been covered with splotches of paint
-a small tree in a glass case with a warning: "Berries have been known to cause taxine poisoning; do not gift."

[Acridian9]

Is the tree a yew? Taxus baccata? (I do have a couple of them in my parent's garden)

Any of the following relevant: trapezium, trapezoid, scafoid, hamate, capitate, pisiform, triquetrum, lunate.

[Balin]

Is the tree a yew? Yes it is Taxus baccata? (I do have a couple of them in my parent's garden)

Any of the following relevant: trapezium, trapezoid, scafoid, hamate, capitate, pisiform, triquetrum, lunate. None of these

[KayleeArafinwiel]

carpal? metacarpal?

[Balin]

carpal? metacarpal? Again, none of those

[KayleeArafinwiel]

The Nightmare Before Christmas relevant?

[trebor]

Can we search the train for a child named Skyler? And can we examine the putty to find out what scent it is? Can we open the lid?

[Balin]

The Nightmare Before Christmas relevant? No

Can we search the train for a child named Skyler? You go to the locomotive, where the short man is staring at the safe (which sits atop six cubbyholes), and ask him if there's a Skyler on the train. He pulls a list out of his pocket and checks. "Nope."

And can we examine the putty to find out what scent it is? Can we open the lid? You crack open the lid, and the smell is so strong you have to close it again. Who knows what the scent is, but it reeks.

[Acridian9]

So we have to insert the six objects from the sack into the six cubbyholes, right? and doing this in the correct way will open the safe, correct? Please, check with the short man and look around for any clue on how to do this.

[Balin]

So we have to insert the six objects from the sack into the six cubbyholes, right? and doing this in the correct way will open the safe, correct? Correct on both counts
Please, check with the short man and look around for any clue on how to do this. The short man is bent over the controls, and he waves you off. "We're almost at the Pole; I've got to focus on getting us there." So for clues, you're left with the homophones and that final verse of "The Christmas Song."

[trebor]

So I’m thinking there is a way to make the items sound (or spell) out “Merry Christmas to you”. Can you put the foam 2 and the yew tree into the last two cubbies? Oh, and the horse and putty into the first two? And the wrist bones into the third? And the doll with the mussy hair into the fourth? I think that makes mare-reek-wrist-muss-2-yew.

[Balin]

So I’m thinking there is a way to make the items sound (or spell) out “Merry Christmas to you”. Can you put the foam 2 and the yew tree into the last two cubbies? Oh, and the horse and putty into the first two? And the wrist bones into the third? And the doll with the mussy hair into the fourth? I think that makes mare-reek-wrist-muss-2-yew. Exactly right.

Before you insert the toys, the train comes to a stop. "It's pretty late," the short man says, "but the kids should still have lots of time with Santa. Come on." You place the toys on top of the safe and follow him. The kids rush out, excited to spend Christmas at the North Pole.

(trebor's solution is correct, but as tomorrow is Christmas, I'll update the puzzle with the next car on the morning of the 26th. Merry Christmas, everyone.)

[Balin]

With a joyous Christmas observed and Santa returned to the North Pole, you follow the short man and the children back onto the train. The short man starts it up for the return journey home.

You pick up the sack of toys where you'd dropped them in front of the safe and insert them in the cubbyholes, starting with the horse, then the putty, the wrist, the doll with messy hair, the 2, and the yew tree. The safe pops open, revealing three copies of the game Mad Gab. The short man turns around. "That ought to keep the kids occupied for the ride!" He laughs and returns to the controls.

You return to the passenger cars and place one box in each car. The kids already have presents from Santa, but they head to the game and start playing. In the final car, you see the boy and girl still blocking the door.

"Aren't you going to play?" you ask.

They glance at each other, and the girl speaks. "Why should we play that stupid game when we have something from Santa?"

"Well," you say, "this way you get to open your presents from Santa with your family."

They look at each other again, then join the group in the center of the car.

With the door free, you travel to the next car, the caboose. From a speaker near the ceiling comes the short man's voice. "Can you put some Christmas music on? I can't do that and control the train."

Aside from the speaker, there's a calendar on the wall, currently showing the month of December. There's also a door at the back of the caboose leading to the rear porch - or whatever that's called on a train. To the left of the door is a small touchscreen.

[Enjay]

Have the kids opened their presents from Santa? Or are we going to leave them behind to open the presents when they get home?

Is there anything relevant on the calendar? Any days marked or a relevant picture? Can you get through the door that leads out the back? Is anything showing on the touchscreen? What happens if you touch it?

[KayleeArafinwiel]

Does the calendar also have January 2019 on it? Any relevant phone numbers?

[trebor]

Are there any relevant markings on the calendar? Is the calendar this year’s? Are you able to tell what day of the week it is, and the date? Is it the same as IRL?

After examining the calendar, can we head to the touchscreen and examine it? What happens when you touch it?

[Balin]

Have the kids opened their presents from Santa? Or are we going to leave them behind to open the presents when they get home? Whether they open their gifts on the train or not is irrelevant to the puzzle - all that matters is the boy and girl moved out of the way and cleared the path to the caboose

Is there anything relevant on the calendar? No - flipping through it doesn't show anything interesting, but if I look behind the page for December, there's a sheet of foil stickers Any days marked or a relevant picture? The pictures for each month are all scenes from the North Pole - a nice touch

Can you get through the door that leads out the back? No, it's locked Is anything showing on the touchscreen? Right now, it's black What happens if you touch it? You touch the screen and it says "Restarting playlist...", then loads a playlist of eight songs:

"Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry
"Convoy" by C.W. McCall
"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor
"Things in My Life" by Men Without Hats
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by *NSYNC
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations
"Town With No Cheer" by Tom Waits
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2

However, it appears the playlist is playing only the *NSYNC song at the moment, and playing it on repeat.

Does the calendar also have January 2019 on it? No Any relevant phone numbers? No

Are there any relevant markings on the calendar? No Is the calendar this year’s? Yes (that is, it's a 2018 calendar) Are you able to tell what day of the week it is, and the date? Not just by looking at this calendar... the days aren't checked off or anything like that Is it the same as IRL? That can be assumed

After examining the calendar, can we head to the touchscreen and examine it? What happens when you touch it? See above

[trebor]

Those songs all have specific dates in them. What happens if you put a foil sticker on each of the dates mentioned. (Third of June, April 4, etc.) I’m in a rush now, but could list all the dates later.

[Balin]

Those songs all have specific dates in them. What happens if you put a foil sticker on each of the dates mentioned. (Third of June, April 4, etc.) I’m in a rush now, but could list all the dates later. Good idea, but the stickers are different. The sheet has 15 different foil stickers:
-a bowl of popcorn
-an umbrella
-a Ferris wheel
-a woman curtseying
-Pinocchio
-a stack of pizza boxes
-a hamburger
-that looped-arrow symbol (it's the symbol on the playlist showing that the song is repeating)
-a clapboard with a car drawn on it
-a flying saucer
-a lighthouse
-a very tall building
-a dictionary
-a bowl of guacamole
-an apple

[Enjay]

OK so the relevant dates are:

"Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry: 3rd June
"Convoy" by C.W. McCall: 6th June
"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor: 1st December
"Things in My Life" by Men Without Hats: 14th November
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by *NSYNC: 24th December?
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations: 3rd September
"Town With No Cheer" by Tom Waits: 21st March
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2: 4th April

As the N sync song is repeating, can you put the repeating symbol sticker on the 24th Dec?

Should we be finding connections to all the stickers? Does the clapboard represent a film featuring a car? for example?

[Balin]

OK so the relevant dates are:

"Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry: 3rd June
"Convoy" by C.W. McCall: 6th June
"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor: 1st December
"Things in My Life" by Men Without Hats: 14th November
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by *NSYNC: 24th December?
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations: 3rd September
"Town With No Cheer" by Tom Waits: 21st March
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2: 4th April
All correct, except it probably makes sense to leave out "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays", since it doesn't explicitly mention a date

As the N sync song is repeating, can you put the repeating symbol sticker on the 24th Dec? You can, but does it quite make sense with the others?

Should we be finding connections to all the stickers? Maybe not all of them, since there are more stickers than theer are songs Does the clapboard represent a film featuring a car? for example? It might; it might not. In this case, it doesn't

[Acridian9]

Other than dates, are the lyrics of those songs relevant? Is the artist/group? Other songs by the same artist? Albums?

Something happened on those dates relevant? Someone born on those dates?

[Balin]

Other than dates, are the lyrics of those songs relevant? Only the dates Is the artist/group? Other songs by the same artist? Albums? No to rest

Something happened on those dates relevant? Yesish Someone born on those dates? No

[Acridian9]

Ok, so...
3rd June is Repeat Day
6th June is Drive-In Movie Day
1st December is Eat A Red Apple Day
14th Nov is Spicy Guacamole Day
3rd September is Skyscraper Day
21st March is Common Courtesy Day
4th April is ...well I'm not sure what will fit here. This is what I found: Vitamin C Day, World Rat Day, Carrot day, Cordon Bleu Day, D.A.R.E. Day, Walk Around Things Day, Hope Day.

[Balin]

Ok, so...
3rd June is Repeat Day
6th June is Drive-In Movie Day
1st December is Eat A Red Apple Day
14th Nov is Spicy Guacamole Day
3rd September is Skyscraper Day
21st March is Common Courtesy Day
4th April is ...well I'm not sure what will fit here. This is what I found: Vitamin C Day, World Rat Day, Carrot day, Cordon Bleu Day, D.A.R.E. Day, Walk Around Things Day, Hope Day. There's one that will fit; I'm not going to say what it is right now because this is the last puzzle and you've made quicker work of it than I expected. But all the others have been matched with the correct holiday...

[Enjay]

April 4th is National Tell a Lie Day apparently...so can you apply the stickers as follows:

3rd June is Repeat Day --> repeat sign
6th June is Drive-In Movie Day --> clapboard with car
1st December is Eat A Red Apple Day --> apple
14th Nov is Spicy Guacamole Day --> guacamole
3rd September is Skyscraper Day --> tall building
21st March is Common Courtesy Day --> woman curtseying
4th April --> Pinocchio?

[Acridian9]

Tell a Lie Day is the first thursday in April, and this year it was 5th April (but in 2019 il will be 4th April).

[Balin]

April 4th is National Tell a Lie Day apparently...
Tell a Lie Day is the first thursday in April, and this year it was 5th April (but in 2019 il will be 4th April).
Hmm, then the website I used lied to me... perhaps it was Tell a Lie Day for that website...

so can you apply the stickers as follows:

3rd June is Repeat Day --> repeat sign
6th June is Drive-In Movie Day --> clapboard with car
1st December is Eat A Red Apple Day --> apple
14th Nov is Spicy Guacamole Day --> guacamole
3rd September is Skyscraper Day --> tall building
21st March is Common Courtesy Day --> woman curtseying
4th April --> Pinocchio?

You apply the stickers and hear a click from the back doors. You try sliding them and they open with ease.

You're aware that normally these challenges last until January 6, but there doesn't appear to be anything left to solve, so you sit at the back and watch the scenery pass. The LTPF Polar Express will soon be home, where it will leave you to prepare for another year of puzzles. For now, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.

****SPOILER****

[trebor]

Well done, Balin. An enjoyable homage.

[KayleeArafinwiel]

Most enjoyable, Balin! Happy New Year

[Acridian9]

Oh well, I'm very happy we finished this one!! Last year I worked hard on your Christmas puzzle, but I was on vacation at January and you spoiled it, even if incomplete, before I got back home.
Happy New Year!!!