Navigate by clicking on doors or door numbers.
…room number 20. The ringing stopped as soon as we entered.
“What is the matter now?” I asked them.
“Too many animals for a proper house!”
They walked carefully around the edges of the room. I watched with an amusement shared, I think, by the wise old tortoise.
With backwards looks and muttered comments about turtles they left room number 20 and entered…
- Images and text copyright 1985 by Christopher Manson
used with permission. [Purchase MAZE from Amazon]
Room Type: PATH Doors: 1 5 27 37
Solution Summary: [COLLECTION CURATED BY WHITE Raven. SEE COMMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL SOLUTION PROPOSALS.]
● The obvious (if you have completed the rest of the circuit) correct door is 1 .
● The part of the Riddle of the Path in this room is the “S” from the bottom newspaper. The “S” from the top newspaper is discarded as the headline “EXTRA” suggests. [Credit: Unknown - prior to 1990.]
● The phrase “With backwards looks…” suggests the trip is complete. [Credit: mazeloverrob]
● Among the rooms of The Path there are two live animals, a rabbit and turtle. In Room 15 is a rabbit that we know is to be called a “hare” because of the H clues in the room. In this room the turtle is referred to in the text as “the wise old tortoise.” The combination suggests “the tale of the tortoise and the hare” in which the tortoise beats the hare to the finish line. Note that the hare is resting on a chair and the tortoise bears a grin. This indicates that the trip is complete. [Independent Credit: vewatkins | White Raven | unknown individual prior to 1990]
● There are several elements in this room which start with the letter “T” this is a red herring. [Independent Credit: Hello Gregor | White Raven]
● The arrow is a not very hidden 1, indicating we are to take Door 1 and also that this is the last room of the sixteen step path. [Independent Credit: David Gentile | White Raven]
● The tower in the poster on the right being struck by lightning is very reminiscent of the tower card in a tarot deck. [Independent Credit: Beelzebibble | White Raven] The number of the tower card is 16. The tower in poster has an open top and open door, the tower in the chair opposite the poster has a closed top and closed door. This room is the 16th room of the 16 step path to the center and back. If you are in this room at the end of the 16 steps, you go to door 1 indicated by the 16th tarot card and the open tower. If however you are not on the 16th step then go back to the path by going through door 5, indicated by the closed tower. [Credit: One For Me | White Raven] Also the closed tower is resting in a chair, suggesting perhaps that this is the “not leaving” choice. [Credit: V-Watt’s Electric Labyrinth Love Luau] The man with the turban may reinforce the tarot connection reminiscent of the traditional garb of tarot card readers for much of this last century.
If you have to return to the room 1, the answer is obvious, but I think if you already start the game, there must be some clues to avoid to go in room 27. The best I can think is, there is a picture of an arrow shaft, and the idiom “getting the shaft” is a popular idiom meaning to be treated unfairly, cheated, or subjected to a harsh, undeserved outcome. It often refers to being “screwed over” or receiving the bad end of a deal. So at a first attempt I would go to the room 5 or at least go back to the room 1 i think….
This thesis is reinforced by the text in the back cover “Just inside the door to room 27 you see what looks like the bottom half of an archer’s arrow – an arrow pointing the way perhaps? I will not tell. Perhaps it wouldn’t help if I did” not only for the negative vibe, but for the fact you may not know the existence of the loop rooms at this point, so it can be complicated.
[Sorry if these thoughts have already been said, I've read some comments but probably not all of them]