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Does anybody know what happens in this episode up to and including the first riddle of the wall monster? I don't have that bit myself  :'(

Thankee!

Okay, I've just watched it again:

Treguard does an intro. in his usual manner and reviews the previous episode.

They've previously drained the water in the Pool Room with a DRINK spell. Cliff now crawls on hands and knees through the small exit on the right of the room.

Then straight into the Level 1 Clue Room. They approach the table and take a brief look at the objects. The-Brangwen-She makes her first entrance of the series- Treguard gets very excited with an "Extreme Caution, Team" and describes her as "monstrously dangerous".

Her first riddle is this:

"My heart is like a small bird in captivity. But if my body was built as yours, what would be my heart's prison?"

The advisers discuss it for ages. Treguard tries to help by asking them "What do you keep a bird in... What do you keep a heart in?" Between them they work out the answer as ribcage (the dungeoneer certainly says the word at one stage) but then he answers "cage". It's called as a FALSEHOOD: "Ribcage was the truth I sought."

Hope that helps.

You didn't have to watch the episode again specially on my account  ;) but thanks very much!

Someday I shall see it for myself. Someday.

I just watched it an hour ago - courtesy of Paul/Greebo <¦-) - and thought that the difficulty of the riddles was far greater than anything in the later series, even though clues were given.

With the exception of the 'opposites' riddles given by Merlin, of course.

Some of the riddles are extremely hard. There are a few which are absurdly easy, tho., although I suppose that's the thing with riddles- if you think in the correct way and understand what they're talking about they're easy by definition. I'm surprised at some teams don't know, but also by a lot they do know.

On the Opposites, I agree absolutely. -shudders at the thought-  

The opposites weren't that hard.

"Who was the daughter of Ootha Pendragon?"
i.e. who was the son: King Arthur
Where they got "God" from only He knows!

"Who didn't have to worry about the Ides of March?"
i.e. who DID have to worry: Julius Caeser
"March of Ides" indeed!

"What happened to Cinderella's coach at midday?"
i.e. at midnight: It turned back into a pumpkin.
"It appeared"?

It was a bit ambiguous in that they were unsure whether they had to reverse their answers, but then what's the reverse of King Arthur?

Ah, I've got it now. That makes a lot more sense - thanks for that.

No problem! I admit I was a bit stumped when I saw it for the first time (12 years ago, I feel so old!) but it was probably for the best that that team was junked - their guiding wasn't really up to scratch  ::)

It was the reversing answers point that got me. In some ways it was hard to see what he was looking for, when I originally watched it.

I think you've hinted at why I still think it was a little too hard. When you're a group of 13 year olds in a studio with cameras on you and everyone watching you, it must be hard enough to answer riddles, but when they're made so incomprehensible and you have very little time to think on them (we've had the benefit of rather a few years, of course), it's just horrendous. I agree with Malefact that their first answer is slightly strange, unless they reasoned at that stage that on the "opposites" theme they should give incorrect answers. Weird indeed.

I agree - we've had 12 years to chew this over.

There does remain one little curiosity, though.

Merlin: "if you get the answers wrong then I will of course be able to reward you with magic!"

Does that mean if they get them right he won't reward them? It's possible that last little bit "...reward you with magic!" was not reversed and the team had to pick that up. This corresponds to the fact that he said "Falsehood" after each wrong answer which, if opposite, should have meant they got the answers RIGHT!

I'm getting rather muddled!

Exactly. It's unclear as to which things he's saying the right way round and which he's turning into opposites. When he's turning some things around and leaving some, surely it's asking a little much for kids to work it all out.

I'm sure we could debate it forever and reach various opinions. It's one of those things you need to listen to and make up your own mind about, I think.

We could always ask beveryafraid. He might have a rough idea  ;)

who is beveryafraid?

Haven't you just contradicted yourself there? "We called always ask beveryafraid" and then "who is beveryafraid"?

And why have you resigned up?

I know who beveryafraid is. I haven't re-signed up - I'm still Malefact.

This Malefact_ is a different person.