Matthew Parker’s Mother’s Day Decoder
Can you find the pattern in the perplexing pairs below? Which letter in the pair is used and which letter is discarded? We’ve provided spaces for you to write the answer.
UH OV TN OR IR YS DO UH BR MI NO TE SH ED AR
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
See the answer on the next page.
Answer to Matthew Parker’s Mother’s Day Decoder
This code is easy to write but difficult to break. Split the code into pairs of letters. For the first pair, ignore the first letter and only read the second. In the next pair, read the first letter and ignore the second letter. Switch back and forth, reading the second letter, then the first, then the second again until you’ve decoded every pair (as demonstrated in the bold, larger letters below). Got it?
UH OV TN OR IR YS DO UH BR MI NO TE SH ED AR
More Fun!
Though cultures have celebrated mothers for centuries, it wasn’t until 1908 that Anna Jarvis came up with the concept of Mother’s Day after inviting friends to a memorial for her mother. For the next six years, she campaigned to get Mother’s Day recognized. In 1914, it became an official US holiday. Tell your mom you appreciate her today.
Matthew Parker’s Web Decoder
To bust this creepy code, you’ll have to think like a spider! Each letter is located on a certain “strand” of the web. Some are close to the center. Others are farther away.
First, fill in the web below with the correct letters.
Then figure out which spoke is pictured below and look at the location of the spider (the dot) compared to the center of the web. Match that to the web decoder to get the letter. Got it? Now you can figure out what you’re supposed to do when someone does you wrong.
Answer to Matthew Parker’s Web Decoder
Answer: FORGIVE
This puzzle was created by Christopher P. N. Maselli.
More Fun!
Certain materials like aluminum, copper, and diamonds conduct heat easily . . . but in 2011 scientists discovered another surprising source of heat conductivity: spider silk. The webs spiders weave actually conduct heat better than silicon and pure iron. This discovery could open the door to amazing new inventions, such as clothes with spider silk in them that take heat away from your body!
Bible Evidence:
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” —1 Timothy 4:12, NIV
Jones & Parker Case Files Page 7