One day, a group of rogues met, as they did once a year, and argued about who was the most nefarious.
"Is it you, old Stealer of Stories?" whispered Inari to Anansi, flashing a vulpine grin.
Anansi shrugged several of his shoulders. "Appropriating stories is a noble tradition," he said.
How better to settle the question than with sets of puzzles? Who was the most nefarious rogue?
The Polynesian trickster's wild joy sends him bounding island to island. Things sometimes go missing in his wake.
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Anansi, who is very crafty indeed, uses all the tools at his disposal to keep himself sharp.
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The Haitian demon Ti Malice has carved out a name for himself with his malevolent voodoo magic.
| UNCURSED | CURSED | |
|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | Enter stealthily (2 wds.) [2] | |
| Some herds seen on safari | Face-up [1] | |
| Field seen in films | Keyboard instrument [5] | |
| Some Montanans | One of a historic trio (2 wds.) [5] | |
| China, e.g. | Rude behavior after a meal, maybe [1] | |
| Elite invitees (hyph.) | Scaler of mountains, especially in Europe [2] | |
| Member of a certain sorority | Swimmer in a swamp [2] | |
| Earth, in some SF | The New Jersey Barrens, etc. [6] | |
| Lets loose | "Wheel of Fortune" bonus (2 wds.) [1] | |
| Haul into court | With regards to a certain column [1] |
Not much can stop Coyote's steady stream of dirty tricks.
- AIN ANT DMI IMU LYE OTA OTE REM STN TIC XPL (1 4 3 5 1 3'1 8 7)
- AIN ANY CHI ESL HES HRO HTS INT MYA NBR OFT OUG RAC UGH YTH (3 2 5 3 8 5' 7 2 5' 5)
- ALL EST HEI ICK NKB OTH OWT THR UPT (5 3 3 4 2 2 3 5)
- ALR DOI DYY EAH ELL IGH NGW NOW REA TAL (7 7 4 5 4 3)
- AND ATE CAT CHE DAG IKE ITT MIS NGL OOD RSM SAN STR SWI TWO (5 4 3 4 3 1 4 7'1 4, 6 3)
- ANT EAL FEC GBI KIN LYC MOC PER RDR SEE TLY YOU (11, 6, 3'1 3 9 3?)
- ARL CTO ENE ERE EXT HAV LUE RAA RSH TAC TGO THE YNO (3 5 6 4 4 6 3 3 1 4)
- ELA IRL KEG LIT LUE OLD OLG ONM SGO TAH TEL TLE YLI (6 2' 4'1 3 1 4 2 2 6 4 4)
- ERE GWR HIN HTH ISI LOT MET NEP NSA NTH ONG SSO WHE WIT (4 5'1 9 5 4 4 6 4)
Hermes is the fastest of all the Olympians. If the other gods get angry at being the butt of his annoying jokes, he's off like a shot.
- Author of dozens of popular children's books
- Catherine Friend book about Maria's polychromatic do
- Offering regrets for one's bad behavior
- Sondheim/Rodgers collaboration set in Venice
- Spheres of especially deep knowledge or competence
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Nigerian myth echoes with the duplicity of this wicked lizard.
Across
- Running wild ad, consortium's close to fine (4)
- Taunted first of debutantes dividing caviar (4)
- Artist vacuously describing something one might see in a coral talisman (6)
- About activist Hoffman: you might say he's taxing? (6)
- Everyone in the south is partial to Woody Allen (4)
- Fiber is necessity when training, on reflection (4)
Down
- A bunch of stars and a one-named rapper I see in gable (5)
- Below, do some quilting with Ms. Ringwald and Iman, perhaps (6)
- Singer Moore met Libyan at regular intervals (5)
- Individual getting nauseous is playwright (6)
- Ladies in the middle buy a contrived presidential nickname (5)
- Engineer allows climbing up stone pillar (5)
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As Till travels village to village, he often leaves behind his mark: an owl and a mirror, representing his name. At times, though, Till's wildly scatological pranks leave them a bit besmirched.
- Examination in advance of an IRS appointment
- Items for sipping Earl Grey
- Large turnip relative
- Like Simba and Nala
- Majestic house
- Multi-locale production, such as one involving antiques?
- Photocopies' forerunners
- Speaks to testily (2 wds.)
Many bestowing precious gifts on their lovers would be dismayed to learn they'd actually given them to Inari's foxes, befuddled by the spirits' complex illusions.
- IHSOSAJENIATPACNIKEESHTEDLOGCEELF (4)
- OROVIDEDEOODEOROARTIESNRDVENTS (7)
- AROMATIHERSIMILATANISITAST (6)
- DULTEROUSADAMEREATEDYOELISTUSTAELAUBERT (6)
- EANUTUHARACTETHOHRIENDNITIEPPERMINIATTT (6)
The Philippine trickster's gaunt body is disturbing in many ways: half human, half horse, he isn't entirely either.
- DAKLILMERETTEVBAN
- SEULLERAOGPEHOPN
- DEONTQINANXOICTOE
- GAXANFWODDHALS
- RICDHAWOBPONDRUANGE
- ASEUXLAHANPDECURB
- FROGANKLHOPAKIDNH
- DRIPIELINS
Loki would warp reality itself to sneak across the Rainbow Bridge into Asgard.
| Chekhov's emporium-running uncle (8 5) |
| Find hairstyling cream the way a bat would (10 6) |
| Geronimo or Cochise's adolescent scruff (6 4) |
| Hunter's decoy made from rubber rather than wood (5 4) |
| One who excavates a hangout for skiers (5 6) |
| Precipitation that's more zaftig than the norm (7 4) |
| Pun that's especially bad in Chinese (8 7) |
| Puzzle-writer Trip is livid (5'1 5) |
| Statutes that are so hot as to be viscous and bubbling (6 4) |
| Treatise exploring various thick, cloying syrups (1 5 2 8) |
| Twenty, no matter what you call it (1 5 2 3 5 4) |
| Where castaway municipal officials might be found (3 8 4) |
The Sumerian god of mischief stole control of all the world's water; the Tigris and Euphrates cascade from his shoulders.
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- Map detail
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Quality of a sa_ st _ _ _
- Glow like the sun
_ andy s _ o _ el _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ er users
_ l _ _ s i_ program _
- DNA carrier
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_ _ wm _ _ role
- Very wise person
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Bits of f _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ e e _ , etc.
- Moves like a duck
T _ _ _ _ _ _; bo _ h
D _ _ nks like st _ u _
Richar _ of Bre _ th _ _ _ s