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Check It Out! A Mystery Lost to Time My Mystery Friend The Mysterious Great Pyramid Mystery of the Sea Dragons Puzzles Mysterious-Looking Animals Max & Gracie Two Science Mysteries Mysteries in a Cave 10 Mysterious Creatures The Mysterious Kate Warne Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald Vanished Kids Corner Mystery of the Missing Chow Mysteries of Chaco Puzzle Solutions
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ysteries can be fun to read about. They are like puzzles. You wonder what happened and who did it. To find the answer, you follow clues, just like a detective. There are mysteries all around us. Here are some things that are a mystery to me: How do birds fly? What makes every blade of grass in my yard a different shade of green? How does my dog hear things that I can’t? This issue explores lots of mysteries. Many are unsolved. Do you have any mystery questions? Go outside and observe your surroundings. Then write and tell us what is a mystery to you, or draw us a picture. Maybe you’ll wonder why ants walk in a single file. Or how leaves know when it’s time to change colors and fall from the trees. Report back to us about the mysteries you discover. We are looking forward to hearing from our detectives. Write to: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Or email us at: kidscorner@funforkidz.com
Phovoir/Shutterstock.com
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by Kerrily Sapet
As the explorers peered into the tomb, their excitement grew. Through the thick shadows and the dust of 3000 years, they saw glints of gold and jewels beyond their wildest imaginings. They had discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun (toot-ahnk-ah-mun). King “Tut,” for short, has become one of the most famous Egyptian pharaohs since archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1923 near the tombs of other Egyptian kings. Carter had searched for several years. King Tut’s tomb was well worth the wait. Inside, Carter and his team found swords, musical instruments, model boats, food, beds shaped like lions and crocodiles, and even the king’s wig, robe, and sandals. Tut’s mummy wore an elaborate solid gold mask. But by opening the tomb, Carter began what became known as the “Curse of the Mummy.” Just a few months after discovering the tomb, a power failure plunged the entire city of Cairo, Egypt, into darkness. Days later, Lord Carnarvon, the man who provided money for Carter’s work, died suddenly. Doctors believed Carnarvon died from an infected mosquito bite and pneumonia. Strangely, the bite on Carnarvon’s left cheek was in the same spot as a wound on Tut’s face. People claimed that back in England, Lord Carnarvon’s dog howled and died at the exact moment of his master’s death. Carter’s pet canary also fell victim to the curse. Egyptians blamed these events on the fact that the pharaoh’s mummy had been disturbed. For hundreds of years, people believed that mummies held magical powers. Within months of Carnarvon’s death, people claimed that many other people on Carter’s archaeological team had died of unknown causes. All of them, people said, had been in Tut’s burial room. Some people believed King Tut cursed those who entered his tomb because he was angry. Hieroglyphics written on treasure found in the tomb
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Game pieces used by King Tut
Tut became the ruler of Egypt when he was only nine years old. Nine years later, he mysteriously died. Many think his advisor, Ay, had him murdered. Tut’s mummy has a wound on its head. Ay became pharaoh when Tut died. There is evidence that King Tut’s death was sudden and unexpected. His tomb was filled with beautiful objects, but it was small compared to other kings’ tombs. The mummification was done quickly and sloppily. Embalmers added too much resin, or tree sap, to Tut’s linen bandages. His mummy actually got stuck to the bottom of his coffin. Tut’s name was even carved over a previous name. Did King Tut die of a sudden illness, or was he murdered by an ambitious advisor? This is a mystery lost to time. Recently, scientists suggested that ancient molds on fruits and vegetables inside Tut’s burial chamber possibly caused the deaths of the archaeological team. But the idea of an angry mummy is enough to send shivers down your spine.
King Tut’s gold funerary mask
Is the mummy’s curse real? That’s for you to decide.
King Tut’s tomb was found in an area known as the Valley of the Kings.
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My Mystery Friend by Phyllis Raybin Emert • illustrated by Donna Catanese
“How was your first day at school, sweetie?” asked Dad at dinner. “It was great, Dad,” answered nine-year-old Remy. “My teacher is Miss Patton, but I like Jack the best. He drank from the goldfish bowl.” Dad looked at Mom and shook his head. “Of course, dear. Next time, Jack should try drinking from the fountain if he’s so thirsty.” Remy burst out laughing. “That’s funny, Dad.” The next day, Remy had spelling homework. “We were assigned words from our reading books,” she told her parents at dinner. “Mine is called Meeting New Friends.” Mom handed Remy a plate of food. “Speaking of friends, how did Jack do today?” asked Mom. “The kindergartners painted Jack red,” answered Remy quietly. Mom began to choke on a sip of water. Remy patted her on the back until she felt better. “That poor thing. Why on earth did the children do that?” Mom asked. “I guess because they ran out of blue paint,” answered Remy. “More potatoes, please.” On Wednesday, Jack was locked in the janitor’s closet by mistake. The principal let him out. On Thursday, Mrs. Temple, the school librarian, gave a speech to the students in the auditorium. She explained how to check out library books. Right in the middle, Jack got up and walked across the stage behind the surprised librarian. The kids all giggled and applauded. “That was very rude of Jack and the children,” said Mom, when Remy told her parents. “On Friday, Jack slept in class all day long,” said Remy. “I guess he was very tired.” The following week, Remy dressed up for her class picture. When she came home, her mother said, “You looked very pretty today, dear. Did Jack dress up too?” “You’re joking, aren’t you, Mom?” asked Remy. She added, “He sneaked into every single class picture.”
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“You mean he had his picture taken with each class at school?” asked Dad. “How could the teachers let that happen?” “Jack fooled them every time, Dad,” explained Remy. “He’d run in at the last second and sit by the front row. It was really pretty funny.” Mom and Dad looked at each other in amazement. Day after day, they heard stories about Jack. “Some high school kids were bothering the sixth graders at recess today,” said Remy. “Let me guess,” said Dad. “Jack ran over and threw them off campus.” “You’re close, Dad,” said Remy. “Jack ran over and chased them off campus. Those older guys were really afraid. Jack can be pretty mean when he wants. Only to the bad guys, of course.” “How old did you say Jack was, Remy?” asked Dad. “I’m not sure, but I think he’s pretty old – 13 or 14,” answered Remy. “And still in elementary school?” whispered Mom to Dad. Finally, it was time for open house at Remy’s school. Her classroom was decorated with special stories and pictures. Mom and Dad were excited about seeing Remy’s teacher and her classroom. They were also looking forward to finally meeting Jack. “What do you think he looks like?” Dad asked Mom. “I think he’s tall, dark, and strong, but friendly.” “I think he’s short, thin, and very tired,” said Mom. “The poor boy spends most of his time sleeping at school. Yesterday Remy said Jack was scratching himself a lot. He must have a skin problem. Someone should tell the school nurse.” Mom, Dad, and Remy drove to the school. They walked to the fourth-grade classroom. They looked at Remy’s spelling story and her math papers. Then they saw her handwriting practice sheets. Finally, they spoke to Remy’s teacher. Miss Patton told them Remy was doing well in all her studies. “We’re glad to hear that, Miss Patton,” said Mom. “May I speak to you about something that’s been bothering my husband and me?” “Certainly,” said Miss Patton. Mom and Dad spoke quietly. “We’re a little concerned about one of the boys at school. His name is Jack. He seems to do the most incredible things and always gets away with it.” Miss Patton started smiling. Dad continued. “Remy has told us he drinks from the fish bowl, sleeps in the classroom most of the day, and sneaks into the class pictures.” Miss Patton began to chuckle. “Once he was painted red by the other children,” said Mom, “and he was even locked in the janitor’s closet.” Miss Patton started laughing out loud. She laughed so hard that tears started running down her face.
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“He has some sort of skin problem and is scratching all the time,” said Mom. By this time, Miss Patton was doubled over with laughter and nearly on her knees. “I don’t believe we’ve said anything funny, Miss Patton,” said Dad, who was getting angry. “The principal should do something at once about Jack,” declared Mom. Miss Patton stopped laughing and said, “Please forgive me. I think we can straighten out this whole misunderstanding.” Then, guiding Mom and Dad, she started walking with them to an area at the back of the classroom. She stopped walking and pointed down. “I’d like you to meet Jack,” said Miss Patton, “probably the most popular student at school.” Mom and Dad looked down. They saw a medium-sized white animal. It was snoring loudly. “A dog?” Dad and Mom said together. They looked at each other. “Jack is our school mascot,” explained Miss Patton. “He lives in the neighborhood, but for years, he has spent most of his time at the school. The children love him.” Mom and Dad started laughing. They were laughing so hard tears ran down their cheeks, and they had trouble standing up straight. They laughed so hard they woke up Jack. Jack opened his large brown eyes and yawned widely. Then Jack scratched his ear, licked his paw, and settled back to sleep again. After all, tomorrow was a school day. Jack needed his rest.
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Over 4500 years ago, the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu ordered a pyramid built as his royal tomb. It was so big, it could be seen for miles across the desert. Inside the pyramid, passages led to smaller twisted passages. There were concealed doors and chambers with hollow spaces behind them. There may be a hidden chamber deep inside. The mysteries of this complicated structure have baffled the world for hundreds of years. Khufu’s pyramid is the oldest and largest pyramid still standing near Giza, Egypt. Today it’s called the Great Pyramid, and archaeologists are trying to unlock its secrets. This pyramid is so enormous, 10 football fields could fit inside its base. It’s nearly as tall as a 13-story building. More than 2 million stone blocks were used to build it. How did workers get the stone there? Did they float the stones by boat along the flooded Nile River? Did they drag sled-like sledges across the desert? It’s a mystery. How did workers cut each block so precisely and fit them together so well? Each super-heavy block weighed at least 2000 pounds. How were the blocks lifted into place? Did workers build ramps that wrapped around the pyramid? Did they use ropes and wooden levers to pull and push the blocks up higher and higher? These are more mysteries.
The original entrance (top of photo) was up higher than the entrance used today.
Egyptian writings tell us that the Great Pyramid took 23 years to build. That means workers would have had to set a block in place every 2-1/2 minutes around the clock, 7 days a week. How many thousands of people must have worked on the pyramid during that time? We may never know. Here’s another mystery: At certain times of the year, the pyramid lines up with certain stars and planets. How did ancient Egyptians know how to do this? Egypt has over 100 pyramids, large and small. If there are more, they are buried in the sand, holding their mysteries and awaiting discovery. The Great Pyramid was originally covered in a layer of gleaming, polished white limestone. Over the years, people stripped away these stones to build other things.
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