C-SQKR02 (Mar 16, 1996)
Puzzle
“Mr. Cox tearing up in Baltimore.”
See: C-MBW02 | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: You don't even need C-MBW02 for this, really. This puzzle's enough.
Clue 2: A cryptid, sighted by 'Cox', who cries.
Clue 3: Found in Northern Pennsylvania.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Squonk
Explanation: The Squonk is a mythical creature that is reputed to live in the hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It was written about in William T. Cox’s book called Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
RECEIPT #002
FILED UNDER: CAFE-SQKR
DATE: 3/16/96
EMPLOYEE #26
Aloha, my Cafe compatriots! Thank you so much for taking on this case for Ciel. He appreciates your help greatly. And, you know, he’s always been a good ally of the Cafe. So, let’s talk Squonk! It’s a strange lil’ buddy from the Esterskald Plane of the Otherside. He’s been described as a wrinkly and warty little creature who is often in a perpetual state of crying. It’s said that they cry so much that they leave noticeable trails of their tears. They can even cry themselves to death if frightened or cornered.
From my understanding, Squonk tears are rather unique in of themselves. They are thick, oily, and highly flammable. They are also able to repel predators in the Otherside due to their rather pungent odor. When expelled from the Squonk’s face, their tears quickly evaporate, leaving behind sparkling little mineral deposits which, you guessed it, are just as flammable as their tears. “Squonk Rocks,” as they’re called in the Esterskald, are often collected by Esterskaldian witches as a source of portable fire. I think they might also eat them? I wouldn’t recommend that, though.
Enough about their tears, what you’re after is the mucus they ooze from their nose! It’s a very viscous, sour-smelling fluid that can heal magically inflicted (or afflicted) wounds. Due to their constant crying, Squonks also have a constantly dripping snout. So, if you follow the trail of shiny sparking and sparkly grains to a Squonk, you should be able to fill up a mason jar with the stuff. Of course, the Squonk will probably feel threatened and begin to cry itself to death, so try to avoid mixing its tears with its snot. It’s not a huge issue if you mix the two as they should be easy to separate with some fire—but that will burn off some of the mucus as well and I’m not sure how much we’ll need to mend Ciel’s wings.