Kirk and the remaining four teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues, it’s now time for Olmec to tell us about the Original Spelling Book of Noah Webster. But teams, pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to the Temple…”
Olmec begins to tell the story:
“In the 17th century, American language was very confusing: pronunciation was a mess, and no one knew exactly how to spell certain words. The man who fixed all this was Noah Webster. In 1783, he published the first spelling book in the United States, but his masterpiece was the very first dictionary, completed in 1825. Using the same spelling book he had written forty-two years earlier, Noah experimented with spelling and pronunciation, and changed the appearance of several English words. But one man, Joseph Worcester, didn’t agree with what Noah was doing to the English language. In 1830, Joseph published his own dictionary, starting the so-called ‘War of Dictionaries.’ Legend has it that when the two men met face-to-face for the first and only time, they shared a few choice words.
“‘Why do you insist on changing the spelling of all these words?’ asked Joseph. ‘They showcase our great British heritage!’
“‘Great British heritage?’ Noah replied. ‘Who won the Revolutionary War? Besides, look at this!’
“Noah retrieved his spelling book and turned it to the ‘T’ page.
“‘Just look at this word—traffick! It would look much better without that ‘k’ tacked on the end of it!’
“Noah’s new ‘American English’ eventually gained more popularity, but Joseph Worcester gained fame in his own right for being the first person to include illustrations in dictionaries. The two men eventually made up, and Noah’s spelling book ended up in the Temple. Your quest is to find the Original Spelling Book of Noah Webster and bring it back here.”
“Thanks, Olmec,” Kirk says. “But tell us, where is the spelling book?”
“The Original Spelling Book of Noah Webster can be found in the Great Seal Room,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on the small blue book, which has the words ‘College Spelling’ printed on it in black letters, standing on the central holder in the room before fading back to Kirk.
“Teams, you’re now standing on the Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains. “In just a minute, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, stomp down on that ancient marking there in front of you. If you’re right, you’ll be able to move down a level, but if you’re wrong or you run out of time, I’ll give the other teams a chance.” Kirk begins descending the Steps. “The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple. Okay, Olmec…we’re ready for your first question.”
Olmec begins:
“Did Noah Webster write: the first dictionary, the first encyclopedia—”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “The first dictionary?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes step to the second step.
“Silver Snakes, nice job,” Kirk narrates. “It’s still early, though—next question.”
“Was Noah’s main rival in the dictionary-writing field: Samuel Johnson, Joseph Worcester, or John Grisham?”
After a few seconds, the Orange Iguanas ring in. “Joseph Worcester?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas join the Silver Snakes on the second step.
“Step down, Orange Iguanas,” Kirk commands. “Next question.”
“What did Joseph Worcester publish—”
The Silver Snakes ring in early. “Dictionaries?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes proceed to the next-to-last step.
“Now the Silver Snakes are only one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk narrates. “But anything can happen here. Next question, Olmec.”
“Was Noah Webster’s and Joseph Worcester’s feud called: The War of Words, The War of Dictionaries, or The Spelling Skirmish?”
The Red Jaguars ring in and guess. “The…War of Dictionaries?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Red Jaguars step to the second level.
“Nice job, Red Jaguars,” Kirk narrates. “Still looking for two teams—next question, Olmec.”
“How many times did Noah and Joseph meet face-to-face: zero, one, or two?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “One.”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas join the Silver Snakes on the next-to-last step.
“Orange Iguanas are just one step away now,” Kirk observes. “Still plenty of time for our other teams, though. Next question.”
“Did Joseph think that Noah’s spelling of words was: too American, too British, or too Canadian?”
Several seconds go by and no one rings in. Finally, a bell sounds.
“Time is up,” Olmec says. “The correct answer was: too American.”
“All right, nobody advances any further,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, please.”
“According to our legend, what word did Noah Webster show Joseph to explain his modifying of the English language: taffy, traffic, or trampoline?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “Traffic.”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas leap to the bottom step.
“And we’ve got our first team for the Temple Games!” Kirk narrates. “But we need one more team. Who’s it gonna be—the Red Jaguars, the Silver Snakes, or the Purple Parrots? Next question, Olmec.”
“In Noah Webster’s time, was the word ‘traffic’ spelled—”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “With a ‘k’?”
“You must spell the entire word,” Olmec explains.
“T…R…A-F…F…I-C…K?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Purple Parrots step down one level.
“Purple Parrots are on the board now,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, Olmec.”
“Joseph Worcester was the first to include something in a dictionary. Were they: pronunciations, illustrations, or word histories?”
The Red Jaguars ring in. “Illustrations?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Red Jaguars step to the next-to-last step.
“Now the Red Jaguars are only one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk narrates. “The Purple Parrots could still pull this out, though. Next question.”
“About how many words are in the English language today: one thousand, one million, or one billion?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “One million?”
“That is correct!” Olmec shouts. The Silver Snakes step to the bottom step.
“And we’ve got our two teams for the Temple Games!” Kirk shouts as he runs over and stands between the two advancing teams. “The Orange Iguanas, and the Silver Snakes! Red Jaguars, Purple Parrots, come on down here. You guys did great—it was really close there at the end. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!” They receive a collection of reference books from Merriam-Webster.
“These two teams will be playing for the right to enter Olmec’s Temple, and they’re gonna do it right after this!” Kirk says.
The camera zooms in on Kirk. He ducks, and the camera flies over his head and zooms in on one of the ropes used to cross the Moat as the title appears onscreen, and we fade to a commercial.