Summer 2021, Session IV: The Market at Wits' End

Market at Wits' End
RL McNulty, 2020
Micron Pen & Colored Pencil

The fourth session of the 2021 summer is a five-day mystery for grades 4 thru 9 called The Market at Wits' End. The program will run on July 19 - 23, from 9 AM to 4 PM, with After Hours until 5:30 as needed. We will be in Room 122 at the Freeport Middle School, 19 Kendall Lane, Freeport, ME, as part of the RSU5 Community Programs.

I planned this story before the pandemic, and it seems strangely appropriate after a year of Covid-19. We will delve into some of the Victorian era history about underground London, touching on the pandemics that occurred in the 1850s and 1870s. The legend  about black boars in the sewers took hold during this fearful time, as did the tradition of wearing gloves in public.

Detectives who solved the mystery "Goat and Ger" will recognize this story as a follow-up for that adventure. Sleuths with keen eyesight may also spot some clues about one of our favorite villains, returning with a little pocket change. "Would you like a penny?"

Here is the description for our adventure:

A timid wild goat asks the detectives for help finding a legendary trade fair known as the Market at Wits' End. A visit to a hidden library reveals that the path leads through the sewers of London. Those passageways are guarded by a host of wild black boars. Pack your hazmat suits! We're headed to realms where the muck is piled high!

Our projects include Book Nooks and Wits’ End Treasures for trade at the market.