The Case of the Seven Reflections: A Fairy Detective Optics Mystery

Welcome, Brave Adventurer! You can play this game on its own, but if you have them, these supplies will make it better: - One Mirror (any size) - One Spoon (at least slightly reflective, and as spherical as possible.) - One Pen or Pencil - One Piece of Paper (for detective notes!) - Optional: Fairy Wings Some notes: - This game looks best in LANDSCAPE mode - There's a BACK BUTTON to the upper left of the text Disclaimer: This game is an original creation inspired by the public domain fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Disney or any other entity. All characters, names, and storylines are unique and created by the author. [[I have my supplies. I'm ready. Let's start!->Begin]]

It's a cozy afternoon in your office. The rain pours down outside, and you feel a warm glow of contentment. You are a tiny fairy detective, and you're just wrapping up another successful case. (It turned out it was Rumplestiltskin who had stolen Bluebeard the pirate's silver beard trimmers.) You file your last bit of paperwork for the day, and when you go to leave, you open the door and see a princess standing there. She's been knocking so softly and politely that you didn't hear her. She wears long green skirts and a green crown with purple flowers cascading through her long, brown hair. She looks slightly startled to see you. "I'm sorry to bother you," she says. "My name is Fay, and I need your help. Can I come in?" [[Show her into your office.]]

"Oh thank you so much for seeing me," she says. You realize that you recognize her. She's the princess who lives with the seven dwarves. Her stepmother once tried to kill her with a poisoned apple. You scratch the side of your head with your magic wand, and sneeze at the fairy dust. [["What can I do for you?" you ask.]] [["How long were you waiting out there?"]]

"Well, as I said, my name is Fay. I'm the business manager of the seven dwarves. You see, the youngest dwarf found this incredible emerald. It was enormous." She makes a hand gesture indicating the emerald was the size of a small Labrador. You raise your eyebrows. That's a big emerald. Fay runs a hand through her long, brown hair, twisting the ends around her fingers and pulling at it. "Everyone was so excited, but it was stolen that very night. Right from the middle of our cottage!" [["I see," you say.->"Why not?"]]

She blushes. "Oh. Um. A few hours." You briefly do a mental rundown of all the songs you've hummed in the last few hours. You think you were on-key. And the conversation you had with the teapot... You glance at her, but she doesn't look like someone who's judging you for arguing with crockery. [["I see. And, well, what seems to be the trouble?"->"What can I do for you?" you ask.]]

You pull out your detective's notebook. "Any idea who took it?" "Well, that's the thing. Every single one of the dwarves saw an intruder, but they all disagree on what they looked like!" "Sounds like someone's lying, then," you say. "Oh no. They wouldn't do that." She looks near tears. "The thing is, none of them saw the intruder directly. They each saw a reflection in a different type of mirror. That's why they disagree. I'm sure of it." But, if one of them took it, one of them is probably lying, too, you think. She swallows hard. You can tell she doesn't want to believe anything bad about anyone, least of all her friends. "It was probably Queen Agnes again. My stepmother. We'd . . . we'd made amends recently." "Amends? Didn't she try to kill you?" "I mean, yes," said Fay. "But I really thought she was making an effort." [["An effort? How so?"]] [["But . . . the apple . . . she . . . poisoned you, right?]]

"No, right, yeah. That was her." "And you were..." "In a deathly sleep, yes." "And the dwarves..." "Made me a glass coffin becuase they couldn't bear to bury me. Which was good, because I hacked the apple back up not long after. I've been thier business manager ever since." You chew the end of your pen. "She must have really made amends, then." "Oh, well, um . . . I mean..." "That's . . . very forgiving," you say. It's refreshing, in a way. "Anyway," Fay says. "She and I have been doing research together." [["Research?"]]

She waves a hand distractedly, and you notice the many rings she wears on every finger. Gold and silver, with inlaid gemstones of every shape and color. "Oh, she apologized." "Well, that's something," you say. "Yes, and, she and I have been doing research together." [["Research?"]]

"She has that mirror, you know." "The one that warned her that you were fairer than she was, which led to the murder attempt?" "Right, that one. Anyway, she got a few more mirrors, and we've been doing optics research. Building telescopes, and eyeglasses, and fancy gem-spectacles for the dwarves." "Huh!" Not the answer you'd expected, but it did sound interesting. "Anyway, this emerald. It was incredible. It had amazing optical properties. It almost looked like it was filled with ghosts." "Ghosts?" "Yes, or shadows. Agnes wanted to examine it, but the dwarves refused. They hadn't decided what to do with it yet. There was... a lot of arguing." You make a few notes in your notebook. "What were they arguing about?" you ask. "What to do with the emerald." She looks at the ground, her eyes welling with tears. "No one could agree. It got very heated. I suggested we wait until the morning. But by the time we woke up..." She sighs. "They're very upset at me." [["Don't worry, I'll get it back for you."]] [["Did you take it?"]]

Her eyes light up and she smiles broadly. "Oh, thank you so, so much. I've heard such good things about your investigative skills!" "Of course. I'm happy to help," you say. [["Let's go see the scene of the crime!"->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [["Let's go interrogate the queen!"->"Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen.]]

She gasps, and her mouth hangs open as she stares at you, a look of horror on her face. "Of course not! Why would I do that?" [["You tell me."]] [["Just doing my job," you say, raising your hands.]]

She glares at you, two pink spots appearing on her cheeks. "I'm sure I don't know why I would do such a thing. Or what would possess me to hire a detective to investigate a crime I myself committed!" [["You're right, I apologize."]] [["Maybe you wanted to frame Agnes?"]]

She readjusts her skirts angrily. "Well then, no, obviously I did not," she huffs. "Will you please help me?" she adds. [["Of course. Let's go see the scene of the crime."->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [["Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen."->"Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen.]] [["I'm sorry, I'm too busy."]]

She collects herself, giving you an uncertain glance. "That's all right, I understand you're only doing your job," she says. She takes a deep breath. "So, will you help me?" [["Of course. Let's go see the scene of the crime."->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [["Yes. Let's go interrogate the queen."->"Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen.]] [["I'm sorry, I'm too busy."]]

"I told you, we're on good terms! She apologized! We've been working together!" You shrug. "Maybe you were playing the long game." She glares at you. "Okay, well, keep me on your suspect list then, I guess. But please will you actually investigate this actual crime that's been committed by someone who is not me?" [["All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [["Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen.]] [["I'm sorry, I'm too busy."]]

Fay leads you deep into the forest. At last you arrive at a cozy little cottage surrounded by piles of gemstones and seven pickaxes of varying lengths. (Can you find all seven? Make sure your device is in landscape mode.) You pull out your notebook, patting your pocket to make sure your trusty spoon is still there. [[It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Fay leads you along a wide cobblestone road, flanked by rows of gargoyles. She's quiet, and when you arrive at a towering, many-turreted castle, she stops short. "This is where she lives. I . . . I won't come in with you. I can't talk to her right now." You wonder if she's feeling too hurt, or maybe there's another reason she won't go inside. You haven't discounted her as a suspect, after all. Never discount a suspect! Your wise, tiny mentor, the fairy investigator before you used to always say this. Either way, you knock on the imposing wooden door. [[Knock Knock!]]

She stares at you, openmouthed in disappointment. "All right, well, thank you for your time." She gives a small polite curtsey, and leaves. "I'm pretty sure she did it," you mutter to the teapot. The teapot doesn't respond. The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart ->Begin]]

You approach the tinist dwarf. She is only a foot tall, and is clutching her tiny pickaxe. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"]]

Her tiny face pinches in anger and she clenches the pickaxe more tightly. "Seven definitely did it!" she squeaks. "He hates me. Says I'm too tiny. Says I'm not honoring the family. I'm the one that found the emerald." Her whole expression changes, and her face glows with pride. [["How did you find the emerald?"]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"]]

She frowns. "Well, it was hard to see, because it was so dark. But I was so excited at having found the emerald that I couldn't sleep." "We have a ton of mirrors in our cabin," she says. "And I happened to be staring at a concave mirror, kind of shaped like the inside of that spoon you have there." "I saw someone sneak into the room. They were upside down, though! And almost exactly the same height as me!" The same height as her? Was she incriminating herself? If so, that was strange testimony. All the other dwarves are taller than her, as are Fay and Agnes. "You're sure?" you ask. "Exactly the same height?" She nods vigorously. "Yes, yes, just like me, but upside down!" [["How did you find the emerald?"]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"It was after everyone else had gone home. I always stay later in the mines than everyone else," she says, hopping up and down on her toes. "I'm so much smaller, it takes me longer to carry things in and out. But I make up for it!" she insists. "I was digging in a narrow part of the mine—where only I can fit!" she added. "And my axe struck something hard." Her eyes glow, remembering. [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"]] [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"I wanted to carve it into a replica of my face and mount it on our roof, obviously!" she shrieks. "Really?" "Yes, of course! It's the biggest emerald anyone's ever found! And I found it!" She frowns. "They're always making fun of me. But if there were a giant emerald version of my head staring at them all the time, they'd think twice." "Probably true," you say evenly. "But no one was listening to me." She glares at her brothers and sisters. [["How did you find the emerald?"]] [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Fay calls out, and one-by-one, seven dwarves emerge from the cottage, pulling on their pointed boots, smoothing their pointed beards, and readjusting their pointed hats. "We were all in the same room the night the emerald was stolen," Fay explains. They arrange themselves in order of height, from the smallest to the largest. The shortest is about a foot tall, and each one is six inches taller than the last. [[Question Dwarf One]] [[Question Dwarf Two]] [[Question Dwarf Three]] [[Question Dwarf Four]] [[Question Dwarf Five]] [[Question Dwarf Six]] [[Question Dwarf Seven]] [[See a summary of their testimonies.]] [["Actually, let's go interrogate Agnes!"->"Yes. First I'll need to interrogate the queen.]] [[You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

You approach the second-shortest dwarf. He's a foot and a half tall and is wearing a pointed hat with glowing silver symbols embroidered into it. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->2see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->2suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->2desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

The third dwarf looks anxiously left and right, her eyes scanning the forest around you. A few pieces of paper flutter to the ground and she picks them up and stuffs them back in her pockets. She's about two feet tall. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->3see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->3suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->3desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Dwarf Four emerges from the cottage. She's two and a half feet tall and is covered in paint splatters. Paintbrushes—some still covered in paint—stick out of her pockets and are tucked into her hair like hairpins. She smiles warmly at you and scans your face like she might be deciding how to paint you. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->4see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->4suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->4desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Dwarf Five—three feet tall— sticks a mirror out of the cottage. You can see his eyeball reflected in it as he tilts the mirror this way and that, examining the forest. The mirror shoots back, and Five leaps out, landing in a crouch and scanning the perimeter. "Who are you?" he asks. "I'm the investigator, here to determine who stole the emerald," you say. "Not very likely," the dwarf comments. "Maybe it was you." "I mean, I hadn't considered that, but good point. I'll add myself to the list of suspects." You take out your notebook and do just that. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->5see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->5suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->5desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Dwarf Six hops out of the cottage. She's three and a half feet tall and covered in gadgets. A belt around her waist holds eleven screwdrivers, three hammers, an adjustable wrench, and a crowbar. Despite this weight, she bounces up to you, her boots making strange clicking sounds. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->6see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->6suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->6desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Seven, the tallest of the dwarves at 4 feet, appears out of nowhere. He looms over you, and you flutter your wings, hovering a little higher. "Ah, wonderful. I am so glad to see that Fay hired a professional. This is a travesty. An absolute travesty, as I am sure you can imagine." "Happy to help, sir." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->7see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->7suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->7desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

{ (set: $dwarf1CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf2CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf3CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf4CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf5CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf6CrossedOff to true)(set: $dwarf7CrossedOff to true)(set: $snowWhiteCrossedOff to true)(set: $evilQueenCrossedOff to true)  <style> .suspect-list div { margin: 0; padding: 0; display: flex; align-items: center; line-height: 1; } .suspect-list label { margin-left: 5px; } .suspect-list input { margin-right: 5px; } </style>} You return to your office to review your notes . . . (see below!) [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]] [[You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]] [[This is hard! I'd like a hint!]] =|= This is your list of suspects. Uncheck anyone you don't think is guilty, to help you narrow things down! Remember - the thief is lying! <div class="suspect-list">  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf1Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf1CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf1Checkbox">Dwarf One</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf2Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf2CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf2Checkbox">Dwarf Two</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf3Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf3CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf3Checkbox">Dwarf Three</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf4Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf4CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf4Checkbox">Dwarf Four</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf5Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf5CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf5Checkbox">Dwarf Five</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf6Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf6CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf6Checkbox">Dwarf Six</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="dwarf7Checkbox" data-varname="dwarf7CrossedOff" checked> <label for="dwarf7Checkbox">Dwarf Seven</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="snowWhiteCheckbox" data-varname="snowWhiteCrossedOff" checked> <label for="snowWhiteCheckbox">Fay</label> </div>  <div> <input type="checkbox" id="evilQueenCheckbox" data-varname="evilQueenCrossedOff" checked> <label for="evilQueenCheckbox">Agnes</label> </div> </div> <script> processCheckboxes(); </script> **Plane Mirrors** - **Height**: Show correct height - **Description**: Keep images right side up **Convex Mirrors** - **Height**: Make objects appear shorter - **Description**: Keep images right side up **Concave Mirrors** - **Height**: Might make objects appear shorter or taller - **Description**: Might keep images right side up or turn them upside down =|= **Dwarf One** - **Height**: 1 foot tall - **Description**: Ambitious and found the gem - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Concave mirror - **Suspect Image**: Same height as her and upside down **Dwarf Two** - **Height**: 1.5 feet tall - **Description**: Studying magic - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Concave mirror - **Suspect Image**: Very tall! Right side up **Dwarf Three** - **Height**: 2 feet tall - **Description**: In debt to squirrels - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Plane mirror - **Suspect Image**: Right side up, taller than her **Dwarf Four** - **Height**: 2.5 feet tall - **Description**: Painter - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Convex mirror - **Suspect Image**: Same height as her, right side up **Dwarf Five** - **Height**: 3 feet tall - **Description**: Cautious - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Convex mirror - **Suspect Image**: Upside down, shorter than him **Dwarf Six** - **Height**: 3.5 feet tall - **Description**: Inventor - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Plane mirror - **Suspect Image**: Shorter, right side up **Dwarf Seven** - **Height**: 4 feet tall - **Description**: Wants to uphold the family name - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Concave mirror - **Suspect Image**: Taller, upside down **Fay** - **Height**: 5 feet tall - **Description**: Extremely forgiving - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Didn't see the thief **Queen Agnes** - **Height**: 6 feet tall - **Description**: Scary - **Witnessed Suspect In**: Didn't witness the crime |==|

"I saw a towering, shadowy figure! They loomed over all of us!" "Were they upside down?" He raises an eyebrow. "Were they—of course not! They were right-side up, as we all are, now!" "And did you see them with your own eyes?" "Obviously! Although. . . I confess I saw them reflected in a concave mirror. It was. . . about the shape of the inside of that spoon you have there." [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->2suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->2desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh, it was Three, I'm sure of it." He curls his hand around his mouth and says in an exaggerated stage whisper, "She owes a lot of money to some squirrels." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->2see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->2desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

He folds his arms across his chest. "I wanted to study it, of course. It clearly has magical properties!" [["Magical? How so?"]] [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->2see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->2suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Those shadows! They weren't just optical illusions! I'm sure there was more to it." He adjusts his silver spectacles and re-crosses his arms. "I'm the foremost expert in the magical properties of gemstones. That gem needed to be studied." "I see. That must have been disappointing to you that it was stolen, then." "Disappointing?" He scoffs, his hat shaking. "It was devastating! This is a huge blow to magical gem research!" [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->2see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->2suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"I saw someone taller than me sneak in and snatch it. I was half awake; I wish I'd stopped them." She shakes her head, pressing her lips together. "Anything else?" "Well, I suppose I only saw their reflection. In the plane mirror hanging by my bed." "And were they upside down?" She laughs. "What? No." [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->3suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->3desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh, I think it was Seven, for sure. He's so arrogant. Obssessed with the family honor. Always being mean to One. I was happy she was the one to find it. It meant a lot to her." "Not Agnes?" She shrugs. "She's not so bad. She's lent me some money even, a few times." She scratches her cheek. "I mean, the thing with Fay and the apple was bad, but. . . she seems to be trying to grow." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->3see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->3desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"I wanted to sell it of course!" she says. "That's what we usually do with gems. And this one. . . we would have made a lot of money!" [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->3see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->3suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Whoever stole it was exactly the same size as me!" she exclaims in surprise. "At least, they appeared that way in the convex mirror I saw them reflected in. Like the back side of that spoon you have there." She gestures with a paintbrush, and a droplet of green paint lands on your shoe. "Were they upside down?" She laughs. "Oh no, they were as right side up as you and me!" [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->4suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->4desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh I'm sure it's just misplaced somewhere!" she says, her eyes wide and innocent. "We argue, you know, but we get along. None of us would steal a gem one of us had found!" "You're sure?" "Quite sure," she says firmly. "I truly think Agnes has changed her ways, too. No, I'm sure it's just rolled under a table in there or something. It's a bit of a mess." "What about Fay?" Four giggles. "What? Oh, you're serious. Um, absolutely not. No way. She just wants us all to get along, like I do." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->4see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->4desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh, I didn't really care either way," she says smiling even more widely. "You have such interesting features!" "You didn't want to sell it? Or. . . paint it?" "Oh, I've already painted it!" she says, pulling a canvas from somewhere. The canvas is larger than she is and dominated by a huge, imposing emerald filled with shifting shadows. It looks slightly ominous. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->4see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->4suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"I . . . I suppose I did see something. Or someone. They were shorter than me, and upside down, weirdly. I saw all this in the convex mirror." [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->5suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->5desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

Five shakes his head. "I really don't know, I think it got up and walked out of here on its own. Or maybe it just disappeared." "But . . . if you had to guess one of the other dwarves . . ." "I mean, not Six for sure. Her inventions are the one thing keeping us marginally safe." "Any of the others, though? Or Agnes?" He bites his upper lip and grimaces. "I mean, One really wanted to keep it, and Two wanted to study it. Three . . . well I shouldn't say except that she owes some very agressive squirrels some money . . . Seven . . . well he is really overly concerned with family honor. But . . . they're all good people. I really . . . I mean I suppose it could have been Agnes. But . . . It could also have been . . . I mean it really looked like it was possessed. I don't know man, Really. I don't know." "All good points, thank you." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->5see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->5desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"I wish One had never found it," Five said, shaking his head and shivering. "That thing was no good. You heard what Two said? About it being magic? Cursed, more like it." "You think it was dangerous?" "What isn't dangerous?? Wind storms, spiders, tunnel collapses! I don't know why we're even in this business anymore. Soon as we brought it back, we were arguing. We never argue. There's something evil about that stone, I know it." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->5see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->5suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh, I saw something all right! In a plane mirror, plane as can be haha." She pauses, and you laugh at her joke. "They were shorter than me, and right side up—I've been listening in on your questioning, I hope you don't mind." [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->6suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->6desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Honestly? Ugh. I don't know. Agnes, probably? There's no way it was Fay. She's too nice. And none of the others would have taken it. We make these decisions together, you know. Although . . ." "What?" She shakes her head. "No, no I shouldn't . . ." "Please tell me, it might be important." She sighs and glances back at the cottage. "I mean . . . One was just so upset that the others didn't see it as hers. She worked so hard for it. And . . . Two really wanted to study it, but I really don't think . . . And, I mean, Five hated the sight of it, but he hates most things. The mine's collapsed on him three different times. And Four . . . she really loves beautiful things. I don't think she would have meant to, but she might have wanted to look at it and . . . maybe she lost it or something. And of course Three has . . . well the thing with the squirrels . . . And to be honest I would have loved to sell it and use the money to upgrade things around here. You wouldn't believe the settings they have on toasters these days! And Seven was not at all happy that some of us wanted to keep it. He's . . . very concerned with our image, you know." She lets out a great rush of breath and sucks back in a gasp. "But really, there's no way. No, I'm sure it's just an innocent mistake. I can't see anyone taking it. I really can't." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->6see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->6desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Oh, I mean, I would have loved to break it apart and see what those shadows were all about. Totally fascinating! But, to be honest I didn't care too much either way. I was busy with some plans for a zip line to take us to and from the mine." "That sounds fun." "Yes!" her eyes light up. "Five might not have approved . . . but I was going to add so so so many safety features." "Seems wise." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->6see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->6suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Well, I'll tell you. I saw un upside-down giant break into our home. Taller than me for sure. This was in that concave mirror we have, you know." He clears his throat. "Now, I'm sure I don't know why Agnes was hanging from the ceiling, but there you have it." [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->7suspect]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->7desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Agnes, obviously. She has had it out for our family since the beginning. It is a testament to Fay's good character that she has forgiven her, even deigning to work with her, but . . . my my . . . Seven polishes his monocle and replaces it over his eye, peering at you through it. [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->7see]] [["What did you want to do with the emerald?"->7desire]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

"Now, really, we're quite well off already you know, so I wasn't opposed to any of the others who wanted to study it, or . . . paint it. I really think some sort of compromise would have been reached." [["What did you see the night the emerald was stolen?"->7see]] [["Who do you think took the emerald?"->7suspect]] [[Interrogate someone else.->It's time to interrogate some suspects!]]

An elderly butler greets you and leads you back into Agnes's sitting room. She is reading on her elegant chaise lounge. You glance at the title. "How to Win Friends and Influence People." She blushes, sets the book firmly facedown on the side table, and rises to greet you. "Hello, you must be the investigator. Fay wrote to me about their . . . unfortunate situation." [["Nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"]] [["Did you take the emerald?"]] [["You sure have a lot of mirrors in here."]]

"Of course. I have nothing to hide." You seriously doubt that. [["What were you doing last night, when the emerald was taken?"]] [["Who do you think stole the emerald?"]]

"Of course I didn't!" She folds her arms across her chest and you can see her muscles clench. "But you were curious about it?" She glares at you. "Only because I'm interested in optics. The emerald had interesting optical properties. Apparently. From what they told me. But if you're simply going to accuse me right off the bat, you can leave." [["I apologize. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?->"Nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"]] [["You don't exactly have a clean track record here, ma'am."]]

She drops the hand she had extended and frowns. "Yes. Perhaps Fay failed to mention. She and I have been doing optics research." [["What's optics?"]] [["Why?"]] [["So, can you tell me why the dwarves all saw different intruders?"]]

She folds her arms and taps her long nails on her satin-wrapped biceps. "Optics is the study of light. The way it reflects off mirrored surfaces, or bends as it travels through things like glass or water." [["Why did you decide to study it?"->"Why?"]] [["Can optics explain why the dwarves saw different intruders?"->"So, can you tell me why the dwarves all saw different intruders?"]]

"Well, as you likely know, I have had my plane mirror for many years—" Your eyes travel to the infamous looking glass which had once told her to poison Fay. "I . . . I regret what happened with Fay, and I wanted to understand more about what led me to do what I did. I realized . . . I cared too much about my reflection. So, I purchased these two other mirrors—" she gestures to the two spherical mirrors, one like the back of a spoon, one like the inside of a spoon—"to remind myself that my reflection is variable, only one version of myself, and not who I truly am." You nod. Her regret seems genuine. She drops her arms to her sides and waves a hand. "Then, I simply became very curious about why the world looks so different when reflected in different surfaces. Fay kindly came to tea one day—she brought the tea—and we got to talking. One thing led to another and soon we were researching!" She smiles, and her whole demeanor relaxes. [["That's lovely," you say. "It's nice to have something to investigate."]] [["So why did you take the emerald, then?"]]

"Indeed!" She gestures to the three mirrors—one flat, one curved outwards, one curved inwards. "My belief is that each dwarf saw the intruder reflected in a different type of mirror, which affected their perception of the intruder. Each type of mirror changes what you see reflected in it." [["Hmmm very interesting. So... how do these mirrors work?"]] [["Do you mind if I ask you some questions about what you were doing that night?"->"Nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"]]

"It certainly is," she says, her smile widening. You share a nice moment. [["So, can you tell me why the dwarves all saw different intruders?"]] [["What's optics?"]]

Her mouth drops open and she straightens, seeming to grow two or three feet taller. "I absolutely did not take their stupid emerald," she snaps. She gestures with her spiked, silver nails to the fine tapestries and opulent decor of the castle around them. "Do I look like I need any more gems?" "But you were interested in its optical properties?" "Yes, but only vaguely. A diamond would have sufficed." [["Was there something special about this emerald, though?"]]

"It had a high optical density, that's it," she snaps again, her angular face tense and sharp. "Any objects that light travels more slowly through—like glass, water, or diamond for example—cause light to be trapped in them until it has bounced around enough inside that it can shoot straight out at the correct angle." "But, that's what makes diamonds sparkle," you say. "Why did it look like there were shadows?" "That's easy," she says. "Impurities, occlusions, anything really. It was a very large emerald, and I was curious, but it wasn't especially high quality, from what I've heard. I never even saw the stupid thing." "Hmmm . . ." you say, making a note in your notebook. Agnes glares at you, and leans forward, trying to see what you're writing, but you tilt the notebook away from her. [["So, can you tell me why the dwarves all saw different intruders?"]] [["What's optics?"]]

Her eyes flash as her fingers uncurl like talons. Two tears like tiny diamonds well up in the corners of her eyes. "I have been doing my best to make amends! Was I in the wrong? Yes. Should I have attempted to poison her? No. Do I regret it? Yes. Does that mean I am automatically guilty of everything bad that happens? No it does not, and frankly, it doesn't motivate a person to not be evil if everyone keeps accusing you!!" The last sentence rises to a hysterical pitch, and the butler reappears. He is surprisingly strong as he hauls you out of the castle, slamming the doors shut behind you. You land at Fay's dainty feet. "Er, how did it go?" She asks in a brittle voice. [["Oh, she definitely did it."]] [["Terrible, I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get much information.]]

You look up, and see Fay's eyes are wide and tear-filled. She's holding a labrador-sized emerald. "I think you're right. I found this in the hedge. Just over there." She gestures with the emerald. You marvel at her upper body strength—that thing must weigh a ton. You stare at the incredible emerald. "Well, I'm glad you got it back, anyway," you say. She stares miserably at it. "Yes, well, I kind of wish we'd never found it." She looks up at the castle, and you follow her gaze. The queen is staring down at you from an arched window, an unreadable expression on her face. She slams a shade down and disappears. Fay pays you for your time and leaves to return to the dwarves. [[Return to your office.]]

"Oh, that's all right. Thank you for trying, anyway." She looks down at you sadly, but attempts a smile. You look away, scanning the garden, more to distract yourself from her disappointment than anything. Something green catches your eye. You walk over to a nearby hedge and pull out a labrador-sized emerald. You stare at it dumbfounded, then turn to Fay. "Er, is this it?" Her disappointment turns to elation. "That's it! Oh, you found it!" She runs over, hugs you quickly, and then scoops up the emerald. It does indeed have strange shadows lurking through it. Fay looks up at the castle, her face hardening. "I guess she really did do it, then." [["But, why did she stuff it in a hedge?"]] [["I'm sorry. It's hard when people disappoint us."]]

You return to your office and log the case in your journal. This one doesn't feel as satisfying as some of your others. Despite the successful return of the lost emerald, a niggling sense that something is off, that there was more to discover, plagues you. Fay and the queen never reconcile,, and over the years you occasionally wish you could revisit the case, maybe solve it all over again, make different choices . . . But, unfortunately, life doesn't work this way. Sometimes all you can do is go on to the next case . . . The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart->Begin]]

It doesn't add up to you. If the queen really did take it, why didn't she hide it better? She has a whole castle! There must be at least a secret passage or two in that thing. "Who knows why anyone does anything," Fay says bitterly, shaking her head. "If you don't mind, I think I've had quite enough of this." She pays you and, despite your protestations, heads home to the dwaves. You want to say something more, want to stop her, but you have no choice but to head home to your office. [[Back to the office.]]

Fay nods. She offers to pay you, but you refuse. "Thank you for your help, and your kindness," she says, and you feel a bit badly that you didn't extend more of that kindness to the queen. Fay shakes your hand and heads home to the dwaves. You want to say something more, want to stop her, but you have no choice but to head home to your office. [[Back to the office.]]

You return to your office and log the case in your journal. This one doesn't feel as satisfying as some of your others. Despite the successful return of the lost emerald, a niggling sense that something is off, that there was more to discover, plagues you. Snow White and the queen never reconcile again, and over the years you occasionally wish you could revisit the case, maybe solve it all over again, make different choices... But, unfortunately, life doesn't work this way. Sometimes all you can do is go on to the next case . . . The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart->Begin]]

"Why don't you ask them?" she says. [["I'd love to, thank you!"->"Can I question your mirrors?"]] [[First, can you explain what optics is?->"What's optics?"]] [["First, can you tell me why you were studying optics?"->"Why?"]]

"I was here, reading." "Alone?" "I am never alone. My mirrors were here, as was my butler." Not very reliable witnesses, you think, but don't say it. [["Can I question your mirrors?"]] [["Who do you think stole the emerald?"]]

She raises a thin eyebrow and taps the side of her cheek with a long silver nail. "To be perfectly honest, I doubt there even was an emerald to begin with." "What?" "Exactly what I said. I think Fay's making it up." "Why would she do that?" "I don't think she ever got over my poisoning her. In all fairness, that would be understandable." [["You think she's trying to frame you?"]] [["And all seven of the dwarves are in on it?"]]

"Of course," Agnes says graciously. "I'll warn you, though. They won't just answer your questions. They'll test you, first." You wouldn't expect anything less from magic mirrors. Even ones used for optics research . . . "Oh, and you must address each with the appropriate rhyme, to activate it." She whispers the rhymes to you, and you raise your eyebrows. All right, though, magic mirrors do tend to have their quirks . . . [[Approach the flat mirror.]] [[Approach the concave mirror.]] [[Approach the convex mirror.]]

"Yes, to be honest, I do." "She seems like she's forgiven you, though." "Fay is very good at keeping up appearances. I was like that once, too." [["And all seven of the dwarves are in on it?"]] [["Huh. I suppose that makes sense."]]

"Of course. They love her. They'd go along with anything she says." "But then . . . why is their testimony so conflicting?" "To make it seem more believable." [["Huh. I suppose that makes sense."]] [["Do you mind if I ask your mirrors some questions?"->"Can I question your mirrors?"]]

The more you think about it, the more it does make sense. No one is that saintly that they'd forgive the person who tried to poison them and then spend time doing optics research with them. You suddenly feel a little foolish. It's clear Fay is using you to get back at Agnes, who is clearly trying to change her ways. Maybe it's better to do your due diligence and question those mirrors, though... [[Apologize to the queen and leave.]] [["Can I question your mirrors?"]]

You take your leave, feeling more and more annoyed that you've allowed Fay to trick you into trying to get back at Agnes. You find Fay standing outside, her eyes wide and innocent. "You took the emerald yourself, didn't you?" you say. She raises an eyebrow. "What? No, of course not." Something flashes over the corner of her shoulder, and you cross the grass in a few quick strides. Bending down, you reach into the bushes and pull out an enormous emerald. You hold it aloft, glaring at Fay. "You hid it out here to try to frame her!" "What? No! Of course I didn't!" Her eyes are locked on the emerald. "This is just proof that Agnes really did do it!" "Of course it isn't! Why would Agnes stuff her loot into a hedge right at the entrance to her castle? It's obvious someone is framing her!" "Well, if that's the case it isn't me!" She snatches the emerald from you, thrusts the payment for your services into your hands, and storms off. You watch her go, an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach that you don't quite understand. The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart->Begin]]

You approach the large, flat, plane mirror. For a moment you see your reflection, until billowing smoke obscures it and a ghostly face appears. You speak the magic words the queen suggested. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's that tallest of them all?" "The queen," the ghost intones. "Can I ask you a few questions?" you ask. "To ask me questions, you must first prove you understand plane mirrors," the gray face says. "How tall must a plane mirror be in order for the six-foot-tall queen to be able to see her entire self?" [["I don't know, but I can figure it out!"->"I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]] [["Doesn't it depend on how far away she is from it?"]]

You approach the large, concave mirror. It is spherical, like the inside of a metal bowl. For a moment you see your reflection, until billowing smoke obscures it and a sphinx appears, its colors shifting from red to blue to green and back. You speak the magic words the queen suggested. "Mirror, mirror, like the inside of a spoon, who's most upright in this room?" "The queen," the sphinx says, although its lips don't move and you immediately get a headach. "Can I ask you a few questions?" you ask. "To ask me questions, you must first prove you understand plane mirrors," the sphinx says, the pressure in your head intensifying. "Why does a mirror swap left and right, but not up and down?" [["What? What do you mean?"]] [["Gnomes."]] [["It doesn't. Our definition of left and right is weird."]]

You approach the convex mirror. It is half a sphere, poking out from the wall like a bit of bubble wrap you'd like to pop. For a moment you see your reflection, tiny and distorted until billowing smoke obscures it and a ghostly fish appears. You speak the magic words the queen suggested. "Mirror, mirror, like the back of a spoon, who's the tallest in this room?" "The queen," the ghostly fish intones. "Can I ask you a few questions?" you ask. "To ask me questions, you must first solve yet another riddle about my friend the plane mirror," the fish says. "If you are standing in front of a plane mirror, and you back up, can you see more of yourself than you could before?" [["Of course you can!"]] [["Of course you can't!"]] [["I'm not sure, but I'll do an experiment and find out!"]]

"Incorrect," the mirror says. "This is a tougher question than it seems!" It pauses, thinking. "The best riddles seem simple on their surface, I think." "Hmmm . . ." you say, considering the mirror's question further. How tall must a plane mirror be in order for the six-foot-tall queen to be able to see her entire self? [["I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["Doesn't it depend on how far away she is from it?"]]

"Surprisingly, no. Think of the last mirror you saw your full self reflected in. Was it as tall as you?" the mirror asks. "Hmmm... okay then..." [["I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]] [["Doesn't it depend on how far away she is from it?"]]

"Correct!" the mirror says, sounding impressed. "I always ask this question, because it doesn't seem possible that her mirror only needs to be half her height, but it's true!" "That is very surprising," you say. "Yes. This happens because, assuming she lines her eyes up with the very top of the mirror, the light reflecting off her toes must travel all the way from her toes, to the mirror, to her eyes." "The light at an angle, slanting upwards. If she had a 6-foot mirror, then when the light hits the mirror, it's already gone up half the distance, so it reflects right off the middle the mirror before travelling the rest of the way to her eyes." That was slightly confusing, but you're glad the mirror is willing to talk to you now. You have questions! Questions about the testimony of some dwarves! [["So, can you tell me about the images people see in plane mirrors?]]

"Surprisingly, no. This is one of the many strange and surprising aspects of us mirrors. I see you have a mirror with you." You pull out your trusty mirror and take a look at your reflection in it. "Align the mirror so that you can just barely see the top of your head," the magic mirror instructs. You're glad that your own mirror isn't so bossy. "Now, take note of the lowest part of your body that you can also see in the mirror. Is it your chin? Shoulder?" The mirror waits a moment, then continues. "Now, move the mirror farther away and align the mirror so you can just barely see the top of your head. What's the lowest point you can see?" It's the same part. That really seems like it shouldn't be true, but it seems to be the case. [["How can this be?" you ask.]] You reconsider your answer to the mirror's original question. [["I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]]

You pull out your trusty mirror with a flourish. 1. Hold the mirror up so that you can just barely see the top of your own head, but nothing above it. 2. What is the lowest part of your face of body that you can see? 3. Measure the distance from there to the top of your head. (You can just get a rough estimate.) 4. Measure the height of the mirror. (Again, you can just get a rough estimate.) 5. How do those two heights compare? "Hmmm . . ." you say to yourself. Again, you consider the mirror's riddle. How tall must a plane mirror be in order for the six-foot-tall queen to be able to see her entire self? [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]] [["Doesn't it depend on how far away she is from it?"]]

"Geometry!" the mirror shrieks, and the other mirrors rattle on their hooks. "You think you see a reflection, but what you actually see is misguided detective work." As a detective, you try not to take this personally. "Er, how so?" you ask. "We see objects because light reflects off an object to our eyes. Light always travels in a straight line. Our eyes and brains know this." You pause to consider whether the mirror in front of you has a brain. Maybe it's around the back. The mirror continues. "When light has reflected off a mirror, our eyes don't know this. They think the light went in a straight line. They trace it back, and conclude that whatever you're seeing is behind the mirror." "Let's say you can see your own feet in the mirror," the mirror says. "Light goes from your feet, hits the bottom of the mirror, and reflects back up into your eyes. Your eyes assume there's a person behind the mirror, exactly the same distance from the mirror as you are." [["This is still confusing. I feel like I should play around with a simulation of this to understand it better!"]] [["Hmmm . . . okay I suppose that kind of makes sense!"]]

You reconsider the mirror's original question. How large must a mirror be in order for the six-foot-tall queen to see her full self? [["I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]]

"Of course," the mirror says. A link appears on its surface: (link: "Phet Optics Simulation")[(open-url: "https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/geometric-optics/latest/geometric-optics_all.html")] You follow the link. * You select the "Mirror" option. * In the center, top, you click the straight line to change the mirror to a plane mirror. * Under 'Rays' select 'Principal Rays.' * Try dragging the pencil left and right, and watch what happens to the image of the pencil The black lines represent light coming from the top of the pencil. You can see the light go to the mirror, then reflect off it. The dotted lines are the incorrect detective work one's eyes do in assuming the light went in a straight line. After some time playing with the simulation, you reconsider the mirror's original riddle. How large must a mirror be in order for the six-foot-tall queen to see her full self? [["I'm not sure, but luckily I have a mirror with me!"]] [["6 feet, of course."]] [["3 feet?"]] [["1 foot?"->wrong]] [["Doesn't it depend on how far away she is from it?"]]

"Yes, of course. I would be happy to. What would you like to know?" [["Do plane mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Do plane mirrors invert images?]]

"Indeed not" the mirror says. "Whatever size an object is, that is the size it will appear in a plane mirror!" [["Do plane mirrors invert images?]] [["Could I play around with a simulation of this?"]] [[Question the convex mirror now.->Approach the convex mirror.]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [[Go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Not at all, not at all," the plane mirror says. "We are extremely accurate and faithful to our subjects. Like the most accurate of painters." "Very nice," you say. Some flattery can't hurt. "Yes. If something appears right side up in a plane mirror, you can be sure it was right side up in real life. And if it's upside down, it will appear upside down." "That's convenient." "Yes. Always trust a plane mirror, they say." [["Do plane mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Could I play around with a simulation of this?"]] [[Question the convex mirror now.->Approach the convex mirror.]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [[Go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Of course," the mirror says. A magic portal appears on its surface: (link: "Phet Optics Simulation")[(open-url: "https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/geometric-optics/latest/geometric-optics_all.html")] You touch the magic words and a simulation appears. * You select the "Mirror" option. * In the center, top, you click the straight line to change the mirror to a plane mirror. * Under 'Rays' select 'Principal Rays.' * Try dragging the pencil left and right, and watch what happens to the image The black lines represent light reflecting off of the top of the pencil. You can see the light go to the mirror, then reflect off it. The dotted lines are where our eyes assume the light came from, because we know light travels in a straight line. [["Do plane mirrors invert images?]] [["Do plane mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [[Question the convex mirror now.->Approach the convex mirror.]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [["This was fun! Can I try another interactive challenge about plane mirrors?"]]

The fish waves its gossamer fins. "The truth might surprise you. Perhaps try an experiment in your mirror, there." [["Okay!"->"I'm not sure, but I'll do an experiment and find out!"]]

"Well done!" the convex mirror says. "Now, what can I help you with?" [["Do convex mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Do convex mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]]

You whip out your mirror, ready to answer this strange riddle. 1. Hold the mirror out in front of yourself until you can just barely see the top of your head in the mirror. 2. What's the lowest part of your face or body that you can see? 3. Move the mirror further away. 4. Move around until you can just barely see the top of your head in the top of the mirror. 5. What's the lowest part of your face or body that you can see? You should observe that you can see exactly the same amount of yourself as you could before. Very surprising! You turn to the mirror and answer its riddle. [["You can't see more of yourself by backing up.->"Of course you can't!"]]

"I see you have a handy spoon there," the convex mirror says. "One of my tiny brethren." You pull out your spoon and examine it. "Turn to the back of the spoon, and I will show you," the mirror says. You look at your own reflection. You look at a tiny, upright version of yourself. "Grab your pen or pencil," the mirror suggests. "Hold it up so that you can see its reflection in the back of the spoon. Move the pen or pencil back and forth and all around, seeing what the reflection is like." You try this, and the fish nods sagely. "You see, a convex mirror always makes an image that is smaller than the original object. And always upright." "Always?" you ask. "Without the interference of other optical equipment, like lenses or other mirrors, yes," the fish burbles. "Fascinating," you say. This means that any dwarf who saw the intruder reflected in a convex mirror would have thought the intruder was smaller than they actually were! [["Do convex mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [["Can I play around with some sort of simulation of this?]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Look into the back of your spoon," the convex mirror says. You examine the back of your spoon. You look at your own reflection. You look at a tiny, upright version of yourself. "Grab a pencil or some other object," the mirror suggests. "Hold it up so that you can see its reflection in the back of the spoon. Move it back and forth and all around, watching what the reflection does." You try this, and the fish nods sagely. "You see, a convex mirror always makes an image that is smaller than the original object. And always upright." "Always?" you ask. "Without the interference of other optical equipment, like lenses or other mirrors, yes," the fish burbles. "Fascinating," you say. This means that any dwarf who saw the intruder reflected in a convex mirror would have thought the intruder was smaller than they actually were! [["Do convex mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [["Can I play around with some sort of simulation of this?]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Absolutely," the fish says. (link: "Phet Optics Simulation")[(open-url: "https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/geometric-optics/latest/geometric-optics_all.html")] 1. Open the link above. 2. Select the mirrors option 3. At the top in the center, select the middle purple icon (the c-curve). 4. Select 'Principal Rays' 5. Grab and drag the pencil around and see what happens to the image of the pencil. The solid lines are where light actually goes. The dotted lines are where someone observing the light from the pencil would assume the light came from. (Because our eyes and brains know that light travels in a straight line, so we assume it came from behind the mirror.) [["Do convex mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Do convex mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [[Question the plane mirror now.->Approach the flat mirror.]]

"Oh, sure, sure," the mirror says. "This is a fun challenge. Might be right up your alley, you being a detective and all. In case you're ever watching people in mirrors. In this one, your goal is to figure out who can see whom (including if they can see themselves.) (link: "Who Can See Who Interactive")[(open-url: "https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Reflection-and-Mirrors/Who-Can-See-Who/Who-Can-See-Who-Interactive")] "Fun!" [["Do plane mirrors invert images?]] [["Do plane mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [[Question the convex mirror now.->Approach the convex mirror.]] [[Question the concave mirror now.->Approach the concave mirror.]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Look into a plane mirror," the sphinx instructs. "Raise your right hand. Watch what your reflection does. Is that their right hand?" This is very confusing, but you do as the mirror suggests. You see that, while it's your right hand that raises, if you pretend the image of you is a separate person, it looks like they are raising their left hand (becasue they're facing towards you.) [["Gnomes."]] [["It doesn't. Our definition of left and right is weird."]]

"I've often thought that gnomes might have more to do with things than anyone suspects," the sphinx says thoughtfully. "But in this case, no." [["What? What do you mean?"]] [["Gnomes."]] [["It doesn't. Our definition of left and right is weird."]]

"Ah, very good, very good," the sphinx nods its approval and shifts to a cheerful yellow color. Your headache vanishes. "Yes," it continues." If instead of using the words right or left we simply said 'the hand closer to the sofa,' or something, we wouldn't have this confusion. The terms right and left are necessarily based on which way we're facing, and because our image is facing us, those definitions get flipped. It's a silly riddle, really. One that looks more like a paradox than it is. Because up and down are fixed, regardless of which way one is facing." "Ah. Interesting," you say. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about concave mirrors?" "Not at all, not at all," the sphinx says, shifting to a shade of light purple. [["Gnomes?"->"Gnomes."]] [["Do concave mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Do concave mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]]

The sphinx nods gravely. "Oh yes. If you see something in a concave mirror, there's really no telling how big it was really. Try it out in your spoon." You hold up your spoon and a pen. Hold your pen far from the spoon, then bring it closer and closer until the pen touches the inside of the spoon. Watch what happens to the reflection. You notice how the size is first tiny, then bigger and bigger. It really seems like it can appear to be any size. That makes interpreting the dwarves' statements very complex indeed! You can't trust any size information out of a concave mirror, that's for sure! [["Do concave mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]] [["I'd like to see a simulation of this . . ."]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Sometimes, but not always," the sphinx in the bowl-shaped mirror says. "We concave mirrors are the most mysterious. Like the inside of your spoon." You pull out your spoon and examine the inside. You see yourself upside down. "Are the images produced always inverted?" you ask. "That's the thing that's so complex about us," the sphinx says. "Try grabbing a pen or pencil, and move it closer to the inside of the spoon. What happens?" You move your pen or pencil closer to the inside of your spoon, starting far away and then moving it so close that it touches the inside of the spoon. You notice that there's a place where the image gets blurry, and then, suddenly, the image is right side up and larger than your pen or pencil. "That blurry place is called the focus," the sphinx says. This is going to make interpreting dwarf testimony complex, you think. For the ones that saw the intruder in the concave mirrors, they might have seen an upright or an inverted image! [["Do concave mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["I'd like to see a simulation of this . . ."]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Wise idea," the sphinx says. (link: "Phet Optics Simulation")[(open-url: "https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/geometric-optics/latest/geometric-optics_all.html")] 1. Open the link above. 2. Select the mirrors option 3. At the top in the center, select the left purple icon (the backwards c-curve). 4. Select 'Principal Rays' 5. Grab and drag the pencil around and see what happens to the image of the pencil. Notice that when the pencil is far away, the image is small and upside down. As you bring it closer, what happens? It gets bigger and bigger, becoming even bigger than the original pencil. It disappears for a moment (at the place called the 'focus'.) Then it's suddenly rightside up, behind the mirror, and bigger! "Is it always bigger than the actual object, when it's upright?" "Yes," the sphinx says. "Hmmm . . ." This seems very interesting. [["Do concave mirrors change the appearance of the size of an object?"]] [["Do concave mirrors make upside down (inverted) images?]] [["Let's go question the dwarves, now!->"All right. Let's go see the scene of the crime."]] [[See a summary of the dwarves' testimonies.->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

After spending several weeks drawing complicated diagrams in your office, you think you've sorted through all the conflicting testimonies! Never have you had such a complicated case before. With one of the key witnesses lying, and everyone suspecting everyone else, not to mention the fact that every single person involved has a motive! You even strongly suspected yourself for a few days! But now you think you've unraveled all the complicated riddles, and you call all of them into your office. The dwarves, Fay, and Agnes cram into your cozy office. [[Actually, never mind. I need to think more. Send everyone home!]] A tense silence fills the room. All eyes are locked on you. [[Accuse Dwarf One]] [[Accuse Dwarf Two]] [[Accuse Dwarf Three]] [[Accuse Dwarf Four]] [[Accuse Dwarf Five]] [[Accuse Dwarf Six]] [[Accuse Dwarf Seven]] [[Accuse Queen Agnes]] [[Accuse Fay]]

It is tough! First, try paying attention to just the people who said they saw the intruder in plane mirrors, since we know those always show objects accurately. From the plane mirror testimony, can you tell whether the thief was right side up or upside down? [[I'd like another hint!]] [[Back to the summary!->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

Sure thing! Let's stick with those plane mirrors. Let's assume those two are telling the truth for now. That means Dwarf Three said the thief was taller than them and Dwarf Six said the intruder was shorter than them. Who does that narrow it down to? [[Another hint, please!]] [[Back to the summary!->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

You got it! Let's look at Dwarf Five. They saw the intruder in a convex mirror. And they also said the intruder was upside down. Does a convex mirror (the back of a spoon) turn images upside down? [[One more hint, please!]] [[Back to the summary!->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

Absolutely! Let's look at Dwarf Four's testimony. She said she saw the thief in a convex mirror, and that they were the same size as her. What does a convex mirror do to images? (Think of the back of a spoon.) It makes objects appear smaller, right? So, if she thought the intruder was the same size as her, but the convex mirror makes things smaller, what does that mean about the actual height of the thief? [[Back to the summary!->See a summary of their testimonies.]]

All seven dwarves, Fay, and Agnes obediently file out of your office, to return after you've thought a little more . . . Back to the drawing board! [[See a summary of their testimonies.]]

"Well, I hate to tell you all this, but it was Dwarf One," you say. "Me?!" she squeaks. "It wasn't me!!" "I definitely saw someone taller than me," says Dwarf Three. "And that was in a plane mirror." They're all looking at you. "Umm . . ." you say. [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"The thief is Dwarf Two! Who wanted to study the emerald for its magical properties," you say solemnly. Dwarf Two draws himself up higher, to a full height of 1 foot 2 inches. "It was absolutely not me." "The intruder was definitely taller than me," Dwarf Three says. "And I should know, I saw them in a plane mirror." "Ah . . . hrm . . . yes." You clear your throat and pretent to choke for a moment. [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"The thief was Dwarf Three," you say. "They needed to sell the emerald to pay off their debts to the squirrels." "WHAT?!" she shouts. "Just becuase a person owes a . . . a reasonable . . . a totally fine amount . . . to some squirrels doesn't mean they're going to betray their family!" "The intruder was definitely taller than me," Dwarf Four says. "And I should know, I saw them in a plane mirror." "Oh, um . . ." you stall for time . . . [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"Surprisingly, it was Dwarf Four who stole the emerald," you say. "She wanted to paint it, uninterrupted." "Paint it?!" Dwarf Four says, her eyes welling with tears. "But I already painted it thirty-seven times!" She pulls a variety of sketches out of her pockets. They tumble to the floor of your office. There's a long silence. None of the evidence given by any of the dwarves rules out Dwarf Four, you're sure of it. Dwarf Four looks back and forth at you and her fellow Dwarves. "It wasn't me!" she insists. Behind her, another dwarf heaves a sigh. [[Turn to look]]

You clasp your hands in front of you, hovering in the center of the room. The only sound is the fluttering of your wings. "Dwarf Five was the one who took the emerald. I have my guesses as to why, but Five, do you want to tell us?" Fay's mouth gapes open as she stares at the dwarf. "Five?" Five blushes miserably. "I'm so sorry, Fay. I only wanted to stop everyone arguing. There was something bad about that emerald. I had to get it away. I . . . I hid it in Agnes's hedges." He risks a glance at the queen, who looks livid. "I'm sorry." She makes a strangled huffing sound and crosses her arms delicately. "How did you figure it out?" Fay asks you. [[Regail the group with your logical prowess!]]

"The thief was Dwarf Six," you say. "They wanted the money from selling the emerald to pay for more inventions and improvements." "Ummm . . ." Six raises her hand. "I'm sorry, but it wasn't me. Your mind is whirling. You've jusr realized that it couldn't be one of the dwarves who saw the thief in the plane mirrors, because they agree the person was upright . . . There was one who said they saw someone upside down who must be lying . . . "Oh, um . . ." you stall for time . . . [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"The thief was Dwarf Seven," you say. "They were a little too lax about what they wanted done with the emerald." "I say," he says, polishing his monocle. "It wasn't me." Dwarf Six pipes up. "The thief was definitely shorter than me, and I saw them in a plane mirror." "Oh, um . . ." you stall for time . . . [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"Well, Fay, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Agnes has betrayed you yet again." "Agnes!" Snow White says, whirling on her. "How could you?" "It absolutely, positively, without a doubt was not me!" Agnes insists. "I have been trying so hard, you know I have!" "No," Dwarf Six says. "It can't have been her. The thief was definitely shorter than me. And I saw them in a plane mirror." Uh oh. That makes a lot of sense, you realize. You run through the evidence one more time, trying to see if there was something you missed . . . [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

"The thief was . . ." you turn, catching each of their eyes in turn. "Snow White!" You point your finger at her shocked face. Her face twists in confusion. "It wasn't me. What reason would I possibly . . ." "To help pay for the optics research you are doing with the queen!" She frowns. "But . . ." "No," Dwarf Six says. "It can't have been her. The thief was definitely shorter than me. And I saw them in a plane mirror. Plane as day! As they say." Dwarf Six makes a good point . . . You pause, your mind running through all the suspects and evidence one more time . . . [[Pretend you were joking and accuse someone else.->You know who did it now; it's time to unmask the thief!]]

Dwarf Five steps out, patting Four's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Four." He looks around at the rest of them. "It was me." Fay gasps. "Five? Why?" He hangs his head. Suddenly, you realize there was one tiny thing you missed. All the dwarves who saw the thief in the plane mirrors saw an upright thief. Five said he saw someone upside down, but he saw the thief in a convex mirror, which wouldn't have turned the image upside down. That meant he was lying. The only reason he had to lie was if he was the one who took the emerald in the first place. Well, you think. This was one incredibly tricky case. You were very, very close, and you did get the true thief to come forward. So, in that way it was a success. [[Listen to Five explain]]

"Well," you say. "It was very simple really. Dwaves Three and Six saw the intruder in the plane mirror, and they both said the intruder was right side up, so I had a guess I could trust that they were telling the truth." The group nods along, and Three and Six grin. "Three said the thief was taller, and Six said the thief was shorter. That narrowed things down nicely to Four and Five. This part, I confess gave me some trouble, until I realized that Five said he'd seen an upside down thief in a //convex// mirror. A convex mirror wouldn't turn someone upside down, and the other two had already said the thief was right side up." Five blushes and looks at his feet. "So, I knew Five was lying, which made him my prime suspect. It also fit Four's testimony. She said the thief was her height, but she saw the thief in a convex mirror, which would have made the person appear shorter. So, they must have been slightly taller than her." "Brilliant!" Fay says. The dwarves are staring at you in admiration. [[You give a little bow.]]

One by one the dwarves and Fay all shake your hand in gratitude. After some whispering among themselves, they offer you the emerald as payment. [[Take the emerald.]] [[Ask for your usual fee.]]

Who could pass up a Labrador-sized emerald? Not you, that's for sure! You all walk together to the queen's castle, and there in the hedges you see the emerald! Was it there all along? You bring it back to your office, where you place it among your many other magical objects. You do notice that it has strange shadows in its depths. Probably that's just the total internal reflection and impurities, like Agnes says. But sometimes you wonder. . . The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart->Begin]]

You take your usual fee for a job well done. Five apologizes profusely to everyone and is forgiven. Fay remains friends with Agnes, and over the years they make many interesting optical breakthroughs. Alone again in your office, you write up your final notes, happy with yet another job well done. The End. Would you like to restart? [[Restart->Begin]]

"As soon as it was in our home, everyone was arguing about it. I had a terrible feeling about it. I just . . . I had to get rid of it." He glances at Agnes. "I hid it in your shrubs. I'm sorry." "My shrubs?" She glowers at him. "Thought you'd frame me, did you?" "I've been worried about Fay spending time with you. I was afraid we'd lose her to you again. I couldn't let that happen. I've been feeling terribly about it since, though." He shivers and wraps his arms around himself. Fay appears at his side, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Oh, Five, I'm sorry you were so worried." "He stole my emerald!" One shrieks. "Besmirched the family honor!" Seven shouts. Five nods miserably. "I'm sorry." "It's all right, Five," Fay says, looking meaningfully at the others. "We know how you worry, and it's all fine now. We forgive you. Right?" One by one the others agree, with varying degrees of reluctance. At last, Fay turns to you. "Thank you so much. If not for you, I might have blamed Agnes." She glances at the Queen, who gives her a relieved smile. [["Happy to help."->You give a little bow.]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"====XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX==")[The Case of the Seven Reflections A Fairy Detective Optics Mystery by Sarah Allen Illustrated by Marie Delwart] [[Begin->Untitled Passage]]