The Whistle Pig Armchair Treasure Hunt involves the solving of clues within a book to find a ‘hidden key’. According to Duck Miller, author and creator of The Whistle Pig hunt, this ‘Key’ has been in place since February 2nd, 2003. It has yet to be found. Books are available on Amazon (see shop – Treasure Hunts)
Below are the top ten facts known about the Whistle Pig treasure hunt.
1) The Whistle Pig treasure hunt includes an introduction, a collection of 10 short stories, a 16-line poem, and a map. It is within these pages searchers are told, ‘every word, line, or paragraph could nudge you toward the greater goal’. The goal being the discovery of the ‘Key’.
2) What the ‘Key’ actually looks like is unknown. Searchers are only told in the introduction of the hunt that it is ‘a unique and unmistakable key’; and that it has been hidden somewhere within the borders of the United States on accessible public property in 2003. The introduction also adds, ‘the value of the Key’s physical location can only be discovered by searching and prizing the allusions and references embedded within the stories’.
3) Upon first reading, it is noticed a couple of anomalies are within the book’s numbering system. Page 11 is missing. The numbering of pages goes from 10 to 12. Then on page 22, the page number of 22 is replaced by an X.
4) After the book’s introduction, there is an image of an old map with a small circled area. This lighter section is in the state of Pennsylvania and includes the town, Punxsutawney. Punxsutawney is well known for the celebration of Groundhog’s Day. (Groundhog being another name for Whistle Pig; title of the treasure hunt book)
5) On page 48 of the book appears the 16-line poem between the collection of 10 short stories. This poem is about ‘Whistle Pigs’. There seem to be numerous connections to February 2nd throughout the book- which is Groundhog’s Day. For instance, the page number of 22 as an X could be considered a hint to February 2nd. (2nd month, 2nd day) Does X mark the spot? (There are many others 2’s in the book).
6) After the image of the map in front of the book is a page with only the words: __Year of the__. The next page only shows a silhouette of a Whistle Pig. It has been noticed many of the years involved in the stories relate to Chinese years of the pig.
7) As searchers are told to prize the allusions embedded in the stories, it has been noticed the stories definitely can allude to certain events, places, or characters. For instance, the chapter entitled, Full Moon, seems to allude to the Battle at Gettysburg; while the first chapter, Black Heart Cherry, seems to allude to horse racing.
8) Each chapter has a small image of a key at its beginning. However, within the stories themselves, appears images of 3 smaller keys. They are found on pages 4, 13, and 78, and are positioned between paragraphs of the stories. There must be a reason for them, but what this might be is currently unknown.
9) In the last chapter, The Bow, a code was discovered. Taking the first letter of the first word in each of the 38 sentences within the chapter revealed the message:
Bare the cross
Leave the center
Find the fruit.
Currently, no one is certain what this means, or how it helps to find the key.
10) Searchers are told the pieces of the puzzle come in many forms. They are also told, “Without steadfast rules and armed with only vague instructions, you will be forced to open your mind to accept any reference as possible guidance.”
This seems to be the only advice offered on how to solve the puzzle. In a recent Six Questions with Duck Miller: Author of The Whistle Pig Treasure Hunt no additional guidance was given. Searchers are left to ‘test their perseverance’.
Best of luck with whatever you seek! Treasure the Adventure!
Thanks Jenny. On 9, try star fruit as answer.