Please read the overview and all the descriptions of the suspects before the party. Sometimes we hide clues in these descriptions.

Overview

The other night, when many characters were out of their books enjoying a sojourn in the night air, a crime was committed, grim and grave, right in our own library. As a result his Majesty Henry VIII – that famous monarch from the English history books – has disappeared.

Gathered are the characters that were present at the time of the nasty deed. But the perpetrator of this heinous crime will no doubt be revealed as the party proceeds.

The suspects

Alice

(from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) “Wonderland was not my imagination. It was a wonderful dream – a dream filled with strange creatures.” I saw a White Rabbit looking at its watch and I followed it down a rabbit hole. I fell down a deep well, but I fell slowly so I had plenty of time to look at the jars of “Orange Marmalade” and such. I came to a bottle saying “Drink Me”, but “the bottle was not marked poison”, so I drank it. I “shut up like a telescope” till I was only “ten inches high”. Then I found a cake marked “Eat Me” and I ate it and grew very tall. My feet were so far away. Dress suggestions: Dress as a little girl with pig tails in your hair and rosy cheeks.

Huck Finn

(from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) I’m a good boy – honest. Me Pap – he kidnapped me, but I escaped. But before I left, I killed me a pig and made it look like I’d been murdered. Then I hid on Jackson Island, but I found out I wasn’t alone – Jim had run away. So we floated down the river on a raft at night and slept and fished all day. On the way I got mixed up with some con artists – “the Duke and the King” I called ’em cause they pretended to be royals so I’d wait on them. But King Henry was a worse King than the one in my book. “He used to marry a new wife every day, and chop off her head next morning. And he would do it just liken he was ordering eggs.” “Fetch up Nell Glynn”, he says. They fetch her up. Next morning, “Chop off her head!” And they chop it off. “Fetch up Jane..” and so on. King Henry, why he was a plain villain. He kept trying to latch on to me, said I could be his son, but I wouldn’t have a bar of it. Dress suggestions: A country bumpkin with bits of hay sticking out of your old clothes and a beaten up old hat.

Cinderella

(from Cinderella by various authors) I am a merchant’s daughter. Then my mother died and my father remarried a widow with two grown daughters. Alas, when I met them, they treated me as a slave rather than as a step-sister. My step-sisters saw me covered in cinders after cleaning the fireplace and, my name being Ella, they gave me the nickname of “Cinder-ella”. After working all day on my chores, I often wondered if I would ever be happy again. The ladies of my household were invited to the Duke’s ball. But my step-mother said I could not go unless my chores were done. Fortunately, my Fairy Godmother came to my aid and – well, you all know the rest of the story. King Henry was fascinated by my glass slippers. I think he thought that if I had no slippers, that the Duke’s son would not find me in my fairytale and then I would be free to marry him instead. Dress suggestions: Dress like a princess with tinsel/glitter or as a servant covered in cinders.

Pinocchio

(from Pinocchio by Carlo Lorenzini – penname Carlo Collodi retold by James Riordan) When I was a puppet I lied a lot, but the Good Fairy taught me not to and to be good. ‘How stupid I was as a puppet. And how glad I am to be a real live boy.’ When I lied my nose became so long I ‘could not move without banging it against the walls or door.’ Geppetto sold his coat to buy me a spelling book for school. I sold it to go to the puppet theatre. Then I saved a puppet from being burnt by the showman and the showman gave me coins for my father. A fox and a cat told me they could multiply my money in “The Field of Miracles”. A bird and the ghost of the cricket tried to warn me not to. The evil fox and cat hung me in a tree to die, but the Good Fairy saved me. But I still let them fool me into burying my money so it would grow. They stole it. Later I became a donkey and ended up rescuing Geppetto from the belly of a whale with the help of the Good Fairy. King Henry thought that I was a silly puppet and he tried to fool me into being his slave. But the Good Fairy warned me that he was an evil man. Dress suggestions: A red jacket with a white frill-necked shirt. Make a pencil nose out of cardboard.

Little Red Riding Hood

(from Little Red Riding Hood by various authors) I was on the way to visit my Grandmother when I met the wolf. We chatted about how I was visiting my Grandmother and I told him where she lived. Then he left me and I went to my Grandmother’s cottage. When I came inside my Grandmother’s cottage, I found that she looked very different from her usual self. The Big Bad Wolf locked my Grandmother in the cupboard. So I said to the Wolf who was sitting in bed dressed in my Grandmother’s nightgown, ‘Why, Granny…what big eyes you have got.’ And the wolf said, ‘The better to see you with, my child,’ imitating her voice. I won’t bore you with the rest as you have probably all heard the story. Most versions of the story end happily with my being saved from the wolf’s clutches by my father and the woodcutters. King Henry and the Big Bad Wolf had a lot in common. They were both men that little girls should stay away from. Dress suggestions: A red hooded cape with a dress beneath (possibly also in red). Carry some little cakes or cookies to take to your grandmother.

Peter Pan

(from Peter and Wendy by Sir James Matthew Barry) I live on an island inhabited by pirates, mermaids, fairies and Indians. On the island there are lots of fairies like Tinkerbell. “When the first baby laughed for the very first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about and that was the beginning of the fairies.” I taught the three children of the Darling family to fly so they could return with me to the island. We were trying to stop the evil pirate Captain Hook from going about his wicked ways. Then Captain Hook plotted to do away with me and he captured Wendy Darling, but I was able to save her. There is also a crocodile that follows us about that has a clock inside his belly going tick, tick, tick. King Henry was impressed with my victory over Captain Hook. Dress suggestions: A green cap, a green outfit and a toy sword.

Goldilocks

(from Goldilocks and the Three Bears by various authors) I ate porridge at the bears’ house. The bears hadn’t locked their front door, so that’s permission to eat their porridge, isn’t it? I didn’t get much porridge anyway. Great Big Bear’s porridge was too hot, Middle-sized Bear’s bowl was too cold. So I had to eat Tiny Little Bear’s and his bowl is so small. Then I tried to find a comfortable chair to sit on, but Great Big Bear’s chair was too hard, Middle-sized Bear’s chair was too soft and Tiny Little Bear’s chair collapsed on me. I was getting tired after all this, so I went upstairs to find a bed to rest on. Great Big Bear’s bed and Middle-sized Bear’s bed both weren’t right for me. But Baby Bear’s tiny bed was perfect, so I got in. I didn’t even take my shoes off. King Henry kept saying I was a spoiled little girl and that if I was his child, he would lock me in the tower. The King had a chair in the library that he liked to sit on. It was large and I suppose it reminded him of his throne. Whenever he found me sitting in it, he got very angry. Dress suggestions: Cute little-girl clothes. Tie a ribbon in your golden hair and don a blue dress, a frilly white apron, red shoes and yellow socks.

Aladdin

(from The Adventures of Aladdin by various authors) I met a ‘mysterious stranger who said he would pay me a silver penny if I went down a manhole for him’. I found myself in a ‘large chamber… (filled with) pots of gold.’ ‘Put out the flame and bring me the lamp!’ he said. When I hesitated, he left me in there, dropping his ring in the chamber as he did so. Terrified, I put the ring on my finger and ‘twisted it round and round’. ‘Suddenly the room was flooded with a rosy light and a great genie with clasped hands appeared on a cloud’, and said he was at my command. I told the genie I wanted ‘to go home’ and immediately I found myself there. I told my mother of my adventures. She was a little disappointed I had returned with only the old oil lamp. But she started to polish it and ‘out shot another genie’. He said that we had set him ‘free after centuries’ and that he would be our servant. Things went pretty well after that and I married a beautiful princess. King Henry was jealous of my having a genie and even though he was already wealthy, he ordered me to give me to him but I refused. Dress suggestions: Wear middle eastern clothes (eg baggy trousers). Add sequins and jewels.

Optional extra witnesses

Master Sherlock Holmes (from Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) – I am a man with such superior detective skills that I have become world famous. I already know a lot about each of the suspects, just from looking at their appearance. For example, I can tell Alice is a little girl with a very fanciful imagination and Aladdin is from the Far East. But, I am not a great reader of fiction, I prefer to do chemical experiments and I also play the violin. This certainly does not seem like a normal case. It is more like the Mr Angel case. You may like to read about it in my diary, if you get time. Dress suggestions: Dress in old-fashioned clothes, carry a magnifying glass and a pipe.

Miss Marple (from Agatha Christie novels) – I am just an ordinary woman with a penchant for finding out the truth. Nothing goes unnoticed by me. Things are not what they seem. Dress suggestions: Old-fashioned clothes – very prim and proper. Carry your knitting.

White Rabbit (from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) `Silence in the court!’ I am a very busy rabbit. “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!” Dress suggestions: As a white rabbit. Wear a waistcoat and have a pocket-watch hanging out of it. Consult it often. Also wear spectacles. Add a white fluffy bottom and some rabbit ears.

Queen of Hearts (from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) Oh there is so much to tell – all about the tea cups and my shouting “Off with his head! or “Off with her head” and all the other people Alice met in Wonderland, but it would take too long. Alice comes into the library and looks at the children’s books. Dress suggestions: Wear white & stick big red cardboard hearts on your clothes.

Tom Sawyer (from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) I am Huck Finn’s friend and advisor.  Dress suggestions: Dress as a country bumpkin with bits of hay sticking out of your clothes and a beaten up old hat.

Widow Douglas (from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) I took Huck as my son and I attempted to civilize him. But Huck said he found it “rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent” it was, so he ran away.  Dress suggestions: Formal clothes (maybe black as you are a widow) and in a long old-fashioned skirt and with a bonnet. You are a Christian so you carry a small bible.

The Prince (from Cinderella by various authors) I found my true love at the ball. I am wealthy and handsome and completely besotted with Cinderella. Dress suggestions: Wear a cap and beautiful, regal, colorful elaborate clothes. Tights are optional.

The Fairy Godmother (from Cinderella) After working all day on her chores, Cinderella often wondered if she would ever be happy again. The ladies of her household were invited to the Duke’s ball. But Cinderella’s step-mother said she could not go unless her chores were done. Fortunately, I came to Cinderella’s aid and – well, you all know the rest of the story. Dress suggestions: Dress like a fairy complete with wings and a wand with which to grant wishes.

Geppetto (from Pinocchio by Carlo Lorenzini – penname Carlo Collodi retold by James Riordan) A fox and a cat told Pinocchio he could multiply his money in “The Field of Miracles”. The evil fox and cat hung him in a tree to die, but the Good Fairy saved him. But Pinocchio still let them fool him into burying his money so it would grow. So they stole it. Dress suggestions: Old-fashioned clothes. Wear a workman’s apron with a few tools poking out of pockets. You may also smell fishy because of your time in the belly of a whale.

The Good Fairy (from Pinocchio by Carlo Lorenzini – penname Carlo Collodi retold by James Riordan) I am the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair (blue hair). But really I am none other than a very kind Fairy who had lived, for more than a thousand years, in the vicinity of the forest. Later Pinocchio becomes a donkey and ends up rescuing Geppetto from the belly of a whale with my help. Dress suggestions: Dress as a fairy with blue hair.

The Wolf  (from Little Red Riding Hood) When Little Red Riding Hood saw me dressed in her Grandmother’s bonnet, she said “O, Granny, what great–big–teeth–you’ve–got!”  And I said, “The better to eat you up!” Dress suggestions: Dress in a bed-jacket with a bonnet on your head but add some ears and large teeth so everyone knows you are a wolf.

The Grandmother (from Little Red Riding Hood) The Big Bad Wolf locked me in the cupboard. So Little Red Riding Hood, said to the Wolf who was sitting in bed dressed in my nightgown, ‘Why, Granny…what big eyes you have got.’ And the wolf said, ‘The better to see you with, my child,’ imitating my voice. I won’t bore you with the rest as you have probably all heard the story. Most versions of the story end happily with Little Red Riding Hood being saved from the wolf’s clutches by her father and the woodcutters. Dress suggestions: A long nightgown with a bed-jacket and a bonnet on your head.

The Crocodile (from Peter and Wendy by Sir James Matthew Barry) Peter flung Captain Hook’s arm towards me so I ate it. I have followed Captain Hook about “ever since, from sea to sea and from land to land, licking (my) lips for the rest of” him. I also swallowed a clock so they know when I am about because of my tick. Dress suggestions:  Dress like a crocodile with a large mouth and lots of teeth. Also carry a hidden loud ticking clock.

Tinkerbell (from Peter and Wendy by Sir James Matthew Barry) There is also a crocodile that follows us about that has a clock inside his belly going tick, tick, tick. I used my magic fairy dust to help Peter Pan and Wendy and the others to fly. On the island there are lots of fairies. “When the first baby laughed for the very first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about and that was the beginning of the fairies.” Dress suggestions: Dress as a golden fairy with a little bell you always ring as you move about.

Papa Bear (from Goldilocks and the Three Bears by various authors) Goldilocks tasted my porridge, sat in my chair and lay on my bed. But she found my porridge too hot and my chair and my bed too hard. Dress suggestions: Dress as a large-sized father bear but with normal clothes on top.

Mamma Bear (from Goldilocks and the Three Bears by various authors) Goldilocks tasted my porridge, sat in my chair and lay on my bed. But she found my porridge too cold and my chair and my bed too soft.  Dress suggestions: Dress as a medium-sized mother bear but with normal clothes on top.

The Genie (from The Adventures of Aladdin) I helped Aladdin to become a prince. I live in Aladdin’s magic lamp. Dress suggestions: Wear middle eastern clothes (eg baggy trousers) and a turban. Carry the lamp in which you live.

Princess Halima (from The Adventures of Aladdin) I am the Sultan’s daughter. Aladdin glimpsed me in my sedan chair when I was being carried through the streets. He decided he wanted to marry me. Dress suggestions: Wear middle eastern clothes. Add lots of pretty veils. Sequins and jewels are acceptable as you are dripping with wealth.

Oliver Twist (from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens) –  At the workhouse, I lived on “the smallest portion of the weakest food possible.” Later I went  to London. The people I lodged with turned out to be none other than a gang of thieves, but I did not realize it till later. King Henry was a bloodthirsty tyrant who always got what he wanted, but “thinking it might be dangerous to express (my) feelings more openly”, I said nothing. Dress suggestions: Dress as a pauper with lots of holes in your clothes and grime. A bit of soot on your face would not go astray.

Cleopatra (from Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare) – I am queen of that fair country Egypt. O! my oblivion is very Antony (Marc Antony), and I am all forgotten. He married Octavia, Caesar’s sister to please Caesar. My anger at hearing this, was such that it would “melt Egypt into Nile!” King Henry, swept away by my beauty, tried to catch me in his noose, but by his fetters I’ll not be bound. Dress suggestions: Wear loosely draped material to form a toga. Make your face white with powder. You may like to draw Egyptian symbols or pyramids and the like on your clothes.

Puss in Boots (a fairytale by various authors) I was given to the youngest son of a miller. He wasn’t very happy to get just a cat. So I convinced him to give me some boots and a bag and told him I could be pretty handy. Over a period of time I caught prey, which I gave to the King to gain favor for my master. The King happened to have a very beautiful daughter. She and my master fell in love so it was up to me to make him rich so he could marry her. I did this by tricking a rich ogre to turn into a mouse which I promptly ate leaving all the estates and castle to be taken over by my young master. After that I led a really restful life. Dress suggestions: A large hat with a large feather (like a peacock’s) in the band. As big a pair of boots as you can find. An old fashioned, three-quarter length coat.

Dorothy (from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum) After I was captured by the flying monkeys and I defeated the Wicked Witch of the West – I came back to the Wizard – only to find out he had no powers at all. He offered to take me back to Kansas in his balloon, but then took off without me. Fortunately, someone told me to use my magic slippers. Dress suggestions: A blue dress with a white blouse underneath. Add white socks and magic red shoes. If you can, add long black hair tied in two bows.