I removed the letters AVSI.Q: Take the classic illustrated children's book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Rearrange its 26 letters to name a famous film director (first and last names) and a noted role on stage (in two words).Who is the director and what is the role?
Sunday, August 17, 2025
NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 17, 2025): Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 17, 2025): Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
73 comments:
For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.
You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.
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ReplyDeleteSolved fairly quickly, once I had the correct Bananagrams tiles selected.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I watched one of the director's movies yesterday. There is a reference to one of the director's movies in the name of the stage role.
DeleteFirst director I thought of. But at first I wasn't sure if the role related to the director.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand Blaine's clue.
ReplyDeleteMy clue is: do you need a crossbow?
Got it. Wondering how someone comes up with this combination of names. The book looks cool.
ReplyDeleteAlso the first directorI thought of. The rest was easy.to spot.
ReplyDeleteVery easy, I say.
DeleteThere's a connection of sorts between the book and the director.
ReplyDeleteSolved with pen and paper, and a list of directors.
ReplyDeleteSolved it! Think I'll have a donut with my coffee to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNice one
DeleteDidn’t need to phone a friend to figure this one out. The director was the first one who came to mind
ReplyDeleteI read this book as a child. Solved. --Margaret G.
ReplyDeleteI solved this while on a walk with my dog.
ReplyDeleteFido?
DeleteI'm impressed that you were able to juggle all those letters in your head.
DeleteWW - I think I get your hint (which I rarely do!).
DeleteInitially this seemed difficult; however, it was a quick solve. I agree with WW's observation - how does someone come up with this? Anyway, it appears that the puzzle master has something in common with the creator of the stage role.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know the book. Knew the director. I have read this role repeatedly on my exercycle. No clue here.
ReplyDeleteI remember the role from my study of Slavic literature many years in the past.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is not too challenging given the fame of both the director and the role. But imagine, as a puzzle maker, thinking this one up!
ReplyDeleteApparently Ed Pegg, Jr. Has waaaay too much time on his hands. Brilliant anagramming, though!
DeleteI'm impressed by how Ed Pegg, Jr. comes up with these sorts of puzzles. By the way, his last puzzle included the song "Go on With the Wedding." If you add "e" and "I" and scramble, you'll get "The Doggie In the Window," which was the original name of "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window?". I was amazed that two Patti Page songs are near-anagrams of each other.
DeleteTortieWhoHadThisAsARiffOnPuzzleria!ButDidn'tPostItHere
I spotted one once in a West Hollywood parking lot and I'll see the other in October.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNo leftover letters.
DeleteWhile film roles are virtual, stage roles are live.
ReplyDeleteanyone else have a leftover letter? maybe I don't have the right answer.
ReplyDeleteoh never mind. I miscounted my letters. math is hard. :D
ReplyDeleteEasy one to solve. Had to be much harder to create this anagram than to figure out the answer. My child loves this book, by the way.
ReplyDeleteA fine children's book, much better than the ones I grew up with, though slightly anxiety-provoking for very young kids. Amusing to imagine the stage role character reading Fun With Dick And Jane, mashing up one line from each.
ReplyDeleteSolved this by starting with the stage role. The director is well-known, but not the first one that comes to my mind. The comments section also helped.
ReplyDeleteHaving no familiarity with anything in the 6/22/2025 puzzle (https://puzzles.blainesville.com/2025/06/npr-sunday-puzzle-jun-22-2025-film-award.html), I had no confidence that I would recognize anything in this week's answer. Fortunately, both parts are entities I've heard of.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised no one's mentioned a connection between book and stage play.
ReplyDeleteIt is forbidden to say the answer.
ReplyDeleteIt is forbidden to say part of the answer, but we won't say which part. Is it TMI to add that the letters in the name Michael Bay can be found in the title? That was the first director's name I found, but that didn't work. Just sayin'. Once I found the right director's name, then the stage role immediately came to me.
DeletepjbWillKnowLaterIfAndWhenThisPostHasBeenRemoved,Obviously
I made a similar comment to Bobby's and got TMI'd.
DeleteYet another director is *almost* there, if only one could buy a vowel.
I just arrived back home from tent camping in Eastern Oregon, and I too thought it would be hard to solve, but got it quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe answer reminds me of way back when I was in the army in Germany, and a guy in my room showed me a New Yorker Magazine cartoon, and asked me to explain it to him. When I instantly laughed out loud he became annoyed with me, apparently thinking I was putting him down, but I wasn't. I was going to explain it to him, but he couldn't accept that I got it right away and laughed. As I recall he would not, at that point, let me explain it to him. I have always found that equally humorous. I will explain this thursday.
SDB: Perhaps you can find that cartoon and post the html.
DeleteI remember that cartoon--and was reminded of it by another comment earlier today.
DeleteI tried to locate it online, but it was a futile attempt. It is a wonderful cartoon.
DeleteSDB: Sometimes I have found past new yorker cartoons online. Can you give the subject matter and date?
DeleteNatasha,
DeleteSo have I, but I looked and looked on Googling and the New Yorker cartoon archive site with zero results. Not even close ones came up. I searched, saying 1965-66 and Trump stuff even came up. Their search engine was totally useless. And I cannot say anything about the cartoon until thursday.
SDB: Ok. That is fine. A relative was portrayed in one of their cartoons years ago. I wish I had saved it. Cannot locate it in the archives yet. Maybe I will write to the magazine. I am trying to get citzenship for England. My grandfather was born there. I may move there.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I got the correct film director, but I'm having a hard time with the remaining letters.
ReplyDeleteKeep at it, Cap! I'm confident that you will figure it out. (Not a clue, just encouragement...)
DeleteMight I suggest resting and washing up? Just not at the same time.
DeleteClark, a suggestion. Look carefully at my comment above, especially carefully at the second part. Good luck.
DeleteThanks JayB, I'm beginning to wonder if I have the correct director
ReplyDeleteI can't find a different director and can't do a damn thing with the remaining letters! Its beginning to get really frustrating.
DeleteKeep staring at the leftovers.
DeleteNatasha, I have eleven leftovers that don't seem to anagram. I'm really feeling stupid.
DeleteI think we should not discuss the number of letters until the deadline thursday.
DeleteJust look at them in order. You can do it! It was magical when I discovered the answer.
DeleteThis should help: https://www.wordplays.com/anagrammer
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteMy original comment was similar to one upthread. Maybe that poster did the right ritual.
DeleteThere's a link between the director and the role in episode 62 of season 1 of a certain TV show.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I figured it out late today. My only hint would be "family dysfunction" might be an appropriate theme.
ReplyDeleteEd Pegg Jr. seems to spend a LOT OF HIS DAY on anagramming. Kind of reminds me of the drive with Merl Reagle in Wordplay.
ReplyDeleteMe? I've been spending my time watching Mexican Baseball.
I found the animated video of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble on Amazon Prime. Fun to watch.
ReplyDeletehttps://reelgood.com/movie/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble
DeleteHonestly this was another disappointment from the addled mind of Shortz. It's almost always the obvious answer. I enjoyed the puzzle of June 22 because the director wasn't one of the first three that come to everyone's mind. I don't think anyone wants a "cute, quick solve."
ReplyDeleteCome on Will, remember why you got into this. Challenge us!
This is not from the mind of Will Shortz. It is from Ed Pegg, Jr. Puzzles are submitted by listeners. If you want a more challenging puzzle, submit one.
DeletePersonally, I enjoyed this puzzle. Even after finding the correct director, I found more than one stage character in the remaining letters, but only one that used all of the remaining letters.
I also enjoyed it. I would rather have a clever puzzle than a challenging one, and a 26-letter anagram that converts a book title into two well-known names is certainly clever. The up-front intimidation level is high, though, so the number of solvers might yet be disappointing. Not to mention Cap's apparent frustration.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIf you Google with the phrase in quotes, you get the title immediately.
DeleteSorry
Delete