The Treasure of LeMonde!
Proverbs 28:25
“The Treasure of LeMonde!” is episode #102 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on February 3, 1990.
Summary
Robyn and Connie find a hidden attic at Whit's End and stumble upon a forgotten mystery involving an old pipe organ, a greedy professor and "the greatest treasure."
Plot
Exciting things are happening at Whit's End. Connie has discovered a new room, which is boarded up in the turret attic! She, Whit, and Robyn Jacobs tear down the boards and explore the forgotten room. Amid all the dust and cobwebs, tarps are covering an old pipe organ. Whit guesses the organ is there because Whit's End was once a church. The main sanctuary burned down, but the tower stayed up, and the rest of the building was built around it.
Robyn decides to play the organ, but the middle "C" key isn't working. Whit examines the pipe and discovers something stuffed inside it — an old, gray rag with writing on it. Actually, it's a poem. It says:
| “ | I, Rufus Cowley, do hereby attest
The words you now read are the truest and best: Your course is now set, the path you're now on, To the greatest of riches — the Treasure LeMonde! This prize you may find by heeding said adage: Start in the center and play 'a deaf cabbage.' |
” |
Apparently, Whit, Robyn, and Connie have stumbled across a clue to a hidden treasure! But Whit believes the only way to be certain is to talk to one of Whit's friends, history Professor Aldus Webster. Webster confirms that there really is a LeMonde treasure, named after a French nobleman, Henri LeMonde. He became a missionary to the region just before the French Revolution, taking his family fortune with him. Henri hid his treasure so fortune seekers would have to wade through a series of clues to find it.
Rufus Cowley, writer of the poem, was a fortune hunter who moved to Odyssey in the late 1850s. He learned about the treasure and, through a series of circumstances, ran afoul of the law and ended up in the steeple of the old church, where he planted the piece of cloth in the organ!
Robyn becomes consumed with the idea of finding the treasure and figures out the meaning of "a deaf cabbage." They quickly put together the remaining pieces to the puzzle of the treasure of LeMonde and find themselves in a secret bat-filled cave.
But they are not alone — Professor Aldus Webster has greedily followed them to claim the treasure for himself. Surprisingly, though, the treasure is not what the world considers a treasure — money or riches — but is the greatest treasure of all: the Bible! LeMonde certainly had his priorities right.
Later at the shop, Whit, Connie and Robyn muse on the lessons learned both in this adventure and the one earlier in #40: “The Case of the Secret Room, Part 2”. Whit suggests to hearty approval that they paint both the attic and the basement green to serve as a reminder of the folly of greed.
Discussion Questions
- What does "LeMonde" mean?
- Did Rufus Cowley get what he deserved?
- What about Professor Webster?
- Why is greed so bad?
Cast
Heard in episode
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Robyn Jacobs | Sage Bolte |
| Connie Kendall | Katie Leigh |
| Professor Aldus Webster | Greg Berg |
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Robyn Jacobs | Sage Bolte |
| Connie Kendall | Katie Leigh |
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Professor Aldus Webster | Greg Berg |
Mentioned in episode
| Character | Mentioned By |
|---|---|
| Tom Riley | John Whittaker |
| Rufus Cowley | Robyn Jacobs |
| Henri LeMonde | Professor Aldus Webster |
Notes
VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view] The broadcast version of this episode begins with Chris on her way out to the mailbox. She gets a package from the Odyssey Historical Society.
- Trivia
- This episode was later remade as the third video in the "new series": "The Caves of Qumran".
- This episode was included in Classics 02: A Maze of Mysteries.
- Le monde is French for "the world".
- This episode first mentions the fact that Whit's End was once the site of a church.
Gallery
Reviews
- AIO Update: Read
Quotes
Robyn Jacobs: Start from the center, and play a deaf cabbage!
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