Stumped by ‘Blacken’? Unlock the Secret Solution!

Once upon a time in a small village, there was a mischievous little girl named Emily who loved playing pranks on her neighbors. One day, she decided to pull a prank on Old Mr. Thompson, the grumpy old man who lived at the end of the street.

Emily snuck into Mr. Thompson’s garden while he was taking his afternoon nap. She giggled mischievously as she looked around for something that would make her prank memorable. Then, her eyes fell upon a bucket of paint. Perfect, she thought!

With quick thinking, Emily grabbed a brush and dipped it into the bucket of black paint. Carefully, she painted the doorknob of Mr. Thompson’s front door, slyly anticipating his reaction when he would touch the doorknob and stain his hand black.

As she was about to finish, she noticed a small tar pit nearby. Feeling a surge of excitement, she decided to add an extra touch to her prank. She dipped her brush into the sticky, dark tar and painted the word “Blacken” right next to the doorknob.

With her prank complete, Emily retreated to her hiding spot, eagerly awaiting Mr. Thompson’s return. Moments later, she heard the sound of the front door creaking open. Peeking through the bushes, she watched as Mr. Thompson stepped outside to fetch his mail.

As soon as he touched the doorknob, his hand turned black. Confusion and panic washed over his face, making Emily chuckle quietly. But then something unexpected happened – his eyes caught sight of the word “Blacken” written next to the doorknob.

Curiosity piqued, Mr. Thompson examined the word carefully, trying to solve its meaning. Suddenly, it clicked in his mind. He remembered encountering the same word while solving a crossword puzzle earlier that morning.

Without wasting a moment, Mr. Thompson rushed back inside and returned with a newspaper in hand. He flipped through the pages until he found the crossword section, where he had left the puzzle unfinished. With a determined spirit, he quickly filled in the missing letters – T-A-R.

As he filled in the crossword puzzle, a smile crept across Mr. Thompson’s face. He realized that Emily’s prank had unwittingly helped him solve the puzzle and find the missing answer. His anger transformed into amusement, amazed at the unexpected connection between his crossword puzzle and the prank.

From that day forward, Mr. Thompson developed a newfound appreciation for crosswords, even trying to solve the most challenging ones. And little Emily, although mischievous as ever, learned that sometimes her pranks could bring unexpected joy and connections to others.

And that’s how the crossword clue “Blacken” and its answer “TAR” became forever intertwined in the story of Emily and Mr. Thompson, creating a delightful tale of mischief, discovery, and the magic of crosswords.