Unraveling Oscar Wilde’s Cryptic Crossword: Poisonous Deeds & Prison-Air?

Once upon a time in a prison yard, there was a small plant growing amidst the dust and concrete floor. The plant was a bright green color and had beautifully shaped leaves. One day, a new inmate arrived at the prison and noticed the plant.

The inmate, being a nature lover, decided he wanted to take care of the plant and help it grow. He watered it regularly and placed it in a spot where it would receive good sunlight. To his surprise, the plant began to flourish and grow rapidly.

Soon, the other inmates began to take notice of the plant and would often stop to admire its beauty. One day, the inmate was speaking to a fellow inmate and quoted a line from an Oscar Wilde poem, “The ___ deeds like poison weeds / Bloom well in prison-air.” The other inmate immediately completed the crossword clue for him, “VILEST.”

It was then that the inmate realized that the plant he had been nurturing so carefully was growing in the vilest of surroundings, yet it was still thriving. He smiled to himself, knowing that even the vilest of things could still possess beauty and strength.