Star Trick -- Episode V of the Oxbrain in Space Series, Printable Version -- Crossword Adventures with Oxbrain

oxbrain.com Crossword Adventures with Oxbrain

Oxbrain in Space, Episode V
Oxbrain returns to Earth. He regales Farmer Breakneck with his fantastic space adventure story.
The Farmer believes none of it, recounting all the pranks Oxbrain had played on him in the past.
He did concede, however, that of all past deceptions, this one was the
"Star Trick" by John T Sherman Home Page

_____Oxbrain gazed out of a porthole of the UFO: Earth gleamed like a porcelain marble in the darkness:-- a smooth, striated blue, with ribbons of purple light flickering at the poles.
_____ The moon emerged from behind the planet, casting its round shadow on the Pacific, while a hurricane raged silently near the coast of China. All this was of no interest to Oxbrain, as he focused only on a faint patch of green, in the southeast corner of North America, in a place he had gamboled on so recently, a tiny farm he called home.
_____ The Earth now became a giant dome, a mosaic of cloud, ocean and land. Now he could see shimmering rivers crossing every imaginable shade of green, as clouds stood above like herds of grazing sheep. Now grey patches of cities emerged, and mountains rose in the north, tinged with fall colors.

Clues for "Star Trick"

Across

1. Essence of an article

5. Tried to convince

9. Hurtle, like hash

14. Poker bet

15. Wheeze

16. Black tea variety

17. Spring resorts

18. Its capital is Muscat

19. Steer clear of

20. USE SPEEDY PLOW?

23. Purloin

24. Outdo

25. Gets with great effort

29. Blesses with a bit of oil

33. Fund for retirement :abbr.

34. BRING GOODS TO MARKET? (Continued at 44-Across)

38. Chocolate substitute

40. She gave Theseus a ball of thread

41. With a side dish of ice cream

43. India's official

language

44. Continuation of 34-Across

45. Igloo building material

46. Descendants of the Aztecs

49. New Year noise

51. Language in Yunnan, China

52. Colorado mountain resort

57. REPAIR PLASTERWORK?

61. Able fable writer

64. Latvian capital

65. Herb with gel-like sap

66. Seized up

67. Rowboat

68. Prepared food shop

69. Fax machine precursor

70. Change for a "Lincoln", probably

71. An early garden

Down

1. Inhales in astonishment

2. Contribution to a discussion

3. No longer fizzy

4. He popularized alternating current as a source of electricity

5. University teacher, familiarly

6. Tibetan priest

7. Protein that makes arteries "springy"

8. Texas city south of Sherman

9. Connect, from end to end

10. Embankment to contain a river

11. "I like ___" (50's political campaign slogan)

12. "Neither" companion

13. Understand

21. Hero with the magic lamp

22. Make a choice

26. City of West-Central Russia

27. Scrape away

28. Curved cavalry sword

30. Negative prefix before sense or binding

31. Be in debt

32. Bright red

34. Title in colonial India

35. Writer Jong

36. If dirty, don't air in public!

37. Young male

39. Friend, in France

41. Expression of discovery

42. Rent out

44. Semester payment

47. Make amends for

48. Tonsorial fashion statement

50. Minimize or underplay something

53. A place to drink lemonade!

54. Usual finish for a bathroom floor

55. School, in Sorbonne

56. Long, loose coil of thread

58. Highest point of a pyramid

59. Man-eating monster of legend

60. "No" votes

61. Rear of a spacecraft

62. Before, poetically

63. Fa-la bridge

_____ He could now make out the thin white coastline of Georgia, and was almost sure he could hear the breakers crashing, and the effervescent fizz of the aftersurge. Now he could see the gridwork of farms and houses and the busy highways, the roofs, the treetops, and yes! the river skirting Breakneck's farm, and the clearing where he was sleeping when the aliens landed...
_____ Thump. Whirr. The door of the UFO opened and Oxbrain walked down and kissed the ground. In the distance Farmer Breakneck, carrying a pitchfork, came running and shouting. "Oxbrain, what happened to you? You've been gone a good part of the year! I was sure cattle rustlers had gotten you."
_____ Oxbrain told Farmer Breakneck how he was taken by aliens early in the morning, then left in a UFO thousands of light years from Earth, and how he then navigated it back . Surely it was only later in the afternoon (judging by the sun) since he had just finished lunch. He could only have been gone part of the day, Oxbrain insisted.
_____ "Oxbrain, you're up to your old tricks. I don't believe a word you've said. You know you've been gone almost a year!"
_____ "Oh, wow! The Theory of Relativity predicted ..."
_____ "If you had to visit relatives"-- Breakneck cut in-- "you could have just told me. But now the work has piled up and there are chores to be done. The field needs plowing, the crops need to be brought to market, and repairs need to be made. No more loafing around. No more tricks. You understand?"
_____ "Yes, sir."
_____ Oxbrain turned to look at the UFO but it was gone. He did look upwards and caught a fleeting glimpse of something flashing in the sky, but nothing more.
_____ He caught up with Breakneck as they headed towards the barn.
_____ "Remember, plow the field, bring the crops to market, plaster up the house!" Breakneck shouted as he wagged his finger at the Ox.
_____ "No more tricks. Just work, work, work" Oxbrain answered back, in an annoyed, sing-song voice.
_____ Hmm, Oxbrain. Farmer Breakneck looks mighty annoyed. You better be sure there's no more tricks..