Secret Codes

with the Junior E

"Math/ Logic Smarts"

Keep reading below to find out about codes, discover the code used in Deltora Quest by Jarred and Endon and try your hand at working out the secret messages composed by the "Logic Smarts".  When you're finished maybe you can make up your own code or use one of the two codes below to write your own secret messages!

"Codes are systems of symbols used in place of letters or words to send messages.  Codes are most often used to send secret messages.  A code replaces words, phrases or sentences with groups of letters or numbers.  The letters, numbers, words and marks that make up a message can be turned into a code in two ways.  One way is to shuffle them or mix them up and the second way is to replace them with other symbols" (The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia, p. 132).

In the Forests of Silence (Book one of the Deltora Quest series ) Jarred and Prince Endon use a code to send secret messages to each other.  Here is a message from page 3 of The Forests of Silence:

DEL ONEL O TELGEL O TELO TEL HELE KEL ITEL CEL

HELE NEL SEL MEL I NELI SEL TELHEL E RELE

Emily Rodda (the author of the Deltora Quest books) explains how these messages were decoded.  She says:

"The message looked like nonsense, and no one in the palace could guess the meaning if they picked up a note by accident.  But the code was simple.  All you had to do to decode the message was write down all the letters in a line leaving out 'EL' wherever it appeared.

DONOTGOTOTHEKITCHENSMINISTHERE

Then you divided the letters into words that made sense.

DO NOT GO TO THE KITCHENS.  MIN IS THERE" 

(Rodda, 2000, p.3).

What we did...

The Logic Smarts used the code from Deltora Quest to send each other secret messages.  Here are some of them below.  See if you can work out what they say!

CEL ANEL YEL OUEL CREL A CELKEL THEL E CEL OELD EEL?

(from Mrs T)

ILOEL VEL E MEL YELMEL U MEL

(from Kyle)

DOEL NOELTEL GEL O TOEL THEEL LOUEL NG EEL ROELOEL MEL

(From Teania)

JUNEL IOREL E ELH ELAD AEL ELSLE EELP OELV ELE ELR

(From Richie)

HEELLLOEL HEL OEL WEL AREL E YEL OEL U TEL OEL TOELD A YEL? i MEL GEL OEL OEL DEL TH ANEL KELSEL

(From Lacey)

AEL REEL YELO UEL GEL OELOD TELODELAY?

(From Alec)

HEL OEL WEL DELOEL YEL OEL UEL DEL OEL IEL TEL?

(From Ethan)

IELH EELAEL REL ANEL DEL IEL FOREL GELETEL

(From Scott)

DEL ONEL O TELG OELI NELT HEL EEL GELA R DENEL

(From Jessica)

YEL O UELA RELEA SELUPEL EEL RCOEL DEL EELB RELEA KELE REL!

(From Mrs T)

After having fun with the Deltora code we decided to use a letter number code where the secret messages were written in numbers.  See if you can use the code breaker below to help you work out these secret messages from the "Logic Smarts":

12.5.20.19  /  7.15  /  6.15.19  /  1  /  19.23.9.13

(From Lacey)

9  /  12.15.22.5  /  6.1.9.18.9.5.19

(From Jessica)

9  /  12.15.22.5  /  13.25  /  13.21.13

(From Kyle)

8.9  /  13.25  /  14.1.13.5  /  9.19  /  1.12.5.3

(From Alec)

20.8.5  /  19.9.13.16.15.14.19  /  1.18.5  /  6.21.14

(From Teania)

7.5.20  /  16.12.5.14.20.25  /  15.6  /  19.12.5.5.16

(From Scott)

25.15.21  /  1.18.5  /  7.18.5.1.20

(From Mrs Tarlinton)

Now why don't you try and make up your own codes, or use our codes to write your own SECRET MESSAGES!  Have fun!