Mayhem in the Mansion
Lucasfilm Games’ classic 1990 adventure game The Secret of Monkey Island is known for its fun pirate theme and interesting puzzles, and perhaps most for its wacky sense of humor. In Part One of the game, the main character, Guybrush Threepwood, is working on completing three trials to become recognized as a real pirate: swordplay, thievery, and treasure hunting.
For thievery, which is the subject of this walkthrough, he must steal the fabulous Idol o’ Many Hands from the mansion of Melee Island’s beautiful governor, Elaine Marley.
Let’s start by getting inside.
Getting Past the Guard Dogs
To break into the governor’s mansion, you’ll first need some bait to help you get past the guard dogs. When the cook in the Scumm Bar leaves, enter the kitchen and grab the hunk of meat. If you want, you can cook it by using it with the pot of stew and picking it back up, but it’s not necessary because the dogs will still eat it.
Now that you have your meat, it’s time to drug it. Leave the village and click on the fork when you’re on the map (hover around to find it since it’s unmarked). Take the path on the left and pick up the yellow flower. Use it with the meat to get “meat with a condiment”. Yummy!
To get to the mansion, go back to the village, pass the Scumm Bar, and go through the archway on the right. Next, go past the citizen of Melee and enter the archway on the left. Pass the shop and the church and go through another archway to the left, and you will see the mansion.
The deadly piranha poodles look hungry, so feed them your freshly seasoned meat. They will devour it, and then very obviously fall asleep and totally not die. You’re clear to enter the mansion. Inside, go through the door next to the entrance, and watch the madness unfold.
Finding a File
After some shenanigans in the mansion involving numerous animals and a curious set of wax lips, Guybrush locked the town sheriff, Fester Shinetop, in a room by using a very heavy chair. Check your inventory and note some unusual new additions: a staple remover, the wax lips, a Manual of Style, and a can of gopher repellent. Don’t worry – these will all come in handy later. Your new task is to find a file so you can open the lock and steal the idol.
Leave the mansion and take the trail back into town. Enter the building to the left of the church, which turns out to be the prison. Talk to the prisoner pacing back and forth in his cell. Unfortunately, his breath stinks to high heaven and Guybrush can’t stand it.
Go to the shop and buy a roll of mints from the shopkeeper for one piece of eight, ringing the bell on the desk if he isn’t in. If you need money, either go to the clearing and help out the circus performers or talk to the Men of Low Moral Fibre near the citizen of Melee and ask for their treasure map.
Now head back to the prisoner and give him a mint. You learn that his name is Otis and he was framed for picking the yellow flowers in the woods, which is illegal. Oops. He’s gotten a carrot cake from his Aunt Tillie, but he detests carrot cake so much that he’d rather eat the rats plaguing his cell. Trade him some gopher repellent and he’ll give you the carrot cake. Use the cake and you will find the file inside!
Thievery and Its Consequences
Go back to the governor’s mansion, and then jump through the hole behind the painting for some more tomfoolery involving a heavily armed clown, during which you manage to obtain the Idol o’ Many Hands. Give Fester your best excuses, and then watch Guybrush utterly fumble talking to a pretty girl.
After this, exit the mansion. Fester will throw you into the sea, and you have 10 minutes to escape before Guybrush runs out of air. You are surrounded by sharp objects, but you can’t reach any of them to cut yourself free.
If you want, you can wait out the 10 minutes to see some extra scenes; make sure you save before this, though, so you can reload later! If you want to complete this trial, simply pick up the idol and climb up the ladder. It’s all yours now.
Leave a Reply