http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=332747

Monks,
This is not balladry, but it is artistic. If you crack my cryptic knot, I ask you not to ruin it.

Plural solutions apply! 

if ( 'you monitor mindfully' ) {
    print "How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about this 
+script?\n"
}
if ( 'you look hard' ) {
    print "\n\nIt looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing 
+is wrong with it.\n"
}
if ( 'curiousity has you' ) {
    print "\n\nIn fact, nothing is wrong with it but it is unusual.  W
+hy?\n"
}
if ( 'your vision is not foggy' ) {
    print "\n\nIf you study it and think about it,",
          "\nyou may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any
+ way.\n"
}
if ( 'your brain is sharp' ) {
    print "\n\nYou must do it without coaching.\n",
          "No doubt, if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you.\
+n",
          "Who knows?\n",
          "Go to work and try your skill.\n",
          "Par is about half an hour.\n"
}

[download]
L~R

Hint: It works with warnings and with strict.

Additional Info: Randal has found all 3 solutions. A piddling of monks chatting too.

Solution:
The letter e does not appear anywhere in the formatted post to include the title
There are no semi-colons in the script
There are no variables in the script

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Two bits for your thoughts
by Paladin (Vicar) on Mar 01, 2004 at 02:18 UTC 
    if ( 'you are just beginning' ) {
    print "It could be time to end.\n"
}
if ( 'you have troubles finishing' ) {
    print "Perhaps you need to look closer?\n\n"
}
if ( 'the culmination escapes you' ) {
    print "Maybe it's time to end your search?\n",
          "\nDon't give yourself terminal convulsions.\n"
}

    [download]

    Interesting code Limbic~Region. It didn't take as long to figure out in the end as I thought though. :)

[reply]
[d/l]
[reply]
Re: Two bits for your thoughts
by corenth (Monk) on Mar 01, 2004 at 04:52 UTC 
              there was nothing strange
           perl in the poetic mode
              I certainly lost


            at a second glance
          my vision was not foggy
            i think i see it.
    $state->{tired} = "true";
[reply]
Re: Two bits for your thoughts
by Elgon (Curate) on Mar 02, 2004 at 20:38 UTC

    L~R,

    Question below, hidden to avoid spoiling the problem for others...

    That was a fun riddle - I didn't realise that there were no e's in it, although I did get the other two.

    Did you get the inspiration from "La Disparition" by George Perec? (It was a book written in French which didn't contain a single letter "e". It was translated into English by Gilbert Adair under the title of "The Void".)

    Elgon

    "Stercus! Dixit Pooh. Eeyore, missilis lux navigii heffalumporum iaculas. Piglet, mecum ad cellae migratae secundae concurras."

[reply]
      Elgon,
      I had heard about the novel a long time ago, but no. I love brain teasers and logic puzzles and found this some time ago as well. It was when I was correcting a newbie in Freenet's #perl about when certain things were allowed to be omitted that I got the inspiration. I then constructed my version.

      Cheers - L~R

[reply]
Re: Two bits for your thoughts
by bageler (Hermit) on Mar 02, 2004 at 01:16 UTC
    if ('I won\'t brood too long') { print "\nI dig your plan to this condundrum\n" }
[reply]
Re: Two bits for your thoughts
by simmy 1 (Initiate) on Mar 01, 2004 at 14:33 UTC
    if your monitor mindfully print "how quickly can you find out what is so unusual about this script?n if you look hard not print it looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing is wrong with it. n if curiousity has you printin fact, nothing is wrong with it but it is unusual Why? n if your vision is not foggy print no If you study it and think about it,you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. if your brain is sharp print no You must do it without coaching. n No doubt, if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you.n Who knows?no, Go to work and try your skill.n, Par is about half an hour.n
[reply]

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