♪ Martha was an average dog ♪ ♪ She went... and... and... ♪ (barking, growls) ♪ When she ate some alphabet soup ♪ ♪ Then what happened was bizarre... ♪ On the way to Martha's stomach, the letters lost their way.

They traveled to her brain and now... ♪ She's got a lot to say ♪ ♪ Now she speaks... ♪ How now, brown cow?

♪ Martha speaks, yeah, she speaks and speaks ♪ ♪ And speaks and speaks and speaks... ♪ What's a caboose?

When are we eating again?

♪ Martha speaks... ♪ Hey, Joe, what do you know?

My name's not Joe.

♪ She's not always right, but still that Martha speaks.

♪ Hi, there!

♪ She's got a voice, she's ready to shout ♪ ♪ Martha will tell you what it's all about ♪ ♪ Sometimes wrong but seldom in doubt ♪ ♪ Martha will tell you what it's all about ♪ ♪ That dog's unique... ♪ Testing, one, two!

♪ Hear her speak ♪ ♪ Martha speaks and speaks ♪ ♪ And speaks and speaks and... ♪ ♪ Communicates, enumerates ♪ ♪ Elucidates, exaggerates ♪ ♪ Indicates and explicates ♪ ♪ Bloviates and overstates and... ♪ (panting) ♪ ...hyperventilates!

♪ ♪ Martha, to reiterate ♪ Martha speaks!

♪ Martha speaks.

♪ Mystery!

(flies buzzing) Clue!

Motive!

Code!

Hunch!

Today's words are all about mysteries, clues and codes.

See how many words you can spy, and I'll see you at the end of the show.

(animals chattering and trumpeting) Wow!

What a racket!

I've never heard so much chatter at the zoo.

They're upset about something.

(questioning grumble) Well, Skits, um, they're saying something about a mystery.

I don't know what it is.

A mystery is something that someone doesn't understand, like when you can't figure out why something is happening.

Oh, I know what a mystery is.

I just don't know what this mystery is.

Where are you going?

I've always heard, if you need answers, the first thing you should do is ask the nearest lemur.

(squawking) (chittering) (squawks) MARTHA: Excuse me, uh, Lemur, what's this mystery everyone's chattering about?

(chattering) Last night someone stole the zoo's peanuts again.

(lemur chittering) It's been happening night after night.

(excited chattering) (gasps) No!

I don't believe it!

What?

(barks) MARTHA: They're sure Jeffy the elephant did it.

Now where are we going?

To hear Jeffy's side of the story.

First you should ask a lemur, but second, get a second opinion.

Jeffy!

We want to talk to you.

(trumpets) Ah, he said, go away, he didn't take any peanuts.

Jeffy, I believe you!

(trumpets) Tell me what happened last night.

I'll tell you exactly what happened last night and every night this week.

Each afternoon, after we close the zoo, I bring in the peanuts.

Come to work the morning after-- every last goober was gone!

It happened the first day, the second day, the next day after that, and the next day, and the next day after that!

But what makes you think Jeffy took the peanuts?

Because, night after night, there was a path of peanuts from the storage room to right here.

I'd say that proves he's the culprit.

The culprit?!

The culprit is the one who did the crime.

In this case, all clues point to Jeffy.

(trumpeting) He insists he's innocent and asks you, "Is this the face of a guilty elephant?"

Um... no.

But he's got to be the culprit.

Could you think of anyone else who could eat that many peanuts?

Uh... no.

Me, neither.

(trumpets sadly) MARTHA: This is so unfair.

Oh.

Oh, poor Jeffy.

(panting) He can't be guilty.

There must be some explanation.

There-There has to be.

(sighs) Martha, how can I concentrate on my homework with you pacing like that?

Oh, I can't stop thinking about Jeffy.

I'm going back to the zoo.

But the zoo is closed.

That's the best time to ask questions.

Coming, Skits?

(barks) Don't stay out too late.

First, we talk to animals who might have seen what happened.

I think we'll find proof that Jeffy is innocent.

(baby tiger purrs) MARTHA: Excuse me?

Tiger Baby?

Ah, sorry to bother you.

I'm hoping to find a clue about who took the missing peanuts.

(meows) A clue?

Um, a clue is something that helps someone to find an answer.

A clue could help solve the mystery of the missing peanuts.

(purrs, meows) Tiger Baby's clue is that she saw something large and gray, like an elephant, leave the storage room last night.

(chittering) The lemur saw a big elephant-shaped shadow drag those peanut bags past here.

(squeaking) (sighs) The penguin says he saw an elephant drag bags towards Jeffy's place last night.

All the clues indicate Jeffy must be guilty, because he's the only elephant here.

(rumbling footsteps) What is that?

That's not Jeffy.

(inquisitive grumble) How do I know?

Because Jeffy's not... a robot.

I have a hunch that's the real culprit.

(questioning growl) What's a hunch?

A hunch is a strong feeling, like I have a strong feeling that robot is the one who's been stealing the peanuts.

(mechanical whirring) Aha!

My hunch was correct!

(barks) It's leaving a trail of peanuts on purpose.

(snoring) It's been leaving clues so everyone would blame Jeffy.

Jeffy is innocent after all!

(trumpeting) (barking) (engine revs, tires squeal) Well, that's too fast for us to follow.

Let's go home and tell Helen.

MARTHA: We 've solved the first mystery.

We know who's been taking the peanuts.

Next, we have to solve the second mystery: Why would a robot want peanuts?

(barks and pants) Skits?

(sniffing) (barking) You have a hunch that's the same van?

(sniffing) (gasps) I think you're right, Skits.

Hey, isn't this...?

WEASELGRAFT: This is the last of the peanuts.

(gasps) Weaselgraft and Pablum!

What are they up to now?

The first part of our plan is done.

We've stolen the peanuts.

Ow!

Elephant on my foot!

(gasps) Time for the second part.

Pack the peanuts and move them out.

That won't take long.

We can make the robot to do it.

I'll check the instructions.

(gasps) Move them out?

Oh, no.

Without the peanuts, we can't prove that Jeffy is innocent.

(barking) No, we'll never get home and back in time to stop them.

Back to the zoo.

I have an idea!

Lemur!

(chittering) Bat!

(squeaking) Penguin!

Tiger Baby!

(squeaking) Jeffy!

(shouting): Jeff-y!!

(trumpeting): Huh?

(squeaking) Great!

Bat found an open window.

Time for the next step.

Now let's go get peanuts.

(doorbell ringing) Who's there?

(bluegrass music playing) (chuckles) Pablum, drop those elephant instructions, and come here.

Uh, why is he doing that?

I don't know, but he's good.

(music continues playing) Okay, Penguin's distracting them.

Let's move.

(trumpets) Yeah, I'm sure that you could dance better than the penguin, but we need you for something else.

Come on.

(squeaking) Go, Lemur, go.

(chattering) (crashing, clattering) (trumpets) Ooh.

(clunking, creaking) (door opening) (trumpets loudly) Stop, Jeffy!

You can guard the door from right there.

(trumpets) (sniffing) The peanuts are here somewhere.

In there.

Lemur, open the door.

(chattering) (grunting) (sighs) (chattering in frustration) What do you mean, it's stuck?

(bluegrass music playing) (grunting) (chattering) There must be a way to open it.

(barking) Good idea, Skits.

(barking, grunting) (bluegrass music playing) Let's go.

We have to pack the peanuts.

Thank you, penguin.

Come again.

(turns off music) We got it, Skits!

(rumbling) (yelping) Hey!

(gasps, shrieks) (chattering) Surrender, nut thieves.

Hey, that looks like that talking dog.

Why did you steal the zoo's peanuts?

We don't have to tell you anything.

(chuckles) I want to tell her everything.

We want to tell you everything.

WEASELGRAFT: Last month, I won the lottery.

Finally, we were rich.

Until... (whirring) You spent all our money on an electric elephant?!

Uh, uh, it's solar-powered.

Oh, oh, that's okay, then.

I'm not upset about wasting energy!

Now we have no money again.

(beeping, whirring) And it's on my foot!

(beeping, whirring) Hey, there must be ways to use a robot to get more money.

WEASELGRAFT: Our plan?

First, steal peanuts from a place an elephant would go unnoticed.

Next, we package them as our own and sell them at baseball games.

(grunts) You're kidding, right?

No.

And it's doubly ingenious because we'll also get in to see all the games for free!

(both laughing) Of course, with a robot and a talking dog, we could make billions.

(doorbell ringing) That's probably the penguin looking for a tip.

(meows) (both gasp) (stammers): A tiger baby!

Nothing in the world frightens us more than...

BOTH: Babies!

(screaming) (trumpets) (screaming) Foiled by the old elephant in the back door trick.

Martha!

Where are you?

Time to come home.

MARTHA: Helen!

We got the peanuts back.

So, who had them?

They did.

(bluegrass music playing, panting, grunting) We're tired.

MARTHA: Remember, when you're done here, next, you wash the baby.

(meows) (gasping nervously) We're not done!

Keep dancing.

I'll call the police after the next song.

It's not every day I visit a musical zoo.

Hi, there.

We're here to discuss the word "motive."

Do you both understand what the word "motive" means?

Yes.

No.

Of course, you know what "motive" means.

No, I don't know what it means.

A motive is the reason a person does something.

Let's say... you stole a lot of peanuts.

Why would you do that?

To sell them at ball games and make money.

That would be your motive.

Oh.

(chuckles) Hi, Mom.

Why did you do that?

To say hi to my mom on TV.

That was my motive.

Next time, we'll talk about the word "guilty" Guilty, guilty, guilty.

(chuckling nervously) (indistinct conversations) Well, how was it?

(shivering) I was not old enough to see that movie.

I had no clue it was that scary.

They should warn a kid.

Why do you think they called it Shriek?

Yeah, well, the title is totally misleading.

I thought it was going to be about some guy from The Arabian Nights.

That's a sheikh.

A shriek is a high-pitched scream.

Now you tell me.

So, it was really scary?

Yeah, there's this monster, see...?

I wish you hadn't told me about that movie.

Now I'm never going to get to sleep.

(snoring) I'm sleeping with my parents tonight.

(all screaming) (all panting) Okay, this is silly.

It's just a movie.

It's not like that stuff could happen, right?

No.

No.

First off, there's no such thing as monsters, right?

BOTH: Uh-huh.

And second, if there were monsters, there's no way they could sneak past nosy Mrs. Parkington, right?

HELEN: That's true.

She is always looking out her window.

(crashing) (stammering): What was that?

Nelson?

Right.

For a minute there, I thought it sounded like the monster jumping through the window.

ALICE: Yeah.

And then, we'd hear squishy, wet footsteps.

(squishy, wet footsteps) Um, like that?

(whimpering) If-If the lights went out right now, too, that would be really freaky.

(all screaming) (all whimpering) Martha?

Go see what it is.

Are you kidding?

Let's make a run for it.

(roars) (all screaming) (laughing) Got you!

Ronald!

ALICE: Oh, he makes me so mad!

How did he even figure out we were going to that movie?

He probably overheard us talking about it.

He's always listening in on stuff.

I can't keep anything secret.

I can't even talk about what books I'm reading.

I'm almost at the end.

The spider dies.

He ruins everything.

You know what we should do?

We should speak in code.

Code?!

Code?!

Yeah, code.

It's a secret language that you make up by using signs or numbers, or you switch letters around.

Like when people talk using flags?

ALICE: Or big lights?

I sure wish I could figure out what Alice was saying.

TD: Or smoke signals!

Smoke signals?

Cool.

Alice?!

Smoke signals?!

You'd need matches and fire and... you're you, remember?

Oh, right.

Those codes would be too easy to crack anyway.

There's no mystery about them.

Besides, if you think smoke is dangerous, last time I tried the flag thing, I almost put out Bernie Herschheimer's eye.

What we need is a new code, one that's completely unbreakable.

Where are we going to find that?

I'll invent one.

We'll be able to keep all kinds of secrets from Ronald.

"To create a code, first decide upon a conversion system."

Conversion system?

What's a conversion system?

My codebook on code is in code.

(groans) I've got a better idea.

Ronald will never crack this.

(barks) Hey, guys.

You want to grab a frogslime-four later?

What?

I have no idea what you said.

Neither do I, but the frog slime sounds promising.

(barks) It's my new code.

Do you like it?

I can't tell.

Exactly.

It's unbreakable.

I'll show you.

Frogslime-four means sandwich, see?

How did you come up with that?

Well, when I was four, my uncle CK invited me out to his farm, and it was really hot, so CK said, "We should go swimming."

I'd only swum in the pool or in my bathtub 'cause I was a little kid, but lakes were different.

The bottom was all squishy and slimy, and I thought I was stepping on frog slime, but it was really just wet plants.

So how does that mean sandwich?

Oh, later we had sandwiches.

They were really good.

He's right about one thing.

No one will ever crack this code.

Yeah, it's completely arbitrary.

Arbitrary?

What's that code for?

It's not code.

It's a real word.

Arbitrary means you pick things without really having a reason for it.

Like frogslime-four means sandwich.

That's why my code is so genius.

It's so arbitrary, it's unbreakable.

No one will ever figure it out.

We can talk about anything!

But without this key, it'll all be a mystery to Ronald.

(Ronald laughs) Thanks, shrimp.

ALL: Hey.

Got to run.

Great!

I spend hours inventing a genius-y, arbitrary code, and the enemy snatches the key.

Don't worry, TD, I'll get it back.

(barks) Skits, head him off at his house.

(barks) Hey!

(panting) (tires screeching) (whimpering) Uh-oh.

Now I've got you.

I'll never give you this key!

Never!

Oh, yeah?

How are you going to stop me from taking it?

(whimpers) Like this.

(gulps) Now D-11 rutabaga eight.

Huh?

Go ahead, talk in your old gibberish code.

See if I care.

Hubba-hubba two.

(sighs) You can always invent another code.

It's not like we memorized the old one or anything.

I'll never be able to invent one that's as hard to decipher.

Decipher?

Does that mean crazy?

Nope.

When you decipher something, it means you figure out what it says.

That code was hard to decipher, all right.

(pants, barks) Skits?

Where's Martha?

(whines, barks) (pants, barks) Eh, last time I saw her, she was eating your code.

She ate it?

Yeah, and then rubbed it in by talking gibberish at me.

Uh-oh.

(speaking gibberish) HELEN: Mom.

Have you seen Martha?

No, but I think she left a message.

You think?

Well, it sounded like Martha, but no pude descifrar.

I couldn't decipher what she was saying.

It was all gibberish.

HELEN: Gibberish?

You know how Jake sometimes talks and it's just mixed-up sounds and words that don't make any sense?

Mar-fa go bye-bye we muh.

That's gibberish.

MARTHA: Yellow, Naptime?

It's me-- Alphabet.

I'm fire truck in stove.

Take the tubas and get me.

That's not gibberish.

That's my code.

I guess Alphabet is Martha.

Who's Naptime?

Helen.

Uh, why?

Remember when we were in day care?

We went to take a nap, and I didn't want to, so I sat up on the mat, and you were sitting up on yours, too, and we waved to each other.

What's my code name?

Spill.

That'd be easy to crack.

What about the rest of the message?

Fire truck, stove and tubas?

(muttering): Tubas, tubas, tubas... Ah, got it.

Martha's in the Natural History Museum.

You're sure tubas means Natural History Museum, or is this just a hunch?

I'm positive.

Why?

It's a little embarrassing.

Can you keep a secret?

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

The first time I went to the museum, I was looking at this model of an ear, and I had this toy fire truck and I dropped it inside, so I reached in to get it and I got stuck.

(grunting) (siren wailing) I was stuck for hours.

They had to call the fire department.

They poured this greasy stuff in the ear and out I came.

Then shouldn't "fire truck" mean "museum"?

Aha!

Now, that's what you'd think, but "fire truck" means "stuck."

"Tubas" means "museum."

This code is impossible to crack.

Why?

Look, the inside looks like a tuba.

Martha!

Or maybe tubas means ocean.

(both groan) MARTHA: Yellow, Naptime?

It's me, Alphabet.

I'm fire truck in stove.

Take the tubas and get me.

(groaning): If I hear that message one more time, my tubas are going to bleed.

(slurps) TD: A tuba isn't an ear.

It's an ocean...

I think.

(Alice and Helen sigh) Okay, it's no secret that fire truck means stuck.

Right?

Right...

I guess.

Hi, guys, what's the problem?

TD invented this code.

A genius, arbitrary code.

And Martha ate it and now she's talking gibberish and we can't find her.

Listen.

I'm fire truck in stove.

Take the tubas and get me.

Fire truck means stuck, but we can't figure out if stove means camel or submarine or if tubas means museum or ocean.

How about she's stuck in Stove and wants you to take the two bus to get her?

Dad, we know what she's saying, but what does it mean?

We can't break the code.

There's no code to break.

The number two bus goes to Stove.

ALL: What?

It's two towns over.

Martha's probably waiting at the station.

Come on, let's go.

"Tubas" means "ocean."

It's a genius, arbitrary code.

You can't expect me to memorize all of it.

Martha.

What took you so math class?

(all laughing) You're my scuba pickle gum collection.

(sighs) Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org It took us a while to deciphe