The Sabotage of the Salty Sword
A giant sea monster just rose from the waves to attack the ship! Amidst the roaring water and clashing steel, a traitor in the crew helped the monster by stealing the Captain's magical gold compass. We must find the culprit before the monster drags us under!
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
| Name | Sword Style | Monster Mark | Pirate Crew | Hair Style | Secret Fear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marauder Max | Heavy block | Deep sea scale | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| First Mate Molly | Double parry | Deep sea scale | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Jolly Roger | Heavy block | Ink splatters | Pirate lad | Black beard | Smelly garlic |
| Anchor Andy | Guard stance | Slime trails | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Gunner Grace | Sabre spin | Slime trails | Pirate lass | Red braids | Bright lantern |
| Bootleg Bill | Heavy block | Deep sea scale | Pirate lass | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Swashbuckler Sid | Guard stance | Wet seaweed | Pirate lass | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Pistol Pete | Heavy block | Slime trails | Pirate lass | Black beard | Smelly garlic |
| Cannonball Cole | Heavy block | Slime trails | Pirate lass | Blonde curls | Loud whistle |
| Scurvy Sam | Swift slash | Wet seaweed | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Sally Sails | Sabre spin | Deep sea scale | Pirate lass | Red braids | Smelly garlic |
| Cutlass Clara | Double parry | Barnacle crust | Pirate lass | Black beard | Smelly garlic |
| Sharktooth Sue | Sabre spin | Wet seaweed | Pirate lass | Black beard | Loud whistle |
| Hook Hand Helen | Sabre spin | Barnacle crust | Pirate lad | Black beard | Smelly garlic |
| Blackbeard Ned | Swift slash | Barnacle crust | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Bright lantern |
| Pegleg Peggy | Heavy block | Wet seaweed | Pirate lad | Red braids | Smelly garlic |
| Goldie Glimmer | Guard stance | Ink splatters | Pirate lad | Blonde curls | Smelly garlic |
| Navigator Nancy | Double parry | Deep sea scale | Pirate lass | Blonde curls | Bright lantern |
| Red Dave | Double parry | Slime trails | Pirate lass | Black beard | Smelly garlic |
| Barnaby | Swift slash | Slime trails | Pirate lass | Red braids | Loud whistle |
| Lookout Luke | Swift slash | Deep sea scale | Pirate lad | Red braids | Bright lantern |
Rounding
Lookout Luke looks through his dusty brass spyglass. The giant monster has many wriggling tentacles, but his old lens only shows numbers rounded to the nearest ten. He estimates the tentacle count to find our first clue.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Addition
Sally Sails finds a pile of discarded weapons left on the wet deck. She adds the rusty cutlasses to the heavy iron daggers to count the total armory. Her neat sum reveals a fresh hint.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Subtraction
The giant monster smashed our wooden food crates! Gunner Grace counts our total hardtack biscuits and subtracts the ones ruined by salty sea water to see what is left.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Multiplication facts (1-12)
The pirate crew lines up in neat rows on the deck to face the beast. Anchor Andy multiplies the rows of pirates by the number of swords each pirate holds to find the clue.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Division facts (1-12) — the last clue
To search the wet decks safely, the crew must split up. Navigator Nancy divides the brave pirates into equal search parties. The size of each group gives us the final secret.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Sabotage of the Salty Sword
- Clue 1 (Rounding): "THE TRAITOR HAS NO INK SPLATTERS"Round 7,053 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (T) · Round 70 to the nearest ten = 70 (K) · Round 837 to the nearest hundred = 800 (E) · Round 52 to the nearest ten = 50 (A) · Round 381 to the nearest hundred = 400 (H) · Round 8,761 to the nearest thousand = 9000 (R) · Round 5,294 to the nearest thousand = 5000 (P) · Round 2,016 to the nearest thousand = 2000 (N) · Round 36 to the nearest ten = 40 (S) · Round 5,509 to the nearest thousand = 6000 (L) · Round 698 to the nearest hundred = 700 (O) · Round 56 to the nearest ten = 60 (I)
- Clue 2 (Addition): "THE WITNESS SAW A YOUNG PIRATE LAD"368 + 226 = 594 (T) · 180 + 292 = 472 (R) · 285 + 148 = 433 (P) · 115 + 183 = 298 (A) · 499 + 454 = 953 (D) · 158 + 92 = 250 (E) · 500 + 297 = 797 (O) · 188 + 403 = 591 (N) · 111 + 96 = 207 (L) · 248 + 152 = 400 (U) · 175 + 300 = 475 (I) · 258 + 363 = 621 (Y) · 635 + 282 = 917 (S) · 390 + 405 = 795 (G) · 244 + 532 = 776 (H) · 331 + 221 = 552 (W)
- Clue 3 (Subtraction): "THE SCALLYWAG RAN FROM SMELLY GARLIC"881 - 185 = 696 (T) · 432 - 231 = 201 (Y) · 608 - 276 = 332 (L) · 730 - 377 = 353 (I) · 427 - 167 = 260 (S) · 760 - 150 = 610 (R) · 353 - 243 = 110 (M) · 593 - 99 = 494 (W) · 679 - 53 = 626 (F) · 828 - 140 = 688 (C) · 480 - 122 = 358 (O) · 1015 - 398 = 617 (E) · 951 - 204 = 747 (H) · 707 - 4 = 703 (G) · 668 - 78 = 590 (A) · 395 - 168 = 227 (N)
- Clue 4 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "SHE SHED A FEW BRIGHT BLONDE CURLS"8 × 6 = 48 (S) · 12 × 8 = 96 (T) · 2 × 10 = 20 (N) · 7 × 9 = 63 (H) · 12 × 12 = 144 (I) · 8 × 2 = 16 (L) · 2 × 1 = 2 (A) · 10 × 3 = 30 (C) · 11 × 9 = 99 (R) · 4 × 2 = 8 (E) · 7 × 10 = 70 (W) · 3 × 7 = 21 (O) · 6 × 3 = 18 (D) · 5 × 9 = 45 (B) · 7 × 5 = 35 (F) · 10 × 5 = 50 (G) · 7 × 12 = 84 (U)
- Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 3) → Scurvy Sam63 ÷ 7 = 9 · 60 ÷ 6 = 10 · 84 ÷ 7 = 12 · 5 ÷ 5 = 1 · 22 ÷ 11 = 2 · 32 ÷ 4 = 8 · 11 ÷ 1 = 11 · 49 ÷ 7 = 7 · 28 ÷ 7 = 4 · 15 ÷ 3 = 5 · 60 ÷ 10 = 6
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 3 math
- Math topics
- Rounding, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
- Reading level
- grades 3-4
- Theme
- The Sabotage of the Salty Sword — set in The Barnacle Bay
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects