# Box Of Mystery Unearthed: Buried Treasure Or A Dead Cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540 "2012-05-10T19:02:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/21 "2012-05-10T19:47:58Z")
Until you open the box, couldn’t the cat still be alive? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/22 "2012-05-10T19:48:29Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > I’m not so much puzzled by the padlock as the fact that the key is attached. > > I mean, if you padlock a box, you presumably want to be the only one to be able to open it, so you hang on to the key. But this makes no sense – either you don’t padlock it, or you padlock it and hide the key. > > Strange. If there was a key, why did you guys wait to open it? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/23 "2012-05-10T19:51:02Z")
It’s the previous owner’s phylactery. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/24 "2012-05-10T19:54:54Z")
Weird padlock with the key? I am thinking Evil Dead for sure ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/25 "2012-05-10T19:57:34Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > cremated hookers (and hopefully some blow)? I have it on good authority that hooker cremains make an excellent medium to cut down high-quality Peruvian blow. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/26 "2012-05-10T20:02:49Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > If there was a key, why did you guys wait to open it? Because I’m not home! Patience of a saint, that woman has. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/27 "2012-05-10T20:05:43Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Wouldn’t there be some signs to ward off evil on the box, in that case? They’d be on the inside of the box. Trust me, I know mystery boxes. 😃 > [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > I’m not so much puzzled by the padlock as the fact that the key is attached. > > I mean, if you padlock a box, you presumably want to be the only one to be able to open it, so you hang on to the key. But this makes no sense – either you don’t padlock it, or you padlock it and hide the key. > > Strange. Unless you’re only concerned with keeping whatever is _in the box_ from unlocking it. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/28 "2012-05-10T20:27:17Z")
Jesus, you’re a right bastard, teasing us like this. Seriously. There’s no payoff until probably tomorrow evening! Which, since I don’t generally read the Board on weekends, I won’t see until Monday, by which time the world will already have ended because you’ve already unleashed whatever evil’s in that box. Thanks a lot. There’s only one answer: you have to cancel whatever it is tonight to get over there and open it. It’s just polite. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/29 "2012-05-10T20:34:17Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > There’s only one answer: you have to cancel whatever it is tonight to get over there and open it. It’s just polite. Well, knowing myself the way that I do, I don’t see there’s any way I’ll be able to avoid taking a minute to pop the box open and see what’s inside. Of course, I won’t have time to post the results until tomorrow… ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/30 "2012-05-10T20:40:22Z")
It’s the Horn of Valere! It was locked away against mankind’s greatest need!! That it’s been found means the Last Battle™ is nearly upon us! no worry though, the last battle has been approaching for more than twenty years and it’s not a day closer ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/31 "2012-05-10T21:03:07Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > I’m not so much puzzled by the padlock as the fact that the key is attached. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but where did the OP say the key was attached?😕 That said, I’m betting it’s a hamster. Or was, any way. You’ll open the box, and you’ll hear a tiny, squeaky voice say, “Who dares disturb the slumber of Mr. Fluffy the Third?”. And it’d be damned impressive, if only the voice didn’t sound like Herve Villechaize sucking helium. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/32 "2012-05-10T21:04:22Z")
Ok, the padlock is to keep it securely closed, but it does not need to be locked (or a lock would be easily broken), so you leave the key with it, for convenient reopening. I’m guessing the box does not have a latch, just a hasp. This significantly increases the likelihood of finding cremains, since the padlock is not a clue to the contents. Of course, if it was cremains, why would you care about needing to reopen it with the key? … maybe to prevent grave robbers from bashing open Fluffy’s casket in an effort to discover buried treasure? However, I’m going to go for the fences and say it’s something moderately valuable, coins, maybe cash, worth more than a fancy dinner out, less than an iPad. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/33 "2012-05-10T21:04:43Z")
That was the OP you quoted, saying that the key was attached. ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/34 "2012-05-10T21:08:34Z")
DOH!!!:smack::smack::smack: Never mind. I’m going back to my dark little cell, and wait until the box is opened tomorrow night. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/35 "2012-05-10T21:10:33Z")
In your defense, the OP didn’t say it in the OP. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/36 "2012-05-10T21:21:18Z")
They left the key on it so the angels could open the box and let the hamster into heaven. and **Hal** , your wife just wants you in between her and the box when it opens. ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/37 "2012-05-10T21:22:47Z")
It could be a [frog](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1vH2rjUshk) in the box. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/38 "2012-05-10T21:24:22Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > **Hal** , your wife just wants you in between her and the box when it opens. Girlfriend. I think **Hal** is now divorced from his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/39 "2012-05-10T22:28:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Box Of Mystery Unearthed: Buried Treasure Or A Dead Cat? Why can’t it be _both_? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540/40 "2012-05-10T22:35:38Z")
If it were valuable, like money or treasure, the key would not be with it. It’s a pet, and mom or dad tossed the key into the hole when junior wasn’t looking so that the presence of a coffin key wouldn’t inspire a later clandestine exhumation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-of-mystery-unearthed-buried-treasure-or-a-dead-cat/621540.md?page=3)