Red Hare Ring

By Margaret Hicks in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 28, 2006 4:00PM

Chicagoist remembers many years ago we sat cross-legged on the floor, poring through a picture book that boasted a real hidden treasure. All we had to do was decipher the clues in the pastel-colored pages. We’ve never forgotten that book and sometimes even thought it might be a dream. Of course, it was no dream, it was Kit William’s Masquerade, and once we remembered, we fell in love with the idea all over again. Kit Williams hid a rabbit jewel worth $5,000.00 in Britain that was eventually found by Ken Thomas in 1982 (he has since been accused of cheating to find the hare).

But don’t despair, treasure hunters, someone else has taken on the best idea ever, and that man is Michael Stadther. Stadther is the author of A Treasure’s Trove, a book that gave hints where to find 14 18-carat gold tokens. The book was released in 2004, and all gold tokens have since been found by “trovers,” the name for Stadther’s fans. Now Stadther has a new book, Secrets of the Alchemist Dar. This time, Stadther has hidden two million dollars worth of 100 jeweled rings designed by Aaron Bascha. The crowning ring is the million-dollar Red Fairy Ring, and we have to admit, it would look so cute with our newly purchased Christmas sweater.

The rings are still in play, and we here at Chicagoist are poring over the new book. And some of us, but only the coolest of us, are already shining and buffing our metal detectors.

You can see Michael Stadther on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 4:00 p.m. at The Magic Tree Bookstore at 141 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.