Again, Purplehunt is presenting three major contests:   The giant treasure hunt (worth at least $1000 to the successful sleuth), the Impossible Puzzle ($300), and this contest, "The Big Puzzle" ($100).  

This is pretty tough contest, but not as difficult as the Impossible Puzzle.  ...At least, I don't think it is.

This is it:

---

45 32 25    31 41 34 34 41 52 12 15 13    12 21   22   

42 44 22 23 45 12 23 22 34    _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _    _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _  - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,    _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,    _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _

_ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _,    _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _.--_ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _,    _ _ _.    _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _     

_ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    

_ _ _ _ _ _,    _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _    45_,    

_ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _,    _ _ _ _    

_ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,    _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _;    _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _    _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.--_ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _    

_ _ _ _ _    _ _    _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,    _ _ _    _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _,    _ _    _

_ _ _ _ _.        

---

To "Beat Mike" you need to solve this puzzle on four levels:

1—Decipher the entire plaintext

2—Determine the original author of the quote 

3—Provide the title, date and publisher of the book from which the quote was taken

4—Determine the "key" for the puzzle

Clues will star March 8, 2000. 

I hope you were not expecting an easy puzzle. Actually, this one appears more difficult than it really is. If no one beats me this week, I will provide a clue next week, and one clue every week thereafter, until my puzzle is solved.

How to submit solutions:  Email solutions to puzzle03@purplehunt.com 

Good thinking, and thanks for accepting the challenge!

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