Decoding a Message

In substitution codes, the letters of the plaintext (message to be put into secret form) are replaced by other letters, numbers, or symbols. In this code system, each letter of the alphabet and each of the numbers from 1 to 9 appears in the matrix of the grid. Each letter in the grid is replaced by two letters in the coded message. The first letter in the message is from the vertical axis of the grid, and the second letter is from its horizontal axis. For example, if "DG" were the first two letters to decipher in a cryptogram, you would find the letter "D" on the vertical axis and the letter "G" on the horizontal axis. Trace them across the grid to their intersection at the letter "A" in the plaintext.

To decode the fictitious message in the cryptogram, begin by grouping each set of two letters starting with the first two letters (FG) and continuing through the message. The code letters are arbitrarily arranged in groups of five letters. Some letter pairs will carry over from one line to the next. As you locate each letter in the grid, you should write that letter above the pair of code letters to which it corresponds. There are no punctuation marks in the telegram, so your teacher may need to help you in clarifying the message.


Cryptogram

                         FGAFA  AAVXA  DGAVX  VADAD  DVDDD  VGA
    VXVDX  DVDDF  AFDXG  XGDDG  AVFDV  X
           VAAFX  GDADX  VDDXD  AVXXV
           AAAVD  AVXDA  VVGDD  XAVDG  DXGXV  XVDVF  VVAFD  XAVAF
    VXDXV  DFDAF  XAVVV  FAVAF  VVVVV  ADGXV  AXAFD  GGXFX  AFAVV
    ADGDF  VFAXV  DVXXF  DAVXG  DVAAF  XGDAD  XVDVF  AVAFV  FDGAV
    AFVXV  DAXAF  DGXDA  FAFVA  AADGV  VVVXV  VDDFV  VGDVD  AVVXD
    FVDVX  DADXA  F
           AAAFA  VDFVV  VXVDA  VFGFG  XFDGV  VGDDA  DFFXV
    XVDDF  FDDX

Grid

	   	A	D	F	G	V	X
	A	B	2	E	5	R	L
	D	I	9	N	A	1	C
	F	3	D	4	F	6	G
	G	7	H	8	J	0	K
	V	M	O	P	Q	S	T
	X	U	V	W	X	Y	Z