Very old riddles
Jan Merolant
Try and come-up with as many plausible
answers as you can for each question.
1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
2. I am a chest of silver with a casket of gold,
what am I?
3. What is it that is round as a hoop, deep as a pail;
never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger like a lion?'
5. What is it when living does not move from its place
but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
6. what is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no more
studious therby.
7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
for repeatedly it return though often too departs
again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
now none.
8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
its gloves in the window?
10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
her tears fall in her lap.
11. As I went to feast, I met with a beast,
with ten heads, and ten tails,
forty feet, fourscore nails. What did I see?
12. Three monks were passing,
Three pears were hanging,
Each took one, and that left two.
Jan
Damian Hamilton
Jan Merolant wrote:
> Here I have some very old riddles.
>
> Try and come-up with as many plausible
> answers as you can for each question.
>
> 1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
> who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
the moon?
>
> 2. I am a chest of silver with a casket of gold,
> what am I?
>
> 3. What is it that is round as a hoop, deep as a pail;
> never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
>
bell
>
> 4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
> What is stronger like a lion?'
>
I seem to remember this being a reference to Samson - something about a
beehive growing in the carcass of the lion he killed...
>
> 5. What is it when living does not move from its place
> but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
>
flower?
>
> 6. what is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no more
> studious therby.
>
fire burning books?
Or maybe mice/etc eating books.
>
> 7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
> for repeatedly it return though often too departs
> again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
> now none.
>
> 8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
>
I think the virgin mary answer goes here.
>
> 9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
> its gloves in the window?
>
> 10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
> her tears fall in her lap.
>
> 11. As I went to feast, I met with a beast,
> with ten heads, and ten tails,
> forty feet, fourscore nails. What did I see?
>
10 men (or women I suppose) on horses
>
> 12. Three monks were passing,
> Three pears were hanging,
> Each took one, and that left two.
>
reference to "pair"?
Damian
>
> Jan
Bixente
Damian Hamilton <dham...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu> wrote in
message news:38D943C6...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu...
> possible spoilers...
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> Jan Merolant wrote:
>
> > Here I have some very old riddles.
> >
> > Try and come-up with as many plausible
> > answers as you can for each question.
> >
> > 1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
> > who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
>
> the moon?
>
> >
> > 2. I am a chest of silver with a casket of gold,
egg
> >
> > 3. What is it that is round as a hoop, deep as a pail;
> > never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
> >
>
> bell
>
> >
> > 4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
> > What is stronger like a lion?'
> >
>
> I seem to remember this being a reference to Samson -
something about a
> beehive growing in the carcass of the lion he killed...
out of the strength comes sweetness (on the treacle tin)
bees nest in a lion skin
could this riddle refer to love/friendship
>
> >
> > 5. What is it when living does not move from its place
> > but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
> >
>
> flower?
>
> >
> > 6. what is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no
more
> > studious therby.
> >
>
> fire burning books?
> Or maybe mice/etc eating books.
>
> >
> > 7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
> > for repeatedly it return though often too departs
> > again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
> > now none.
> >
> > 8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
> >
snail
>
> I think the virgin mary answer goes here.
>
> >
> > 9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
> > its gloves in the window?
> >
> > 10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
> > her tears fall in her lap.
> >
> > 11. As I went to feast, I met with a beast,
> > with ten heads, and ten tails,
> > forty feet, fourscore nails. What did I see?
> >
>
> 10 men (or women I suppose) on horses
>
this does not add up - but sounds on right lines
Jan Merolant
Bixente heeft geschreven in bericht
<8bdd9o$9gm$1...@ssauraac-i-1.production.compuserve.com>...
>
>Damian Hamilton <dham...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu> wrote in
>message news:38D943C6...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu...
>> possible spoilers...
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Jan Merolant wrote:
Here I have some very old riddles.
Try and come-up with as many plausible
answers as you can for each question.
1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
>> the moon?
Not the answer I have but it works just as well.
2. I am a chest of silver with a casket of gold,
what am I?
>egg ok
3. What is it that is round as a hoop, deep as a pail;
never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
>> bell ok
4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger like a lion?'
>> I seem to remember this being a reference to Samson -
>> something about a beehive growing in the carcass of the
>> lion he killed... out of the strength comes sweetness
>>(on the treacle tin) bees nest in a lion skin
Riddle number 4 is in fact the answer the
Philistines gave to Samson's riddle;
"Out of the eater came something to eat;
Out of the strong came something sweet"
But their answer was a riddle on its own
Bixente has found the answer it needs.
>could this riddle refer to love/friendship ok
5. What is it when living does not move from its place
but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
>> flower? no
6. What is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no
more studious therby.
>> fire burning books?
>> Or maybe mice/etc eating books. ok
7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
for repeatedly it return though often too departs
again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
now none.
8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
>> I think the virgin mary answer goes here.
Close, think of burden.
>snail
snail does not work, because the house it is
carrying is not born.
9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
its gloves in the window?
10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
her tears fall in her lap.
11. As I went to feast, I met with a beast,
with ten heads, and ten tails,
forty feet, fourscore nails. What did I see?
>> 10 men (or women I suppose) on horses
>this does not add up - but sounds on right lines
True, you are on the right lines
12. Three monks were passing,
Three pears were hanging,
Each took one, and that left two.
>> reference to "pair"?
No that's another riddle
Jan
SparkOut
Damian Hamilton <dham...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu> wrote in message
news:38D943C6...@ssrl.slac.stanford.edu...
> possible spoilers...
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> Jan Merolant wrote:
>
> > Here I have some very old riddles.
> >
> > Try and come-up with as many plausible
> > answers as you can for each question.
> >
> > 1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
> > who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
>
> the moon?
>
> >
> > what am I?
> >
> > never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
> >
>
> bell
>
> >
> > What is stronger like a lion?'
> >
>
> I seem to remember this being a reference to Samson - something about a
> beehive growing in the carcass of the lion he killed...
Wasn't this actually the (cryptic) answer to the original riddle - I'm not
sure if I remember exactly but was something like "Out of the Eater,
something to eat, Out of the Strong, something sweet"? It was definitely to
do with Samson and the bees inhabiting the carcass of the lion.
>
> >
> > 5. What is it when living does not move from its place
> > but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
> >
>
> flower?
>
> >
> > 6. what is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no more
> > studious therby.
> >
>
> fire burning books?
> Or maybe mice/etc eating books.
>
> >
> > 7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
> > for repeatedly it return though often too departs
> > again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
> > now none.
> >
> > 8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
> >
>
> I think the virgin mary answer goes here.
>
> >
> > 9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
> > its gloves in the window?
> >
> > 10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
> > her tears fall in her lap.
> >
> > 11. As I went to feast, I met with a beast,
> > with ten heads, and ten tails,
> > forty feet, fourscore nails. What did I see?
> >
>
> 10 men (or women I suppose) on horses
>
> >
> > 12. Three monks were passing,
> > Three pears were hanging,
> > Each took one, and that left two.
> >
>
> reference to "pair"?
>
> Damian
>
> >
> > Jan
>
D.J. Schreffler
On Wed, 22 Mar 2000, Jan Merolant wrote:
> Here I have some very old riddles.
>
> 4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
> What is stronger like a lion?'
I thought that this was the answer given by the Philistines to Samson's
riddle: 'Out of the eater something to eat; out of the strong, something
sweet'.
D.J.
Jan Merolant
D.J. Schreffler heeft geschreven in bericht ...
You are right, riddle number 4 is in fact the answer
the Philistines gave to Samson's riddle;
"Out of the eater came something to eat;
Out of the strong came something sweet"
But their answer is a riddle on its own
Bixente has found the answer it needs.
Jan
>
>D.J.
>
>
Jan Merolant
Here I have some very old riddles
answers as you can for each question.
Some of the answers you all gave are perhaps just as good
or maybe even better.
1. Who becomes pregnant without conceiving,
who becomes fat without eating? (not the virgin Mary)
rain-cloud
2. I am a chest of silver with a casket of gold,
what am I? an egg
3. What is it that is round as a hoop, deep as a pail;
never sings out until it's grabbed by the tail.
A bell
4. 'What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger like a lion?'
love
5. What is it when living does not move from its place
but when its head is cut of it moves to far places.
A tree (made into a canoe)
6. what is it that has devoured the Muses, but is no more
studious therby.
A bookworm
7. I do not straightway die while breath departs;
for repeatedly it return though often too departs
again: and now my store of vital breath is great,
now none.
Bellows
8. Who bare the best burden that ever was born?
The ass (donkey) that bare Our Lady with Our Lord
into Egypt.
9. What is it that goes around the house and leaves
its gloves in the window?
Snow
10. A queen sits on her chair. She wears a white gown,
her tears fall in her lap.
A lighted candle
11. As I went to feast, i met with a beast,
with ten heads, and ten tails,
forty feet, fourscore nails.
A sow with her nine pigs
12. Three monks were passing,
Three pears were hanging,
Each took one, and that left two.
One of the monks was named 'Each'
Jan