Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-07
DEMANDS Joyous.
Old Time Anusemenis-The PAstimss
of our AncesfOrs

OF our Ancestors.
How our ancestors managed to pas:
the long winter evenings in the Older
time, has never been satisfactorily ex,
planned. They had no new books, in,
deed but few books Of any kind, to read
or talk about. Newspapers were un-
known I; wandering beggar, minstrel,
or peddler. circulated the very small
amount Of news that was to be told.
The innumerable subjectsbfinterest that
form our ordinary topics Of conversation
were then utterly unknown. So we can
only conclude that our ances Tors, like some
semi savage tribes at the present day,
passed their spare hours in relating often
told stories, and exercising their wits in
asking each other puzzlipg questions or
riddles. Many copies Of what we would
. now term riddle books, are found in both
the French and English collections Of old
manuscripts, and Some were printed at
an early period. One of these, entitled
Demands Joyous" which may be renS
dered Amusing Questions, was printed
in English, in l51l, by Wynkyn de
WOrde. From this work, of which one
copy only is said to be txtant, are taken
the following demands" with their re
sponses ~ i-....
Dem-What bare the best burden that
ever was borne?
Res-The ass that carried our lady
when she fled with the Lord into Egypt.
Dem-What became Of tina: ass?
Res-Adam's mother ate her. . {
Dem Who was Adams mother?
Res-The earth. r. IT,. .as.l.iI-.
Dem-How many calves tails would
it take to reach from the earth to the
sky? -- 800 49,
Res-No more than one, fit belong
enough. i''
Dem-What is the distance from the
surface of the sea to the deepest part
there of?
Res-Only stones throw,
Dem-When Antichrist appears in tn e
world, what will be the hardest thing for
him to understand?
Res--A hand barrow, for of that he
shall not know which end ought to be
foremost. .s.att. .. .a-'....
Eem-What was it that never was
and never will be? f'. fial' .''i
Res--A mouse's nest in cats ear.
Dem-Why do men make an oven in a
town? ri 800
Res-Because they can not make a
town in an oven. -.a -r'la....rr q
Dem-How may a man discern COW
in a flock of sheen?
Res-By his eye sight. & TgE
Dem-Why doth cow lie down?
Res-Because it can not sit.
Dem-What is it that never freeze tn?
Res-Boiling water. ~. .-.-...... Z
Dem Which was the first, the han or
or egg? .- -'''-''-
Res-The hen at the creation. r.'
Dem-HOw many straws go to a
goose's nest? .f -v#. - ,.7
Res-Not. one, for straws not havin g
feet cannot go anywhere.
Dem-Who killed the fourth part Of all
the people in the world?
Res-Cain, when he killed Abel. -.
Dem-Which are the most profitable
saints of the church?
heS-1 nose painted on the glass VIII
1ews, for they keep the wind from vast
ing the candles. .- .-.-....
Dem-Why doth a dog turn round
three times before he lieth down?
Res-Becauseh he knoweth not his beds
head from the foot thereof. BE 4igE !
Dem-What is the worst bestowed
charity that one can give? i.i' -..t
sRes--Aims to a blind man; for he
would be glad to see the person hanged
that gave it to him.
Dem-Wha! is the age of a field
mouse? ......
Res-A year. And the age of hedge
beg is three times that of a mouse, and
the life of dog is three times that of a
hedge hog, and the life of a horse is
three times that of a dog, and the life of
. man is three times that Of horse, and
the life of a goose is three times that of
. man, and the life of swan is three
times that Of goose, and the life Of a
swallow is three times that of swan,
and the life of an eagle is three times that
Of swallow, and the life of serpent is
three times that of an eagle, and the life
of a raven is three times that of serpent,
and the life Of hart is three times that
Of q raven; and the oak groweth five
hundred years and tadeth five hundre
years.