Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-04-14
aatisffllauenus,
A Trade in Riddles.

A Trade in Riddles.
Nine persons sailed from Basic down
the Rhine. A Jew who wished to go to
Sehlampi was allowed TO comeen board
and Journey with them, on condition
that ne would conduct himself with
propriety, and give the Captain eighteen
kreutzers for his passage.
Now, it is true something jingled in
the Jews pocket when he struck his
hand against it; but the only money
there was a twelve kreutZer piece, for
the other was brass button. Notwith-
standing this he accepted the offer with
gratitude. For he thought TO himself,
"Something may be earned even upon
the water. There is many man has
grown rich upon the Rhine"
During the first part of the voyage,
the passengers were very talkative and
merry, and the Jew, with his wallet
under his arm, for he did not lay it
aside, was an object of much mirth and
mockery. But as the vessel sailed on
ward, and passed Thuringen and st.
Welt, the passengers, one after another,
grew silent, and gaped and gazed list
lessly down the river, until one cried:
"Come, Jew! Do you know any pas
time that will amuse US? Your fathers
must have contrived many a one during
their journey in the wilderness"
Now is the time" thought the Jew,
"to shear my sheep;h and he proposed
that they should sit around in a circle,
and he, with their permission, would
sit with them. Those who could not
answer the questions should pay the one
who propounded them atwelve kreutZer
piece.
This proposal pleased the company,
and hoping to divert themselves with
the Jews wit or stupidity, each one
asked at random whatever chanced to
enter his head.
Thus for example, the first asked:
"How many soft-boiled eggs could the
giant Goliah eat Oh an empty stonach?''
All said it was impossible to answer
that question, and each paid the twelve
kreutZers.
But the Jew said, "One; for he who
has eaten an egg, can not put a second
upon an empty stomach" and the 9TH
ers paid him twelve kreutzers.
The second thought, "Wait, Jew, l
will try you out of the New Testament,
and L think shall win my piece. Why
did The Apostle Paul write the Second
Epistle to the Corinthians.
The Jew, said because he was not
in Corinth-otherwise he would have
spoken to them" So he won another
twelve-kreutzer piece.
When the third saw the Jew so well
versed in the Bible, he tried him in diff
ferent way: "Who prolongs his work
to as great length as possible, and COM
pletes it in time"
"The rope maker, if he is industrious"
said the Jew.
In the meantime they draw near to a
village, and one said to another, "That
is Bamlach." Then the fourth asked,
"In what month do the people of Bam-
ZACH eat the least"
The Jew said, "In February, for it has
only twenty-eight days"
The fifth said, "There are two natural
brothers, and still but one of them is my
uncle"
The Jew said, "The uncle is your
fathers brother, and your father is not
your uncle"
A fish now leaped out of the water,
and a sixth asked, "What fish have
their eyes nearest together?
The Jew said, "The smallest"
The seventh asked, "How can a man
ride from Basle to Berne in the shade,
in the summer time, when the sun
shines?
The Jew said, "When he comes to
place where there is no shade, he must
dismount and go on foot"
The eighth asked, "When man rides
in the winter time from Berne to Basle,
and has forgotten his gloves, how must
he manage so that his hands shall not
freeZe?"
The Jew said, "He must make fists
out of them"
The ninth was the last. This one
asked: How can five persons divide
five eggs so that each man shall receive
one, and still one remain in the dish?"
The Jew said: "The last must take
the dish with the egg, and he can let it
lie there as long as he pleases."
But now it came his turn, and he de-
termined to make good sweep. After
many preliminary compliments, he ask
ed, with an air of mischievous friendli-
ness: "How can a man fry two trout in
three pans, so that trout may lie in
each pan?"
No one could answer this, and one
after the other gave him a twelve
kreutzer piece.
But when the ninth desired that he
should solve the riddle, he rocked to and
fro, shrugged his shoulders, and rolled
his eyes. II am poor Jew" he'said at
last.
The rest cried. "What has that to do
with it? Give us the answer"
You must not take it amiss, for am
a poor jew"
At last, after much persuasion and
many promises that they would do him
no harm, he thrust his hand into his
pocket, took out one of the twelve
kreutzer pieces that he had won, laid it
upon the table and said: II do not
know the answer any more than you.
Here are my kreutzers."
When the others heard these words,
they opened their eyes and said that
this was scarcely according to the agree
ment. But as they could not contro,
their laughter, and were wealthy and
good natured men, and as the Jew had
helped them 20 while away the time |
from st. Welt to Sehlampi, they let it
pass; and the Jew took with him from
The vessel-let a good arithmetician |
reckon up for me how much the Jew |
carried home with him. He had nine |
twelve-kreutZer pieces by his answers, |
nine with his own riddle, one he paid |
back, aud eighteen kreutzers he gave to |
;he Captain.
Work In Your own Harness.
"And Saul armed David with his
armour, and he put helmet of brass |