The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-01-03
SOME FAMOUS RIDDLES.
CURIOUS VERSES OF THE LONG
AGO TIME
ring Solomon Himself was One OF the Earliest
and Most Successful Riddle Makers
Here Il q Collection Of the Most
Famous OF All the Riddles.


the wise and the witty.
They are found In all languages and
have been sourse OF diversion TO oil
classes OF people. from the grave phi
losopher In his study TO the merry
clown In the circus while anciently
the guesser OF riddles was supposed 10
be gifted. And while this play upon
words Is sort OF witty pastlme with
us. the riddle once held far higher
place After inventing 1t. men began
to make IL into kind OF game Bets
were made on the answer and sides
chosen, each side backing its cham
plon. and II Is related that King Solo
mon once won large sum OF money
Tor his superior wit in guessing riddles
The Oldest riddle on record. with
which no doubt everyone is familiar,
may DO found In the book OF Judges,
chapter IA. verses l4-lS.
The riddle propounded by the tabled
Sphinx 10 the people OF Thebes is prob
ably the most celebrated in the long
list OF philosophical riddles, the so
luton OF which won for Epidus (son
of Lafus. king OF Thebes) kingdom:
"What is that which goes on four
legs In the morning. two in the day
time. and In the evening on threePn
The answer is Man, who crecps In
infancy, walks erect in maturity, and
In old age uses staff
The Germans ask. What can go in
the face OF the sun and yet leave no
shadow?n Answer. the wind.
The African puts IL In this way:
What flies forever ana never rests?n
and the Persian says. What is wing
less and legless. yet flies fast, aud is
never imprisonedP"
Cleobulus. one OF the Seven Wise
Men OF Greece" was u famous riddle
maker, his riddle OF the year being an
example OF his skill Ia that line:
There is a father with twice six sons.
These sons have thirty daughters
apiece. parti-colored. having ono
cheek white and the other black. who
never see each Others face. or live
above twenty -four hours" Answer
1.-The year. months and days
This Is not very witty. but what
medi@val enigma lisp
The riddle was much cultivated in
the middle ages. An old book on
titled Demands Joyous" but which
we should term amusing questions.
was printed by Wynken dc Worde. the
second expert printer in 1911. From
this book. OF which there Is said TO be
but one copy extant we Gull few
Demands"
who were the persons who once
made all. sold all. bought all and lost
alp" Answer-"A smith made an
awl and sold IL to a shoemaker, who
lost it
what Is the worst bestowed charity
that we can givep" Answer" Aims
TO blind man. for he would be glad
TO soc the person hanged who gave 1t
10 him.
"What is that that never frcezeth?"
Answer Boiling water"
What man getteth his living back
ward?" Answer--"The ropcmalxer
The Reformation put stop 10 riddle
making for awhile, but In the seven
teenth century IL revived again. aud in
France IL soon riyaled In popularity
the chanson and madrigal.
A riddle ascribed TO Canning, where,
by the addition Of letter. the word
''cares" Is changed into one OF the
sweetest words in the English Ian
guage. Is very fine- II runs ms follows:
"A word there Is OF plural number,
Foe 70 ease and tranquil slumber,
Any other word you take,
And add an s. twill plural make.
But IL you add an s. to this,
So strange the metamorphosis,
Plural is plural now 40 more
And sweet what bitter was before"
Could we imagine the stately Charles
James Fox INDUCING In riddle-ma<ingp
Yet hero Is one OF which he Is the
author, and which has long boon In
"Mother Goose's" rhymes:
"Formod long ago, yet made to-day,
Employed while others sleep
What none would like 10 give away,
And none would like 10 keep"
You arose from the answer this
mornlngl
And Letitia Barbauldl Fancy her
sitting down gravely 10 PROFOUND
snigmas. She did. however. and very
sleyerly. too, ms seen by the following.
"A rfvnr.