Synopsis
Oedipus Rex was an early riddle-cracker, unravelling the Sphinx's enigma of man, though this 'complex' character was not alone. Riddles are enshrined in the Bible's parables, the verdicts of Solomon, and the opaque koans of the Buddhist faith. Meander the archives and you'll find equivalent head-scratchers in the wisdom contests of Valhalla, or the tangled verses of The Exeter Book (1108 AD), where many answers remain up for grabs, one millennium on. Likewise Lewis Carroll left us the raven riddle to wrestle with in Wonderland. Just as modern-day translators have to grapple with the pickle of capturing the Tom Riddle teaser lying at the heart of the Harry Potter saga.
Across centuries, across the world, kids have traded in riddles, from the tongues and eyes of shoes, to the tusks and trunks of elephants. Riddling weaves between the playground and the proving grounds, looking at our constant appetite for bewilderment. Quick on the heels of his other brainy hits - Puzzled and Cluetopia - David Astle curates the realm of riddles according to brain zone and visceral groan, readily asking the big questions:
What is the human thirst that a riddle quenches?
How do riddles vary across cultures, across time?
What distinguishes a riddle from a mind-boggling question?
And can a tree fall silently in an empty forest?
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
David Astle has written two novels and three non-fiction works. He is the Friday crossword setter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Riddledom
101 Riddles and their Stories
By David AstleAllen & Unwin
Copyright © 2015 David Astle
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-76011-260-8All rights reserved.
Contents
1 What needs to breathe yet doesn't live?,
2 When is a boy not a boy?,
Birds & Bees,
3 Why did the chicken cross the road?,
4 Why is a raven like a writing desk?,
5 Riddle me, riddle me, rot-tot-tote!,
6 Dvi lentutes, dvi geldutes, ylos kotas, katile dugnas ...,
7 I know the imazi ihobe,
8 A man that was not a man hit a bird that was not a bird ...,
9 M'aan cwii tsan'iieen jeen chian'iie,
10 An old woman is made to break wind by an angry old man,
11 [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII],
12 Eu sou mineiro, não bule comigo não ...,
Lust & Love,
13 I gave my love a cherry that had no stone,
14 Ciò che il ghiaccio può fare fuoco?,
15 Hyse cwom gangan pœr he hie wise stondan ...,
16 Out of the eater, something to eat. Out of the strong, something sweet.,
17 Waq law pampapi huq machucha runtunta champayanankama suqurn,
18 Why are ladies like arrows?,
19 Mulier ferebat filium simile sui ...,
20 Kyamiso-ru to kakete enpitsu to toku. Sono kokoro wa?,
21 Eine getötet keiner, aber immer noch getötet zwölf,
22 Seven exit and nine enter, two pour and one drinks,
Life & Death,
23 A fire broke out in a prison,
24 Who is the great one that glides o'er the earth, and swallows both waters and woods?,
25 Why is a turnpike like a dead dog's tail?,
26 [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII],
27 Was ist ein Kannibale, der seinen Vater und seine Mutter gegessen hat?,
28 What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon ...,
29 ... and three feet in the evening?,
30 Why did the girl kill her sister?,
Anti-riddles,
31 What's red and bad for your teeth?,
32 Why can't you tell secrets to a cornfield?,
33 Knock, knock!,
34 I turn polar bears white and will make you cry ...,
35 Which came first, the chicken or the egg?,
36 There are five houses painted five different colours,
37 The cock crew, the sky was blue ...,
38 What lake can fly?,
Letters & Numbers,
39 As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives ...,
40 One,
41 Aso ko sa pantalan, lumukso ng pitong balon, umulit ng pitong gubat, bago nagtanaw dagat,
42 Red nuts and gin,
43 Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand won't tolerate this nonsense.,
44 Mostro son io più strano è più difforme ...,
45 Which is easier to spell, fiddle-de-dee or fiddle-de-dum?,
46 My first is in riddle, but not in little ...,
47 Perhaps the solvers are inclined to hiss ...,
48 The century's wonder — a raree-show ...,
49 'Twas whispered in heaven, 'twas muttered in hell ...,
50 What's the difference between a dasher and a haberdasher?,
51 101 × 5,
Lost & Found,
52 In the fields grazeth a calf whose body changeth hue thrice in the space of each day,
53 Sounds like where a robin or eagle might keep their money,
54 Basin Street Banquet,
55 In the morn, when I rise, I open my eyes ...,
56 Se pareba boves, alba pratalia araba,
57 Why should the Captain of a vessel going to Woolnorth leave here with a good appetite?,
58 I'm the sweetest of sounds in Orchestra heard ...,
59 Fifty is my first, nothing is my second ...,
60 [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII],
War & Peace,
61 Let us look at it quite closely, 'tis a very ugly wo
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Riddledom: 101 Riddles and Their Stories
Seller Image
Riddledom: 101 Riddles and Their Stories
Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Signed by Author(Unverified). Seller Inventory # wbs4172118221
Buy Used
£ 10.20
£ 6.40 shipping
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Seller Image
Riddledom
Seller: Rarewaves USA, OSWEGO, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. Main. Oedipus Rex was an early riddle-cracker, unravelling the Sphinx's enigma of man, though this 'complex' character was not alone. Riddles are enshrined in the Bible's parables, the verdicts of Solomon, and the opaque koans of the Buddhist faith. Meander the archives and you'll find equivalent head-scratchers in the wisdom contests of Valhalla, or the tangled verses of The Exeter Book (1108 AD), where many answers remain up for grabs, one millennium on. Likewise Lewis Carroll left us the raven riddle to wrestle with in Wonderland. Just as modern-day translators have to grapple with the pickle of capturing the Tom Riddle teaser lying at the heart of the Harry Potter saga.Across centuries, across the world, kids have traded in riddles, from the tongues and eyes of shoes, to the tusks and trunks of elephants. Riddling weaves between the playground and the proving grounds, looking at our constant appetite for bewilderment. Quick on the heels of his other brainy hits - Puzzled and Cluetopia - David Astle curates the realm of riddles according to brain zone and visceral groan, readily asking the big questions:What is the human thirst that a riddle quenches?How do riddles vary across cultures, across time?What distinguishes a riddle from a mind-boggling question?And can a tree fall silently in an empty forest? Seller Inventory # LU-9781760112608
Seller Image
Riddledom
Seller: Rarewaves USA United, OSWEGO, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. Main. Oedipus Rex was an early riddle-cracker, unravelling the Sphinx's enigma of man, though this 'complex' character was not alone. Riddles are enshrined in the Bible's parables, the verdicts of Solomon, and the opaque koans of the Buddhist faith. Meander the archives and you'll find equivalent head-scratchers in the wisdom contests of Valhalla, or the tangled verses of The Exeter Book (1108 AD), where many answers remain up for grabs, one millennium on. Likewise Lewis Carroll left us the raven riddle to wrestle with in Wonderland. Just as modern-day translators have to grapple with the pickle of capturing the Tom Riddle teaser lying at the heart of the Harry Potter saga.Across centuries, across the world, kids have traded in riddles, from the tongues and eyes of shoes, to the tusks and trunks of elephants. Riddling weaves between the playground and the proving grounds, looking at our constant appetite for bewilderment. Quick on the heels of his other brainy hits - Puzzled and Cluetopia - David Astle curates the realm of riddles according to brain zone and visceral groan, readily asking the big questions:What is the human thirst that a riddle quenches?How do riddles vary across cultures, across time?What distinguishes a riddle from a mind-boggling question?And can a tree fall silently in an empty forest? Seller Inventory # LU-9781760112608