A king has no sons, no daughters, and no queen. For this reason, he must decide who will take the throne after he dies. To do this he decides that he will give all of the children of the kingdom a single seed. Whichever child has the largest, most beautiful plant will earn the throne; this is a metaphor for the kingdom. At the end of the contest, all of the children came to the palace with their enormous and beautiful plants in hand. After he looks at all of the children's pots, he finally decides that the little girl with an empty pot will be the next Queen. Why did he choose this little girl over all of the other children with their beautiful plants?
The king was not looking for the child who could grow the most beautiful plant, but rather the child who could understand and respect the rules and conditions of the kingdom.
The king gave them all fake seeds; he chose the little girl who was honest and didn't switch seeds.
A man and his wife were doing missionary work near the city of Nairobi in the country of Kenya in eastern Africa. Their housing had not yet been completed, so the man, the woman, and their six year old daughter were spending a few nights in the jungle in three small pup tents. During their third night there, the woman was awakened by the call of a hyena passing by, so she got out of her tent to see if her young daughter had been frightened by the noise. As she peered into her daughter's tent she was surprised to see the dark figures of lion, a panther, and a cheetah which were curled up next to her daughter. Seeing her daughter was asleep and unharmed, the woman slowly and quietly withdrew from the tent, and simply returned to her own tent and went back to bed. How could this child's mother leave her daughter in such a dangerous situation, and simply ignore what she had just witnessed without intervening in some way? How can such emotional coldness ever be explained; or is there something here we are missing?
Think about the purpose of the tents...
The woman was surprised to see that her daughter had talked her father into allowing her to bring her three favorite stuffed animals on the trip with her (the lion, the panther, and the cheetah).
Monica took part in a furiously competitive race, which she won due to her speed and agility. Despite this, she was not allowed to collect the winning trophy.
Why?
Think about the type of "race" where speed and agility are important, but a human wouldn't be able to collect a trophy...
Monica is the name of the horse that won the race.
"May Day! May Day! May Day! May Day!" shouted an angry wife to her cringing husband. "This is my official warning for you to remove that dead plant from this house before the stroke of midnight tonight!" "But it holds a lot of sweet memories from last year for me," responded her husband. His wife fired back with, "Today is the first of May, and you should have removed your precious plant from the premises months ago. Besides, it is both dead and brown and is now as sharp as a cactus, and to top it off, it has become a genuine fire hazard." Her husband sheepishly answered her by saying,” Well, I was hoping to set a Guinness world record for the family; but if I must dispose of it, the least you can do is help me remove all the shiny stuff from it first. What kind of a plant do you suppose this was which could create such a strange-sounding argument between this husband and wife?
Hint: Think about a type of plant that is often associated with a specific holiday or celebration, and consider what "shiny stuff" might be attached to it.
The husband was having trouble parting with his beloved Christmas tree which was still standing in all of its tinseled glory in their living room, since it was erected in December of the previous year.
A bus driver goes the wrong way on a one-way street. He passes two stop signs without stopping, and he even ignores all of the traffic signs. The driver passes the cops, but they don't arrest him. Why?
Think about the driver's occupation and the circumstances under which he is operating the bus...
Nowhere in this riddle did I say that the bus driver was actually driving a bus; after all, he was walking!
Mrs. Beverly has three daughters–Sally, Gianna, and Emma. She is about to have another daughter. What will she name her–Victoria, Alyssa, or Amanda?
Think about the names of Mrs. Beverly's existing daughters... do you notice a pattern or connection between them?
Mrs. Beverly will name her next daughter Alyssa; the names of her other three daughters each contain a double letter. Alyssa's name has a double letter ("s"), unlike the other two.
Mrs. Nimbus left some money for her eldest son, Garrett, to go grocery shopping. When Garrett went to take the money, he didn't find it. Mrs. Nimbus suspected that one of her two younger kids-either Abby or Rick–had stolen it, so she questioned them. Abby said that she had put the money underneath a book so that it wouldn't fly away. Rick said that he had put the money inside the book between pages 51 and 52. Who's the thief?
Think about the name "Mrs. Nimbus"... what does it imply about the environment in which the story takes place?
Rick is the thief. Books normally have their odd-numbered pages on the right, while the even-numbered pages are on the left. Pages 51 and 52 are on two sides of the same sheet, so Rick couldn't have put the money between those two pages.
A group of men are suddenly awakened by a loud, piercing, continuous sound. They all scramble out of their beds, get dressed, grab a pole, and disappear into a hole. What in the world are these men doing?
Think about a profession that requires a sudden response to a loud alarm, and a tool that's essential for their job...
They are firemen who were sleeping in their fire station. When they heard the fire alarm, they quickly got dressed, slid down the fire pole, and got in the fire engine to head to the reported fire.
Jennifer is always late for work. One day, she comes to work late as usual, which angers her boss. But, her boss is more lenient today and gives Jennifer a chance to keep her job. If she solves his rebus puzzle, Jennifer won't be fired. The boss says, "I'm A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W X Y Z!". Luckily, Jennifer was a smart girl and managed to keep her job. What did the rebus puzzle say?
The hint is: Think about the alphabet, but not just the letters...
"I'm missing you". "A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W X Y Z" is missing the letter "U", which sounds like "I'm missing you (U)".
Mr. Plessy, one of the best pilots in his town, came to his insurance company to file a report. He said that someone had robbed him in the street, but he couldn't see what the robber had looked like because of his poor eyesight. The insurance manager refused to proceed with the case and called Mr. Plessy a liar. Why?
Think about Mr. Plessy's profession and how it relates to his claim...
Mr. Plessy is a pilot, but it's impossible to work as one if you have poor eyesight.
Your grandma baked three cupcakes for you, and she's letting you eat one of them. She knows that you don't like strawberries, so she lines the cupcakes in a row and tells you, "The orange cupcake is not in the middle. And the apple cupcake is not next to the orange cupcake,". Which cupcake is strawberry-flavored?
Think about the process of elimination and the clues your grandma gave you. Focus on the apple cupcake's position...
The orange cupcake is not in the middle, and the apple cupcake can't be in the middle either because it would contradict your grandma's second statement. Therefore, the orange and apple cupcakes are on the ends, and the strawberry cupcake is in the middle.
Which of the following statements are true, and which are false? 1. Only one of the statements is false 2. Exactly two of the statements are false. 3. Only three of the statements are false. 4. Exactly four of the statements are false. 5. All five of these statements are false.
Think about it like a paradox: if a statement says it's false, is it really false?
The only true statement can be #4. The others are false. #5 can't be true, because it says all the statements are false.
Here's a hint: Think about the things you wear, use, or find in pairs in your daily life. You might be surprised at how many common items are sold in twos!
Because only the bony part is left.
This is a play on words referring to Napoleon Bonaparte who played a key role in the 1789 French Revolution and was the first Emporer of France from 1804-15.
I have three feet but can't walk;
I tell you things but can't talk;
Sometimes I bend but I'm mostly straight.
I'm like a scale but can't tell your weight.
What am I?
Think about something you might find in a school or office, used for a specific purpose, and has a peculiar shape...
A student zips on his scooter to ride to the train station to get to college. His home is close to two stops; the first one is a mile from home, and the second is two miles from home in the opposite direction. In the morning, he always gets on at the first stop and in the afternoon, he always gets off at the second one.
Why?
Think about the direction of travel...
The sations and his home are on a hill, which allows him to ride down easily on his scooter.
Many different types of my last seven letters can be found in newspapers, magazines, & journals. Physicists have built devices to get me moving very fast. What am I?
Think about a word that has multiple meanings, and its last 7 letters relate to written publications, while also being connected to speed and physics...
Mr. Green, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Black meet up for coffee one Monday morning. Mr. Green says, "Hey, do you realize that we're all wearing shirts of colors that don't match our names?". The man wearing the brown shirt says, "Wow, Mr. Green, you're right"! What colored shirt is each man wearing?
Think about what the man wearing the brown shirt says...
Mr. Green cannot be wearing the green shirt, because his statement that all three men are wearing shirts that don't match their names is correct. And he cannot be wearing the brown shirt, because the man wearing the brown shirt replied to his words, and let's be honest–it doesn't make sense to reply to your OWN words, right? This means Mr. Green can only be wearing the black shirt. Mr. Brown can either be wearing a green or a black shirt. The black shirt is already taken, so Mr. Brown is wearing the green shirt. And Mr. Black is wearing the brown shirt.
Three working women have different careers. If only one of statements 1, 2 and 3 are true, can you tell whether or not Mary is a nurse? 1. This statement is only true if statement 5 is false. 2. This statement is true if statements 4 or 5, or both 4 and 5 are true. 3. This statement is false only if both statements 6 and 1 are true. 4. Mary is a nurse 5. Karen is an artist. 6. Sarah is a photographer.
Pay close attention to the relationships between the statements, especially statements 1, 2, and 3, as they will help you navigate the puzzle.
Mary is not a nurse. The way to solve this riddle is to consider statements 4, 5, and 6 and create a chart of all possible true and false answers. Next, fill in the chart according to statements 1 through 3. You will discover that there is only one line where only one of the statements one, two, and three are true. Thus, it is determined that: Statements 4 and 5 are false and statement 6 is true.
A frog fell into a 12-foot-deep well. He could jump 3 feet, but every time he jumped 3 feet, he fell back 2 feet. How many times did he have to jump to get out of the well?
Think about the pattern of the frog's progress: up 3, down 2, up 3, down 2... Focus on the net progress the frog makes with each jump.
10. On the tenth jump he cleared the edge of the well and thus did not fall back two feet.
How many cats are in a small room if in each of the four corners a cat is sitting, and opposite each cat there sit three cats, and a each cat's tail another is sitting?
Think about the phrase "opposite each cat" very carefully...
Four cats, each near a tail of a cat in an adjacent corner.
Once upon a time, John was walking in the woods to go fishing for some food but got lost. But he got across and old house and asked the owner, the owner invited John and they began to tell a story. The old man said "Once upon a time, two best friends were on a deserted island. There was no food at all, so they began to die of hunger. They agreed to fight until one of them died. The winner would eat the loser and thus will be saved. Besides, no one would ever know about that. They began to fight. And finally one of the best friends won." Meaning that the other was eaten and betrayed. Then, John pulled out a gun and killed the old man at once. Why would he do it?
There's a body lying dead on a bed, and on the floor beside it is a pair of scissors. The scissors were instrumental in his death, yet there's no trace of blood. The body reveals no signs of any cuts or bruises. How could the person have been murdered with a pair of scissors?
Think about a profession that often uses scissors, and a situation where they might be "instrumental" in someone's death, but not in a violent or bloody way...
The person slept on a waterbed. His killer used the scissors to cut the bed open and drown him.
I never was, am always to be, No one ever saw me, nor ever will, And yet I am the confidence of all to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?
Think about something that doesn't exist in the present, but is always anticipated or expected to happen in the future, and is essential for humanity's survival...
Three lives have I. Gentle enough to soothe the skin, Light enough to caress the sky, Hard enough to crack rocks. What am I?
Think about something that can exist in different forms or states, and how its properties change depending on those states...
Water. Explanation: Water can be in the form of a liquid, solid (ice), and/or a gas (water vapor) which is represented by "three lives". As a liquid, it is used to bathe, as a gas it creates clouds that float in the sky, and as a solid (ice), it can split rocks or create glaciers that scour the earth as they move downhill.
I have a head body and arm but no blood. I have eyes but can't see a nose but can't smell. I have a stage but haven't seen anyone perform. I have arms but can not carry anything you see things with me but you can't see what I am made of. What am I?
Think about a place where people often gather, and it's not a living thing...
The fuel for life, Important parts of the day, Even if it is a long time away. Long lasting use, Long lasting fuse, Until my explosive death day. What am I?
Think about something that provides energy, is often associated with daily routines, and has a "shelf life" before it eventually "burns out" in a dramatic way...
There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies What am I?
Think about something you might find in a garden or a yard, and consider the colors mentioned in the riddle...
I am the shell of something interesting. My front is very eye catching but my inside tells all. What am I ?
"Think about something you might find in a museum or a collector's shelf, and consider the difference between its attractive exterior and the valuable information it holds within..."
I am passed from person to person but no hands are needed. I often change in this exchange. Always changing never remaining the same. What am l?
Think about something that is shared or communicated between people, but doesn't require physical touch. It's something that can be altered or modified as it's being passed along...
I am a four-digit number and when converted to a Roman numeral I become a common 3 letter word meaning "Blend." What number am I?
Think about a common 3-letter word that means "Blend" and how its Roman numeral equivalent could be a 4-digit number... Pay attention to the first letter of that word!
I cannot be felt, seen or touched; Yet I can be found in everybody; My existence is always in debate, Yet I have my own style of music.
What Am I?
"Think about something that is abstract, yet has a profound impact on individuals, and has been a topic of discussion and creativity throughout history..."
I feel your every thought. I feel your every move. I'm with you from birth and I'll see you rot. What am I?
You're looking for something that's always with you, from the moment you're born, and will stay with you until the end. Think about something that's closely tied to your existence, something that's always "feeling" your emotions and movements...
People who can't see me never aspire, and people who feel me don't want to lose. I fit for a person, but not for a group. I was born into one's consciousness, and I was repressed into rules and order. If a person wants to get me, he has to abandon the views of others and find his true self. I endure, I don't die forever, because there will always be person willing to follow my trail. What am I?
Think about something that is deeply personal and individual, yet often influenced by the opinions of others. It's something that can be lost or found, and its existence is closely tied to one's sense of identity.
Where man is, there I am
I'm natural, man makes me
I'm a shield, a weapon
I enchain to release
A stable foundation
Though ever-evolving
My body is quite vast
Though I'm not physical
I have many branches
I'm not a tree or plant
No guesses, you know me now
No mercy, if you are wrong
What am I?
Think about something that is inherently connected to human existence, yet is not a living thing, and has a dual nature that can be both protective and restrictive...
I talk, but I do not speak my mind I hear words, but I do not listen to thoughts When I wake, all see me When I sleep, all hear me Many heads are on my shoulders Many hands are at my feet The strongest steel cannot break my visage But the softest whisper can destroy me The quietest whimper can be heard. What am I?
Pay attention to the contrast between "wake" and "sleep" in the riddle, and think about something that is visible to all when it's "awake", but is heard by all when it's "asleep".
I am, in truth, a yellow fork From tables in the sky By inadvertent fingers dropped The awful cutlery. Of mansions never quite disclosed And never quite concealed The apparatus of the dark To ignorance revealed. What am I?
"Think about something that's often associated with the sky, and can be seen as a dark or ominous presence, but is also something that can be found on tables..."
Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye, and a long tail which she let fly; and every time she went through a gap, a bit of her tail she left in a trap. What is she?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, used for a specific task, and has a "tail" that can get caught in a "trap"...
What has 4 letters and has 3 letters but never has 5 letters but has 3 if it is spelled with 2 letters?
Think about a word that refers to a quantity or amount, and how it can be represented in different ways...
Riddle is the answer. Don't read it as a question, read it as a statement. What= 4 letters And= 3 letters Never= 5 letters But= 3 letters If, it ,is= 2 letters
Half-way up the hill, I see thee at last. Lying beneath me with thy sounds and sights - A city in the twilight, dim and vast, With smoking roofs, soft bells, and gleaming lights. What is it?
Half of me will mend, the other half will imprison. When I am together, I will poison. Who am I?
Think about something that has two distinct parts, where one part is associated with healing or fixing, and the other part is associated with confinement or restriction...