In a house, there lives a family of 4. There is a father, a mother, an older sister, and a younger sister. One day, the father catches a disease. A week later, Death comes to take the father's soul. The mother begs for 5 more years with her husband, and Death agrees. 5 years later, Death comes back. The older sister begs for 3 more years with her father, and Death agrees. 3 years later, Death comes back. The father, mother, and older sister turn to the younger sister for help, and she is holding a candle with a flame on the end of the wick. The younger sister says, "I have a deal to make, Death. My father will live until this candle burns out." And Death agrees. However, Death never returns. Why not?
The key to this riddle lies in the object the younger sister is holding...
The younger sister blew out the candle, so it didn't technically burn out. Then she threw away the candle so the family wouldn't mistakenly light it.
It was 8 a.m. on a cold Saturday morning in November when Inspector YU of the local police department received the call that a robbery had taken place at the home of a Miss Tiffany Ritz, a wealthy widow who lived in a wealthy neighborhood of seven mansions. The Ritz mansion was exactly in the middle, with three neighboring mansions located on either side of her lavish estate. Upon arriving at the scene of the crime, Inspector Yu was informed by the police that Miss Ritz had called 9-1-1 at 6 a.m. to report her million-dollar broach had been stolen during the night. She said she had gone downstairs just before 6 a.m. to feed her pet piranha fish when she noticed the window was open, and her ruby broach was missing from its glass display case. The police informed Inspector Yu they had left the grounds behind the mansions undisturbed, as that was where the break-in had occurred, and with the assistance of a two-inch snowfall during the night, they knew any footprints would be easily readable in the freshly fallen snow. Wasting no time, Inspector Yu began an intricate search of the snow-covered grounds behind the Ritz mansion where the break-in had occurred. The blacktopped roadway behind the seven mansions had already been plowed by the contracted maintenance man, but the snow-covered yards behind each mansion remained undisturbed. Inspector Yu was surprised to see there were absolutely no footprints of any kind leading up to the rear window of the Ritz estate, and he was especially mystified by the presence of a strange, slightly curving line in the snow which went from the plowed blacktop to the rear window where the robber had entered to steal the million-dollar broach. How was it possible for there to be absolutely no footprints in the snow which had fallen during the night, and what had caused the bizarre, curving two-inch wide line pressed into the snow which lead to the back window? The inspector noted a small, circular hole had been cut out of the window glass, where someone had reached through to undo the latch. Inspector Yu then opened the window and entered the room where the burglary had taken place. A second hole had been cut out of the glass case protecting the broach, and the thief had obviously reached through the hole and swiped the valuable jewelry. He found no other significant clues in the room, and the dusting of the window and broach case for fingerprints brought no results. Inspector Yu had observed the strange, curved line which was pressed into the snow lead to the back window, but then went away from that window in a different direction, noting this two-inch wide track then returned back to the blacktop near the place where it had started. An inspection of the other snow-covered yards behind the other six mansions revealed no footprints and no sign of the mysterious curved line in the snow. Inspector Yu's next step was to interview the tenants of the three mansions on either side of the Ritz home. He learned all of the other six neighbors had been in the home of Miss Ritz on numerous occasions for various parties, and they all said they had been shown the million-dollar broach in the case. None of the six had an alibi for their whereabouts the night of the robbery, as they all lived alone, and had slept soundly through the night, according to their testimonies. The inspector also discovered each of the neighbors despised one another, including Miss Ritz, and each one tried to implicate the others concerning the case, with stories about their exotic and bizarre behaviors. The tenants were identified as follows: Miss Sharp, a professional ice skater, whom one of the neighbors said had a habit of riding around the neighborhood on a pair of custom-built motorized ice skates, making a complete spectacle of herself on the icy blacktop. Another neighbor, Samuel Clowney, was a retired circus entertainer who was well versed in all aspects of circus performance life. One of the neighbors reported Mr. Clowney liked to show off some of his circus skills by riding up and down in front of the seven mansions as he demonstrated his balancing skill, while simultaneously juggling up to five oranges. A third neighbor, a Mr. Baghat, had relocated to the U.S. from India. Several neighbors reported he had a snake he had trained to fetch items for him upon request, and had actually trained the snake to move through the snow, even though snakes are cold-blooded reptiles which usually hate cold environments. Neighbor number four, a former Olympic pole vaulting champion from France by the name of Monsieur Jumpette, once reportedly shocked each of these neighbors by running through each of their yards using his pole to vault over each of their in-ground swimming pools. A fifth neighbor, a Miss Priscilla Pirouette, was a professional ballerina who reportedly showed off her skills to her neighbors on a regular basis, by walking on her extreme tiptoes up and down in front of the seven mansions. The last neighbor, a Miss Tallsey, was an extremely thin and emaciated woman who was 7 feet 2 inches tall but weighed less than 100 pounds. Her neighbors told Inspector Yu she made a frequent habit of walking around the neighborhood on a tall pair of wooden stilts, making her over ten feet tall. After interviewing each of the six neighbors in their mansions, Inspector Yu deduced one thing for certain: This was the weirdest group of people in one neighborhood he had ever seen in his entire life! The inspector felt certain one of the six neighbors had stolen the precious ruby broach, and he felt almost 100% certain he knew who the culprit was, based on one of the reports he had received from one of the neighbors. The inspector made his arrest, and sure enough, the million-dollar ruby broach was found in that neighbor's home. And now you, (not Inspector Yu), as a member of the Detective Dream Team, must use your powers of deduction to identify the thief who stole the precious ruby broach. So.......... Who Done It?
Here's a hint:
Think about the strange, curving line in the snow and how it relates to one of the neighbors' unique habits or abilities. Consider how this line could have been created without leaving any footprints in the snow.
Inspector Yu was tipped off by one of the neighbors who spoke about the circus skills of Samuel Clowney. The neighbor mentioned Mr. Clowney liked to "demonstrate his balancing skill while juggling up to five oranges." The inspector discovered what the neighbor was referring to when he interviewed Samuel Clowney in his mansion, and noticed many pictures of Mr. Clowney riding a unicycle while juggling various objects. Only the tire of a unicycle could have made the curving line in the snow which lead up to the back window of the Ritz mansion where the break-in had occurred. This explained the mystery of why no footprints were found on the ground outside the window, as Mr. Clowney's feet were on the pedals of his unicycle, and never touched the ground.
We are little Verbal creatures. Each of us with different features. The first of us in glass is set. The second you can find in jet. The third is trapped in tin. The fourth is boxed within. Now the fifth may try and hide, but it can never leave your side. An adopted sibling we also have but, he only appears when pigs fly. What are we?
Pay attention to the words and think about the sounds they make...
Marge and Terry are both looking intently at a 4-inch X 4-inch musical symbol, but neither of them is thinking about music. Marge initiates their activity by placing a letter of the alphabet into the upper left quadrant of the symbol. Terry counters by putting a different letter of the alphabet into the lower-right section of the figure. Marge retaliates by inscribing the same letter she used the first time, into the lower-left section of the musical emblem. Terry responds by placing the same letter he just used, into the middle-left area of the image. Marge begins to smile brightly and places the same letter she has been using into the upper-right quadrant of the figure. Terry then grimaces and writes the exact same letter he has been using, placing it in the center of the symbol. Marge then gives a gleeful laugh and puts her same letter into the top-middle of the emblem. She then draws a line and shouts out three words to Terry, which make him feel a bit sad and disappointed. What are the three words Marge shouts at Terry, and exactly what has been going on here?
Think about a common game that involves placing letters in a grid, and the three words Marge shouts at Terry might be a familiar phrase often heard at the end of such a game.
Marge and Terry have been playing the game of “Tic-Tac-Toe”, and these are the three words she shouts at him after beating him. The musical symbol called a Sharp, looks just like a Tic-Tac-Toe grid.
Billy and Sally set out on a journey to visit a famous castle, but they both forgot to bring any food, water, or money with them. At the onset of their trip, they saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky which they considered to be a good omen. Fortunately for them, along the way, they found some friendly individuals who offered them some high-calorie treats to eat --- gumdrops and peanut brittle being two examples. At one dangerous point in their journey, they had to pass through a swamp, but fortunately, no alligators were seen. Finally, they arrived at the castle, and after a brief visit there, they left the castle, went to a nearby eatery, and had tuna fish sandwiches for lunch. Where in the world was this famous castle located?
Think about the treats they found on their journey and the type of eatery they visited after leaving the castle...
Billy and Sally were children, playing a game of Candy Land.
Angela had a disease that required her to take pills. One day, her doctor prescribed her three pills that would help to cure her of her disease. She needed to take one pill every 30 minutes. How much time will pass before Angela takes all of the pills?
Think about the timing of each pill...
One hour will pass. Once Angela takes the first pill, she'll wait 30 minutes. After that, she will take the second pill and wait another 30 minutes. And then she will take the last pill after that. After all, the first pill doesn't take 30 minutes to take.
A young, aspiring musician who lived on a farm, had been given the task of monitoring the family’s livestock. The young lad was supposed to see to it that the cows and sheep stayed together as they had been trained to do, but unfortunately, as youngsters often do, he allowed himself to drift off and fall asleep beneath a pile of animal fodder, and as a result, the cows wandered into a field of corn, while the sheep made their way into a grassy meadow. Can you identify this irresponsible youth?
Think "nursery rhyme" and a famous character who is often depicted as lazy or sleepy...
A famous magician and his assistant are standing in the middle of a large, empty field. There are no trees or buildings to be seen, and there are no ropes or hidden wires attached to the two performer's bodies. A large group of curious onlookers and their families are present to see the magician's farewell performance, as advertised in the local newspapers. The magician suddenly raises both hands and dramatically shouts to the audience, "My assistant and I will now rise from this very ground and disappear from your sight, but in three hours we will reappear in a town ten miles from here!" And with those final words, the magician and his assistant slowly lifted from the ground, continuing to rise majestically, until they were out of sight! True to his word, he and his assistant did reappear in another town ten miles from the place where they had first disappeared --- in the predicted three hours' time! What a fantastic trick!! How do you think they accomplished such an amazing feat?
Think about the mode of transportation that can take you 10 miles in 3 hours, and is not a hidden wire or rope...
The magician and his assistant used a hot-air balloon to rise up and disappear from the field. They were able to navigate and land it in a similar field in a town ten miles away.
The day before yesterday, Chris was 7 years old. Next year, she'll turn 10.
How is this possible?
Think about the timing of birthdays and the way we phrase dates...
Today is Jan. 1st. Yesterday, December 31, was Chris's 8th birthday. On December 30, she was still 7. This year she will turn 9, and next year, she'll turn 10.
Four people are sitting around a campfire after a long day of recreation when one man comments: "Do you realize that around this campfire, the four of us include a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle and a couple of cousins"?. If everyone is related by blood (with no unusual marriages) how is this possible?
Think about the different relationships that can exist between family members, and consider the possibility that some individuals might fit into more than one category...
The campfire circle includes a woman and her brother. The woman's daughter and the man's son are also present.
Oliver and Brittany are siblings. They were born in the winter and summer. If Brittany was not born in the winter, then who was born in the summer?
Think about the seasons and the fact that they are siblings... if Brittany wasn't born in the winter, that means Oliver must have been... but what does that imply about Brittany's birth season?
If Brittany was not born in the winter, then she was born in the summer. Therefore, it's Brittany.
Three playing cards in a row. Can you name them with these clues? There is a two to the right of a king. A diamond will be found to the left of a spade. An ace is to the left of a heart. A heart is to the left of a spade. Now, identify all three cards.
Think about the order of suits in a deck of cards...
If 1=5, 2=15, 3=215, and 4=3215. What does 5 equal?
Look for a pattern in the way numbers are being "encoded" into new numbers, and think about how the original number is being "hidden" within the new number.
A new medical building containing 100 offices had just been completed. Mark was hired to paint the numbers 1 to 100 on the doors. How many times will Mark have to paint the number nine?
Think about the numbers that contain the digit 9...
I am a two-digit number. All my digits are even. No two digits are the same. None of my digits are prime numbers. I am not a multiple of ten. My tens digit is bigger than my other numbers. If you followed all the previous steps, there should be three options remaining the number is the option where if you add all the digits it's exactly in the middle (in how big the number is) of all the other options with their digits added together. What number am I?
Hint: Focus on the last sentence of the riddle, which mentions the sum of the digits being in the middle of the other options. Think about how you can use this information to narrow down the possibilities and find the correct answer.
If you followed all the steps apart from the last one there will be three options remaining: 64, 84, and 86. You then had to add up the digits, 64=6+4=10, 84=8+4=12, and 86=8+6=14. Finally, you then had to take up the middle biggest number (12) and put it back as it was before the digits were added together and your answer should be 84.
Ms. Dell is a math teacher at a high school. She always gives her students summer homework. One year, her students are SO tired of summer homework, and they want her to stop giving it to them. Ms. Dell promises a riddle to the students; whoever gets it right will not get summer homework. The riddle went like this: Add me to myself, and multiply me by four. Divide me by eight, and you will have me once more. What number am I? All of her students gave different answers, but nobody received any summer homework. How is that possible?
Think about the answer being a word, not a number.
All numbers work with Ms. Dell's riddle! ((x + x) * 4) / 8 will always equal x.
Jack has 8 bricks 7 of them weights the same amount and one is slightly heavier. Using a balance scale, how can Jack find the heavier brick in two weighings?
Think about dividing the bricks into three groups of 2, 2, and 4...
First he split them in to piles of 3, 3, and 2 bricks. Then he weighs both groups of 3 with each other. If they balance he knows the brick is one of the 2 unweighed bricks and he can weigh them to find the heaver one. If the the stacks of 3 bricks do not balance, he will weigh 2 of the 3 bricks. If they balance he will know the brick left unweighed is heavier, or if they do not balance, he will find the heavier one.
A man was shot to death while in his car. There were no powder marks on his clothing, which indicated that the gunman was outside the car. However, all the windows were up and the doors locked. After a close inspection was made, the only bullet holes discovered were on the man's body. How was he murdered?
Think about a specific situation where a man might be in his car, but not necessarily driving or parked on the road...
The victim was in a convertible. He was shot when the top was down.
A traveler came to the river side, with a donkey bearing an obelisk. But he did not venture to ford the tide, for he had too good an *.
What is the missing word?
Think about a word that is a common phrase associated with "head"...
Sometimes I am born in silence, Other times, no. I am unseen, But I make my presence known. In time, I fade without a trace. I harm no one, but I am unpopular with all. What am I?
Think about something that can appear suddenly, without warning, and can be very unwelcome, yet it doesn't cause any physical harm...
Ice melts when heated up. But I solidify when I'm heated up. What am I?
Think about something that changes its state from liquid to solid when its temperature increases, a process that's opposite to what happens with ice...
Alive without breath, As cold as death, Never thirsty, Ever drinking, Clad in mail, Never clinking, Drowns on dry land, Thinks an island Is a mountain, Thinks a fountain Is a puff of air. What am I?
Think about something that can exist in different forms and states, and its characteristics might seem contradictory or paradoxical...
I can be anything I want to be, yet known to many as just one, but if things don't work out, I will be known by hardly anyone. What am I?
Think about something that can take on many roles or identities, but is often associated with a single, well-known persona... and consider how its reputation might change depending on its success or failure.
Sometimes I shine, sometimes I’m dull, sometimes I am big, and sometimes I am small. I can be pointy, I can be curved, and don't ask me questions because even though I'm sharp, I’m not smart enough to answer you. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a pencil case or a desk drawer...
I can bring power, money, connections, repute, and admiration, but I'm useless in the face of love and friendship. Treat others with me, and you'll avoid heartbreak, but you'll also gain endless loneliness. What am I?
"Think about something that can bring you prestige and advantages in life, but can also serve as a barrier to genuine relationships."
I am typically feared by both women and men. I often come for the old, but also for some young people who are very ill. Many will fight me in vain, and many others live in denial of me. Those who embrace me will lose their fear of me, but they will lose something of themselves in the process. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with the end of life, but can also strike unexpectedly, and is often met with resistance or avoidance...
Baldness. (Note that 'death' doesn't fit the last clue. Those who embrace death lose ALL of themselves. Those who shave their head just lose something of themselves. Also, death ALWAYS comes for the old eventually, not just 'often'.)
Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?
Think about the veggies you often find in grandma's backyard, and the ones that come back year after year without needing to be replanted...
My first is a creature whose breeding is unclear. My second, a price you must pay. My whole can be found in the river of Time and refers to events of today. What am I?
Think about the concept of "history" and how it relates to the river of Time...
What welcomes you with open arms, but many people try to avoid it?
Think about a place or a situation where people often feel comfortable and at ease, yet many individuals might try to steer clear of it due to various reasons...
We are a pair, We can dart here and there, Though we always stay in one place. We can smile or shed tears, Show our pleasure or fears, And you'll find us on everyone's face.
What are we?
Think about the features on a face that can change expression, yet remain in the same location...
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"...
The rich wear it, The poor sell it, Pirates bury it, Miners dig it up. What is it?
Think about something that can be worn as a symbol of wealth, but is also something that people without wealth might need to sacrifice for financial gain...