The worlds first riddle!

Well, as for Croatian, there is no need to even think about it, because we don't have a single number that can be written only with straight line segments (JEDAN, DVA, TRI, CETIRI, PET, SEST, SEDAM, OSAM, DEVET, DESET)
Same goes for Serbian, and for Bosnian-Montenegrian variants. And for Macedonian.
Almost same for Slovene, only one number is made of straight lines - ENA (one) and it doesn't work.

"Well, as for Croatian, there is no need to even think about it, because we don't have a single number that can be written only with straight line segments."

Please accept my deepest condolences; never have I heard such a tearful story. :wink:

Whim, your question, "Are there still two solutions, or more?" Is absorbing.

The ?'There is/are _____ solution(s).' is the problem. Whatever number you put here, changes the other totals, which could change the number of ?'solutions' and around you go again.


Tom and his wife went to a party where four other married couples were present. Every person shook hands with everyone he or she was not acquainted with. When the handshaking was over, Tom asked everyone, including his own wife, how many hands they shook. To his surprise, Tom got nine different answers.

The Question: How many hands did Tom's wife shake


David is a strange liar. He lies on six days of the week, but on the seventh day he always tells the truth. He made the following statements on three successive days:

Day 1: "I lie on Monday and Tuesday."

Day 2: "Today, it's Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday."

Day 3: "I lie on Wednesday and Friday."

The Question: On which day does David tell the truth


Wendy has boxes in three sizes: large, standard, and small. She puts 11 large boxes on a table. She leaves some of these boxes empty, and in all the other boxes she puts 8 standard boxes. She leaves some of these standard boxes empty, and in all the other standard boxes she puts 8 (empty) small boxes. Now, 102 of all the boxes on the table are empty.

The Question: How many boxes has Wendy used in total

At this year's Chinese Festival of light (where it is a tradition that riddles are carried on lanterns) the authorities agreed to authorise 50 ?'official' riddles. No answers were given and people were expected to write in with their answers and they would be told if it was correct.

It was thought that a ?'score' of 12 correct answers was above average, 17 was, Honourable and 23 ?'Lord of the Dragon'. It was not thought anyone could achieve a higher result.

What the government failed to realise was; many of the questions have already been answered by those on this forum!
As the translations have now been completed I will post a number each day. (Keep a note on how you get on). Anyone can post an answer and I will give all the ?'official' answers at the end. Good luck.


1. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps


2. I am thousands of years old,
but still growing.
I am sometimes worth a thousand words,
other times an empty box.
I sometimes have many parts,
sometimes just one.
Though I always stay at home,
you can visit me in any big city.

I am


3. Give me anger and it won't go away.
Give me a law and I will disobey it.
Give me an exit and through it I will step into the open air.
Give me a race and I will win it.

What three letter word am I


4. What can bleed without being cut,
Will lose you across the Atlantic one way
But will get you coming back


5. What has three rooms, three doors, two windows, and one chair but is built for hundreds of people

"The Question: How many boxes has Wendy used in total? "


With trial and error I found 115 boxes.


Whim

"What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?"



A river.

Whim

The Question: How many boxes has Wendy used in total?

Whim;
"With trial and error I found 115 boxes." Very, very well done, far from easy.

By putting 8 boxes in a box, the total number of empty boxes increases by 8 - 1 = 7. If we call x the number of times that 8 boxes have been put in a box, we know that 11 + 7x = 102. It follows that x=13. In total, 11 + 13 × 8 = 115 boxes have been used.

Go to above average with 'River' .

The easy just got easier. (Except for number 6 which I think you have to be Chinese to answer) and no I didn't answer it!



6. When a songbird, enchanting.
When solo in a band, enduring.
When played at home, entertaining,
Tell me to what I am referring.


7. Who makes it, has no need of it.
Who buys it, has no use for it.
Who uses it can neither see nor feel it.

8. Whilst I was engaged in sitting
I spied the dead carrying the living.


9. Whoever makes it, tells it not.
Whoever takes it, knows it not.
And whoever knows it wants it not.


10. What happened in 1961 that will not happen again for over 4000 years?

two this time. I'm improving, next time three.


7. Who makes it, has no need of it.
Who buys it, has no use for it.
Who uses it can neither see nor feel it.

Old one. A coffin


9. Whoever makes it, tells it not.
Whoever takes it, knows it not.
And whoever knows it wants it not.

The super dollar (false money)


Whim

What happened in 1961 that will not happen again for over 4000 years?

you can read 1961 upside down and stil have the same number

Whim, "two this time. I'm improving, next time three."

These questions are reproduced in the ?'official order' all five have appeared in this thread, so you may well get 5/5.



Magnum, "you can read 1961 upside down and still have the same number"

You will see it again in ?'6009' if you keep fit.


11. A man wanted to enter an exclusive club but did not know the password that was required. He waited by the door and listened. A club member knocked on the door and the doorman said, "twelve". The member replied, "six" and was let in. A second member came to the door and the doorman said, "six". The member replied, "Three" and was let in. The man thought he had heard enough and walked up to the door. The doorman said,"Ten" and the man replied, "five." But he was not let in.
What should have he said


12. I went into the woods and got it. I sat down to seek it. I brought it home with me because I couldn't find it. What am I


13. Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, and gray,
I'm read from both ends,
And the same either way.
What am I


14. From the beginning of eternity
To the end of time and space
To the beginning of every end
And the end of every place.
What am I


15. What is it that, after you take away the whole, some still remains

11. A man wanted to enter an exclusive club but did not know the password that was required. He waited by the door and listened. A club member knocked on the door and the doorman said, "twelve". The member replied, "six" and was let in. A second member came to the door and the doorman said, "six". The member replied, "Three" and was let in. The man thought he had heard enough and walked up to the door. The doorman said,"Ten" and the man replied, "five." But he was not let in.
What should have he said

he must have answered 3

14. From the beginning of eternity
To the end of time and space
To the beginning of every end
And the end of every place.
What am I

the letter E

Magnum, you are well on your way to the first ?'check point' of 12 correct answers.

"he must have answered 3"
The 'key' was the number of letters in the number.

" the letter E"

Twelve could be a thorn in your foot. Or various similar things.

Thirteen could be "eye."

I just got here, what's going on. Have there been continuous riddle contests I've been missing?

15... oh, "wholesome."

SC wrote, "I just got here, what's going on. Have there been continuous riddle contests I've been missing?"

Dear SC your arrival, albeit late, :wink: is none the less welcome. You start with a 3/3 ?'score.

"Twelve could be a thorn in your foot. Or various similar things. "
"Thirteen could be "eye."
"15... oh, "wholesome."


I very much doubt that score will be repeated today.


16. What does man love more than life?
Fear more than death or mortal strife?
What do the poor have, what the rich require,
And what contented men desire

16a)What does the miser spend, the spendthrift save,
And all men carry to their graves


17. Lighter than what I'm made of,
More of me is hidden than is seen.
What am I


18. Until I am measured,
I am not known.
Yet how you miss me,
When I have flown!
What am I


19. Weight in my belly,
Trees on my back,
Nails in my ribs,
Feet do I lack.
What am I


20. It is said among my people that some things are improved by death. Tell me, what stinks while living but in death smells good

Lighter than what I'm made of,
More of me is hidden than is seen.
What am I

i think it's ice, made of water and when water freezes it expands and on the northpole icebergs are most of the time under the surface

Ice is nice.

16 is nothing

18 is time

19 I'm leaning towards train. I can justify it, but it doesn't seem to fit perfectly.

As for 20, my best guess is "lip." Because when you put it in the word "death" it spells "Deli path." And I don't know exactly what a deli path is, but I bet it smells GREAT!

Or I could say "a swamp." It smells better when a swamp finally dies.