The Man in the Picture

A man is looking at a picture on the wall and says, “Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man’s father is my father’s son.”

What is their relationship?

The man in the picture is the onlooker’s son. Since he doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, the statement my father’s son can only be himself. A shortened version would be this man’s father is me, making him the father of the man in the picture.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Hurt Without Moving

We hurt without moving.
And poison without touching.

We bear truth and lies,
But are not judged by size.

What are we?

Words.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

How Many Legs?

You walk into a room and see a bed. On the bed there are two dogs, four cats, a giraffe, five cows and a duck. There are also three chickens flying above the bed. How many legs are on the floor?

Since all of the animals are on the bed and no other furniture is mentioned in the room, there are six legs on the floor. Four legs from the bed and your own two legs as you stand in the room, amazed that someone managed to get so many animals onto a bed. And the ceiling must be vaulted to fit a giraffe. Also, who’s on cleanup duty?

Posted in Brain Teasers

Blow for Blow They Matched Each Other

Blow for blow,
they matched each other.
Neither would fall to the other.
In the eyes of the crowd,
they were this.

Equal.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

I Wear You Down

I wear you down, yet you will mourn me once I fly.
You can kill me, but I will never die.

Time.

(found in The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare)

Posted in Riddles

Soft and Transparent

I am soft and transparent.
I am so small that I can sit on your finger.
I have no light but I help you to see the beautiful world.

What am I?

A contact lens.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

Twenty One Points Divide And Dance

Twenty one points divide and dance,
Twirling and leaping about,
Ladies, Romans and knights of France,
Craving a victor’s rout,
Wrought of wood, ivory or bone,
An exciting yet vicious pursuit,
Ancient, forbidden and crooked,
All in search of the loot.

A die. The standard die has 21 pips (or points), divided up on the six sides of the die which dance around when rolled. Ladies, knights and Romans all played dice as a pastime (though not together). Dice can be made of wood, ivory and bone, among other materials. Dice have been used in Asia since before recorded history and many governments tried unsuccessfully to outlaw the game. Professional gamblers were common and often used loaded dice. Desperate German chaps even bet their own liberty on a single roll of the dice.

Posted in Riddles

Two Handsome Racers

Two handsome racers are having a race.
One keeps lapping the other and the race never ends.

What am I?

A clock.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

Every Dawn Begins With Me

Every dawn begins with me
At dusk I’ll be the first you see
And daybreak couldn’t come without
What midday centers all about
Daises grow from me, I’m told
And when I come, I end all cold
But in the sun I won’t be found
Yet still, each day I’ll be around

The letter “d”.

Posted in Riddles

Take Away All My Letters

Take away my first letter,
Take away my second letter,
Take away all my letters,
and I remain the same.

What am I?

A mail carrier. Even when there aren’t any letters left to deliver, they’re job is still the mail carrier.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with