Gleanings from the Harvest-Fields of Literature: A Melange of Excerpta
General
Gleanings from the Harvest-Fields of Literature: A Melange of Excerpta
Literary curiosa; Literature -- Dictionaries
_Here beginneth the first Riddle._
Two legs sat upon three legs, and had one leg in her hand; then in came
foure legs, and bare away one leg; then up start two legs, and threw
three legs at foure legs, and brought again one leg.
_Solution._—That is, a woman with two legs sate on a stoole with three
legs, and had a leg of mutton in her hand; then came a dog that hath
foure legs, and bare away the leg of mutton; then up start the woman,
and threw the stoole with three legs at the dog with foure legs, and
brought again the leg of mutton.
_The Second Riddle._
He went to the wood and caught it,
He sate him down and sought it;
Because he could not finde it,
Home with him he brought it.
_Solution._—That is a thorne: for a man went to the wood and caught a
thorne in his foote, and then he sate him downe, and sought to have it
pulled out, and because he could not find it out, he must needs bring it
home.
_The_ iii. _Riddle._
What work is that, the faster ye worke, the longer it is ere ye have
done, and the slower ye worke, the sooner ye make an end?
_Solution._—That is turning of a spit; for if ye turne fast, it will be
long ere the meat be rosted, but if ye turne slowly, the sooner it is
rosted.
_The_ iv. _Riddle._
What is that that shineth bright all day, and at night is raked up in
its own dirt?
_Solution._—That is the fire, that burneth bright all the day; and at
night is raked up in his ashes.
_The_ v. _Riddle._
I have a tree of great honour,
Which tree beareth both fruit and flower;
Twelve branches this tree hath nake,
Fifty [_sic_] nests therein he make,
And every nest hath birds seaven;
Thankéd be the King of Heaven;
And every bird hath a divers name:
How may all this together frame?
_Solution._—The tree is the yeare; the twelve branches be the twelve
months; the fifty-two nests be the fifty-two weekes; the seven birds be
the seven days in the weeke, whereof every one hath a divers name.
BISHOP WILBERFORCE’S PUZZLE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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