LETTER PUZZLES, conundrums, riddles or tricks which exercise the brains, sharpen the wits and teach the young folks to recognize the bright and clever side of things as they journey through life. When Sidney Smith was importuned by a persistent young lad to give him a puzzle he could not solve, the great wit said: “I am neither fish, flesh nor fowl, yet I frequently stand on one leg. if you behead me I stand upon two, and, what is more strange, If you behead me again I stand upon four, and I shall think you are then related to me if you do not now recognize me.”
I have adopted riddles and conundrums as the elementary introduction to the world of puzzledom and shall introduce thousands of clever conundrums for beginners to read and ponder over. Don't aIways try to solve them. Just look at the conundrums, riddles or answers so as to see and appreciate the point. When you become familiar with them you will learn to master them instantly and will soon begin to originate conundrums and puzzles of merit with ease.
A prominent philanthropist and officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who is enjoying the ocean breezes at Atlantic City, is noted for his ready wit as well as kindness and liberality. He has acquired a curious habit of speaking to all dumb animals just as if they understood him and will at times carry on quite an animated conversation and propound queries which would puzzle some of the animals of the higher order. During an early morning walk the other day he found a poor old horse which had been retired from active service, with which he struck up quite an acquaintance, or, as he termed it, a close relationship.
“My dear brother,” he asked, as he patted the animal's head, “do you know why a faithful old horse is like a philanthropist?” As I failed to catch the horse’s reply, our young puzzlists are asked to solve the conundrum.
That philanthropist thought the old horse loved to respond to the call of whoa, but Sydney Smith’s puzzle turned upon the word “class.”
2.
What is that which is bought by the yard and worn by the foot. A carpet.
How do bees dispose of their honey? They cell it.
3. Concealed Geography
To encourage a love of geography, I will ask our young students to discover the locality of this little incident, as concealed in the excited exclamation of the frantic maiden who has charge of dear little Tootsey Wootsey during our summer outing.
Tootsey Wootsey resided at Babylon.
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