SANTA CLAUS WISHES our puzzlists the compliments of the season and presents a puzzle which may be looked upon as a pictorial illustration of the famous riddle propounded by the Bishop of Oxford, wherein the parts of the human body were described. Santa Claus is the only complete person in view, but if you will carefully inspect and guess the correct names to each and all of his stock of presents it will be found to contain an interesting and instructive lesson in human anatomy, accompanied by a chance to win one of the gifts which he proposes to divide among those who guess the best lists of the articles contained in his capacious sack. Of course, every one will see the palms and calf at a glance, but it is pretty safe to say that there are many things which are liable to be overlooked, so the aim is to see who can make the most complete list, even if everything is not discovered.
In that capacious pack in which were stored so many toys which were supposed to represent the parts of a chopped-up person, we begin at the top with a watch and discover hands and face, teeth, caps, hair, calves, locks, arms, palms, limbs, two lips, two feet, chest, nails, side, drum, cords, reins, pupils, heart, bridge, soles, temple, column, ears, corns, tongue, body, skull, blade, lash, lights, gums and windpipe.
2. Charade
Upon the check'rd battle field,
I'm foremost in the ranks;
My second makes a certain gain
'Mongst railways, stocks and banks.
My whole though sanctioned by law
To succor the distress'd.
Is but, at least I think it so,
A doubtful good at best.
Cipher Ans. 16, 1, 23, 14, 2, 18, 15, 11, 5, 18.
PAWNBROKER
3. A Rebus
Curtail me, and I’m what you use
To do my whole, ‘tis true,
And which I'm sure few will refuse,
Woe be to them who do!
Cipher Ans. 2, 18, 5, 1, 20, 8, 5 or 11, 14, 5, 5, 12.
BREATHE or KNEEL
4. Charade
A troubadour from foreign lands,
To a lady fair came singing;
“O lady bright, from thine own true knight
A message I am bringing:
He lies in the mountains near my first,
He dares not come to thee;
The foe accurst would on him burst,
He therefore sendeth me.
And he biddeth me tell thee to seek my next,
Where he will surely meet thee;
O! be not vexed, nor with fear perplex’d,
For thine own true love shall greet thee.”
Like a timid fawn, at early dawn.
To my second the lady hied;
And at his word, she met her lord.,
Who had my whole supplied.
Cipher Ans. 16, 1, 19, 19, 16, 15, 18. 20.
PASSPORT
5. A Rebus
In yon vast field of cultivated space,
I there am found with members of my race;
Decapitate me” if you've no objection”
You then will find what brings me to perfection;
Take one more cut, and then you’ll plainly see,
What I am destined, day by day, to be.
Cipher Ans. 23, 8, 5, 1, 20.
WHEAT
6.
Why is a leaf of a tree like the human body? Because it has veins in it.
What is that which is lengthened by being cut at both ends? A ditch.
[Page 43]