Once, again, Mr. Punch, with my help, is offering up a true Victorian riddle. The first person to answer correctly--by posting in the comments--will receive public congratulations.
So, here's this week's riddle. We ask that you don't Google the answer. Mr. Punch would not find that sporting at all. Give it a shot and see what you can come up with. Yes, it's another long one. Here we go... No cheating...
My
form is beauteous to the ravish'd sight,
My habit gay, my color gold or white.
When ladies take the air, it is my pride
To walk with equal pace close by their side,
And, though no powdered beau, beau-like converse,
And in set speech I give an answer terse:
I near their person constantly remain,
A fav'rite slave bound in a golden chain;
The seaman by me plough the ocean wide,
Longitude measure, and latitude divide;
And though I can both speak and go alone,
Yet are my motions to myself unknown.
My habit gay, my color gold or white.
When ladies take the air, it is my pride
To walk with equal pace close by their side,
And, though no powdered beau, beau-like converse,
And in set speech I give an answer terse:
I near their person constantly remain,
A fav'rite slave bound in a golden chain;
The seaman by me plough the ocean wide,
Longitude measure, and latitude divide;
And though I can both speak and go alone,
Yet are my motions to myself unknown.
And, the answer is...
A Pocket Watch.
Thanks to all of you who answered. Special mention to Darcy, Dashwood, Sam P., April and Gene for your very clever answers. We learned a lot today about mimes and the ability of sheep to float. So, a good day. Come back next week for another of Mr. Punch's Puzzles.
28 comments:
What am I? Sherlock Holmes? There's no quick and easy barnyard answer here. You're making me think! I think the answer is a mime. A dirty, chained-up mime.
Those were popular in the Nineteenth Century.
Is it a parasol? Or, perhaps a parasol carried by a dirty, bound mime?
No to both.
A handkerchief?
Getting there.
Hard one, is it a bracelet?
A ring?
Also close.
Flowers?
Mimes are closer.
A reticule shaped like a mime?
Ahhhhhh! Darcy is, once again, very clever!
I was going to say "purse," but Darcy beat me to it and was much funnier about it.
Still a good answer.
2 long.
Is that your rapper name, Angelo?
I kid. Okay, I promise, next week's will be shorter.
A compass? Although, unless the lady were running like mad away from smelly lunatic mime, one wouldn't think they'd need one.
Dashwood, you are the closest yet.
These are so funny. I wish I could be funny. I expected to see sheep answers today, but there aren't any. I guess it's because sheep don't float and this talks abbot the ocean.
SHEEP DON'T FLOAT????
What?
What does that even mean?
Gene, I think you're funnier than you realize. And, P.S., I think all mammals and creatures with air in their lungs float.
Joseph, pleeeeease make a SHEEP DON'T FLOAT t-shirt. Juice just came out of my nose I laughed so hard. I needed that.
I would, but it's Gene's reasoning. I'll design a sheep-themed shirt of some sort for you, however, Matt.
It's a GPS!!! A steam-driven, late nineteenth century Garmin that speaks in a clipped accent and has a colorful screen. It doesn't know it's whereabouts because it is being carried by a dirty mime who won't tell him.
Perfectly logical.
I agree. Perfectly logical.
Ah, but Gene, the DO float!! The answer was so obvious nobody got it. It is definitely a sheep wearing gold earrings who wanders along with ladies saying "Ba. Ba. Ba" No second A on the Baa as it speaks in staccato tones.
This sort of sheep swim out from Liverpool to help ships come to port with a waterproof map and tow them in safely with a long golden chain.
This is a very old riddle and these sheep are now extinct. Today's sheep support Gene's contention that SHEEP DON'T FLOAT.
So he is right.
Okay.
By the way...Sheep DO float.
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