what starts out with four legs,goes to two legs and ends up with three legs?

Question

This is the riddle of the Sphinx

Answer 1

man

Answer 2

The answer Oedipus gave the sphinx was "man" because as a baby they crawl (4 legs) then grow up and walk (two legs) and finally in old age they use a cane or a staff in those days (3 legs) but the sphinx declared the answer incorrect. The answer was "man and woman".

Answer 3

I may not know what it is, but I surely know what it is NOT: The question states Leg, or four legs:
A baby crawling is not four legs, there are two legs, and two arms.
A man walking is cool, but its still shy of first, having four legs, so that answer is wrong.
A man aging, having to use a cane, is not correct, because the first two are wrong, so the latter is wrong, as well. My wonderful and brilliant mind believes this could only be an insect of some kind. Only insects, in the biological world can metamorphosize; breaking off segments of their body and growing other segments. So, I would say ....... An Insect.

Answer 4

That, my friend, is man kind. When young, a person walks uses all four limbs. As an adult, they use two legs. Then, as an aged man/woman, they may require the help of a cane along with their own two legs.

Answer 5

a baby starts out on four legs by crawling
a human that can walk is on two legs
and an old person ends up on three his/her 2 legs and a cane

Answer 6

That would be "Man" O Sphinxy One...but since a man is actually born with three legs (two and the ubiquitous one in the middle) shouldn't the numbers be 5, 3 and 4?

Answer 7

Ha HA I'm smart I know this. A human is the answer...a baby walks on 4. a man walks on 2. an old man walks on two WITH a cane.

Answer 8

baby crawls with four legs, adult walks with two and an old person with 2 legs and a cane making it 3

Answer 9

Man crawls as infant, walks on two legs, has cane for three legs.

Answer 10

The answer is man, given in Oedipus Tyrannus (in greek) or Oedipus Rex (in latin) written by Sophocles in fifth centery athens. When Oedipus answered the sphinx it got so mad that is flung itself to it's death in agravation at being out witted by a mere human

Answer 11

yup, i agree with most of the others answers. It is the human life cycle.....a baby crawls on four legs, then adults walk on two legs, then older adults walk on two legs, but with a cane.