2006-09-13 07:38:26 · 39 answers · asked by gifted 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Your son.
2006-09-13 07:40:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, here is the original riddle:
There is a man standing over a dead body in a coffin, and another man walks in and asks, who's in the coffin. The first man replies, brothers and sisters, I have none, but this man's father is my fathers son. Who's in the coffin?
His son
2006-09-13 07:49:47 · answer #2 · answered by sloop_sailor 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A father talking about his son
2006-09-13 08:10:40 · answer #3 · answered by country nana 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An only child who has fathered a son.
2006-09-13 07:50:24 · answer #4 · answered by nospamcwt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The most popular reply i got seems to be he is looking at a picture of himself. This could not possibly be right! ill exaplain why i say that.
Possibility 1, It's Himself!
If it is himself, then it makes sense that he told us brothers and sisters have I none! But, he goes to say this man's father is my fathers son. Now if it is himself in the portrait, then the man in the portraits father is his own father, BUT he then says "is my fathers son, now how could his father be his fathers son?
So that cant be right.
Possibility 2, It's his son.
This has been called the right answer in 90% of cases but it has a flaw. Firstly though, lets see whats right about it. If its his son in the portrait, then the man in the portraits father is in fact himself (the man who is looking at the portrait). So then he'd basically be saying I am my fathers son, which makes perfect sense in a way.
But the flaw i see in it, is it fails to explain why he said brothers and sisters have i none. If it was his brother in the picture, it couldnt be right either, because his brothers father is his father, but his father is not his fathers son. How could man be his own father? or his own son?, Therefore this answer completely chops a line out of the riddle.
Possibility 3. Statement, or Question...?
Remember that this man "SAID" these words, he did not write them, therefore we cannot assume that he made a statement when he said "brothers and sisters have i none". What is he asked himself, brothers and sisters have i none????? The anybpody could make the argument that he HAD brothers and sisters before but they are dead! This would make sense of the first line of the riddle, and leaves way wfor way more possibilities.
Possibility 4. Its his nephew.
If you put a nephew in the picture and assume "brothers and sisters have i none" is a question and not a statement, then it works. Lets say for arguments sake he had 2 brothers, and 2 sisters. Both the brothers and sisters died and there is only himself and nephew left. So he sayd "brothers and sisters have I none? but this mans father is my fathers son". The first and second line, make sense! It takes time to accept this as a possibility but it is a possibility, and in my opinion, has much more sense than it being a picture of his son because it gives reason as to why he would say brothers and sisters have i none, he could be saying in distraught, trying to understand in his own mind.
Possibility 5. He's married
This is a strange but possible possibility. In many religions, if you get married to a woman, then her father becomes your father (of course they say father in law these days). So if she had a brother who had a son, it could also work if you put that son in the picture. Of course most of you wont accept this possibility because marriage iosnt what it used to be.
Id like to hear more of these possibilities. I'd love it actually. I know there is one possibility somewhere where people make the argument that the man in the picture is his father, but I cant understand it, so if any of you know that, please explain it to me.
2006-09-13 07:47:41 · answer #5 · answered by Spock 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Son
2006-09-13 07:48:37 · answer #6 · answered by Jerry 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's looking at a picture of his son. His son's father (him) is his father's son (also him).
2006-09-13 07:50:31 · answer #7 · answered by copaceticlove 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Joe King
2006-09-13 07:39:18 · answer #8 · answered by M S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Naturally, you are the man's father. The so called 'man' is your son. So his father, ie, you are your father's son!! Bingo!!
2006-09-13 07:44:52 · answer #9 · answered by dazzling_rubies 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The sun of man
2006-09-15 02:39:59 · answer #10 · answered by boy_jam_arch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋