In "The Hobbit," Bilbo wins the riddle contest against Gollum by asking "What have I got in my pocket?"
In "The Dark Tower," Eddie Dean wins the riddle contest against Blaine the Mono by telling irrational and terrible jokes in the form of questions ("Why did the dead baby cross the road? Because it was stapled to the chicken!!").
In The Bible, Samson wins the riddle contest against the Philistines by asking "Out of the eater, something to eat, / Out of the strong, something sweet;" a riddle only he can know the answer to.
So my question is this: do you have to cheat to win a riddle contest, or is that just the best way? Should it even be considered cheating if you used all of the weapons at your disposal to outwit your opponent?
2007-09-05 10:13:24 · 4 answers · asked by votanone_eye 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Holy crap! Great answers so far!
2007-09-05 13:29:22 · update #1
The whole point of a riddle contest is to make it as difficult as possible for someone to guess what you are thinking of. You are relying on your own wit and intelligence to beat your opponent - they have the same tools available to them, and is it your fault if their intelligence is less than yours?
Besides, Bilbo didn't cheat - he was just thinking aloud. It wasn't his fault that Gollum automatically assumed that he was asking the next riddle in the competition!
2007-09-05 10:46:46 · answer #1 · answered by cranston 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Technically, Bilbo's 'riddle' is not really a riddle nor are Eddie Dean's questions. A riddle has only one possible answer that fits a number of clues
I don't know about the bible story so can't really comment on that one. You do not have to cheat to win a riddle contest, you simply have to come up with a riddle that the other person does not know the answer to.
2007-09-05 10:37:29 · answer #2 · answered by ஜBECஜ ~Mama to Lucy & bump~ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You put forth a good argument, steev-o... no, I don't think a riddle contest should be necessarily "fair," and yes, one should of course use all ones wits in such a contest.
You've got it, hands down! (only what's under my hand, and which one, huh?)
I am trying to remember Samson's riddle answer and can't... now I'll have to look it up and thought I was through reading the Bible. A camel? Heck, I dunno'.
2007-09-05 11:08:13 · answer #3 · answered by LK 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why would wit even be considered cheating? Isn't that the point of a riddle?
2007-09-05 10:24:59 · answer #4 · answered by Beach Saint 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋