Some Appalachian Riddles

Some Appalachian Riddles Riddles as an intellectual exercize and form of entertainment seem to go back as far in time as we can have any knowledge of man's intellectual doings, although not all peoples seem to have used or known riddles. The Bible contains many exciting riddles; the AngloSaxons evidently loved riddles because they preserved many elaborate ones; poets have written riddle poems. Perhaps the most famous riddle, still to be found in Appalachia without its Greek context, is that of the Sphinx which Oedipus answered in order to become king of Thebes and give name to a modern psychological term, the Oedipus complex-What goes on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the afternoon? Riddles and riddle songs have been used for various kinds of tests. But the fun of riddles comes from the riddles themselves, not from treatises about them. "Riddling" has been a 1. Little Tommie Tenderpeg Burnt his shoe and blacked his leg. 2. Little Billie Comepat Ten thousand ladies upon that, Some with blue skopes Some with white hats. Tell me this riddle And I'll give you my cap. 3. Crooked as a rainbow Teeth like a cat, Guess all night And you can't guess that. 4. Through a rock Through a rill Through a little spinning wheel Through a sheep, shank and bone Such a riddle was never known. 5. Runs and never walks, Tounge and never talks. definite form of social activity in Appalachia , though younger people now know fewer and fewer of the traditional riddles. The riddles presented here have been selected from something like a hundred riddles set down a few years ago from the memory of school children in Eastern Kentucky. Not all were collected in this way. One young gradeschooler sent word: "My mommy said she knows another old riddle that's kinda bad. She wouldn't tell it to me, but she said she would tell it to you if you'd come see her." So, the "bad" or suggestive riddles always with the most innocent answers were collected a different way. I don't think they are very "bad," and certainly the shocks of the innocent answers add to the impact and are very corrective. Here they are-both good and bad. 6. What has two lids and Can't open either one? 7. I stand on four legs and smoke a pipe. 8. What goes all around the world And comes to water and Can't get across? 9. What has an eye and can't see? 10. Round as a biscuit Busy as a bee, Prettiest little thing You ever did see. 11. A hill full, a hole full But can't get a bowl ful. 12. As I went across London Bridge I met a London scholar. He tipped his hat and drew his cane, And in this riddle I told his name. Part One 65 APPALACHIAN HERITAGE 13. Round as a hoop, Deep as a cup, A hundred horses Couldn't pull it up. 14. 1 went to the woods and got it. I sat down and looked at it. The more I looked at it, The less I liked it. 15. White as snow but snow it ain't. Green as grass but grass it ain't, Red as blood but blood it ain't, Black as ink but ink it ain't. What is it? 16. Six sot and seven sprung. Out of the dead the living come. 17. A man with no eyes Went out to view the skies. He saw an apple tree With apples on it. Part 1. Back to the ground, Belly to the sun, Tails begin to wiggle And the good begins to come. 2. Belly to belly, Hand on back. A little piece of skin To stop up the crack. 3. Up she jumped and out she run. Down she squatted and out it come. 4. It goes in dry and comes out wet, It tickles her belly And makes her sweat. 5. When it's out it's stiff and stout, When it's in it's easy. Take it out and flop it about, Then...