ME #5-We Have a Winner!

I have to say that I'm dumbfounded. Did you see what I wrote the other day about this riddle? About no one being able to figure it out other than my daughter? This is unbelievable to me: I posted the riddle late in the night before going to bed on Tuesday evening and when I went to my computer on Wednesday morning, there was the answer right away! And several others came up with the same answer. Yes, the answer is A SQUARE!

Congrats to my new friend Cathy for good working of the old gray matter and being the early bird special on this riddle. And what a surprise that so many others knew it too. I think you folks here at blogland are just smarter than other people! Good job to all of you. And by the way, Barbara, if the piece of paper is in the shape of a square, then you got it too. :)

So the winner this time is Cathy who has a new blog called Melodies and Hymnsongs. I really like what she's doing. She features on her blog all kinds of music, Scripture, pretty pictures and videos. She even has a video of a cat playing the piano! Her site is new to me and I like going there to see what's going on. We are kindred in our love for the hymns, particularly. I'm thankful to have her as a bloggy friend and look forward to knowing her better. So go over and visit her soon as you can. Okay, Cathy, here is your reward certificate that you can pick up to display where and when you want it and I'll be contacting you about your prize.

Here's my explanation of the riddle:

Never am I too short or too long,

All sides are equal-none longer or shorter than the others.

Sections of me always right, not wrong,

All right angles.

Opposites have I that are yet the same,

Opposite sides are the same, of course.

Take one, double twice, a measure will name,

Take one side and double it twice--you get the perimeter!

Four cozy little places, take your pick,

A square has four corners; corners are cozy, right?

Quite plain am I, and not the least bit thick.

It's a plane geometric shape, not solid like a cube.

Sorry for the play on words, but that's what makes a riddle. You know how our language is with multiple meanings and multiple spellings. (I'm soon going to post about that, btw.)

Thanks for those who were brave enough to try and for my dear friends who didn't guess, but left sweet comments.

Enjoy your weekend, all!

Mind Exerciser #5

I thought I better post something a bit on the lighter side. It should help me feel better and maybe also lift the heart of someone else. So I decided that it's time for another riddle--it's been quite a while.

The one I'm doing this time has a history to it. I wrote it almost two years ago on a Saturday night. Immediately upon its completion, my then twelve year old daughter guessed the answer after reading it through once. Naturally, I figured it was too easy, but I left it as it was, thinking it would work out well as one of the riddlers in our children's section at the business site. It's been posted there about three times. During those times, I emailed several families to go to the site and take a guess. I've had visitors to my home try to get it; etc. The bottom line is that after that initial correct answer by my daughter, NO ONE has guessed this riddle. Not in all this time. I just don't understand that. I've said before that I worry that a riddle's defective if no one gets it--but Neesie somehow did --right away! So it must make sense.

It's been a while, so I'll repeat the rules on the ME riddles. Take one guess each. First one to guess the correct answer wins. If when you make your comment you see your guess has already been made, feel free to say so but still take another wild guess--it can't hurt anything. I have a nice little reward certificate that the winner takes if he or she chooses. But guess what? This time I have a little prize from Speakable Gifts. We have a few extra paperback editions of The Pilgrim's Progress around, so I thought this would be a good way to get this wonderful book into the hands of some other folks who might enjoy it. Even if you already have a copy of your own, you may find opportunity to give it to someone else who would benefit from reading it.

So jump in and take a stab at it. Don't let what I said about it scare you. Last time, the very first person to guess was right. Because of it's history, this one must be more difficult, but then again, maybe you'll be like my daughter and get it straightway!

Here it is:

Never am I too short or too long,

Sections of me always right, not wrong,

Opposites have I that are yet the same,

Take one, double twice, a measure will name.

Four cozy little places, take your pick,

Quite plain am I, and not the least bit thick.

WHAT AM I?

Don't explain your guess--it might help someone else if you're close. I suppose Saturday will be a good time to tell the answer and announce the winner. (I hope there's a winner!)

Bev's heard all my riddles before, so as usual she can't participate. She's always welcome to comment though, so she doesn't feel left out, poor thing. I can't wait to hear your guesses!

ME#4 - The Swallow and the Other Birds

Oops, almost forgot to post my thoughts or lessons gleaned from this fable. As always, those who commented had slightly different twists on it, all good. It was applied to parenting, to the younger listening to the older, to heeding wise counsel in general, and to nipping problems in the bud. I guess the initial thoughts I had on Wednesday, when I posted, were closest to those of Susan (Penless Thoughts): If you've been warned of a threatening peril, especially if the warning comes from someone older and wiser, you should take heed and do what you can to eliminate the hazard before it develops into real harm. If you don't, that which you've been warned about could entrap you and even bring about your downfall.

Most definitely, it teaches that we should take heed to wise counsel--all of us. There are a multitude of Scriptures for this, aren't there? This is a good little fable to teach your children and grandchildren!!

Thanks for participating!

Mind Exerciser #4

Well, I think it's time for another of Aesop's Fables. As I said the last time, I am quite a fan of them and love to rewrite them for children, keeping out the violence and brutality. They have lessons, you know, and oftentimes there is more than one lesson that can be applied to a particular one. I think it's fun to look at them here from time to time and see what applications can be made by various people. The last time, I saw a particular message, but other people saw other things and no one was wrong. In fact, everyone--especially the teenagers--had wonderful words of wisdom. As is usually the case, various folks see various things and that's what makes them so interesting! So, here is the one I picked for today; it's not one of the more familiar ones. I like it that these fables are writings that you can "tamper" with and not worry about infringing anyone's copyright. After all, they've been passed down for generations and you can find multiple versions of most of them, anyway. So I altered it just a bit, but it's basically the same fable which I encountered in my resources.

See what morals, cautions, or words of wisdom you can glean from this one. I have a teaching that stands out to me, which I'm about to write down now. I'll post my "insights" on Friday, and I'm curious as to how many folks see what I'm seeing as a lesson. Here goes:

The Swallow and the Other Birds

There once was a time when a farmer had sowed some seeds in a very large field. An older Swallow and some other birds, who were a good deal younger, were hopping about picking up their feed. The Swallow pointed out certain seeds which had been sown among the other ones and said to the younger birds: "Beware of this farmer. See these larger seeds? They are hemp seeds that he has sown among the others. Be careful to pick up every one of them, or you will be sorry later."

The younger birds paid no heed to the Swallow's warning and only ate the smaller seeds, which were more to their liking. By and by, the hemp grew and the farmer used it to make into cord and of the cord, nets were made. Many a bird that had despised the Swallow's advice were caught in the nets made of that very hemp.

Remember, there is no right or wrong, and no winner. Any Scripture references which may apply are welcome too. Let me hear from you before Friday!

ME#3 - We Have a Winner!

Hello there folks. Yes, we do have a winner on our latest riddle! Monica (Mommysmart) was the first person to take a guess and she got it right, just squeaking out Beka by two minutes. You see, even though the answer I had was "a day", I would have been torn about whether to count "birthday" as a correct answer, because technically it is. I hadn't even thought of that! So Beka and Bethany, you were right too. Thanks to others who were brave and took, I must say, very good guesses. Here was my reasoning on this riddle:

There is something that you possess one at a time.
One day at a time!

Your mother has seen it more often than you have.
I would assume that your mother has had more days than you!

Each time you have one, something goes up and then down while it is with you.
Sun rises and sets one time in a twenty-four hour day!

Something else travels in a circle twice by the time it leaves you.
Two twelve hour cycles on your clock or watch!

Monica is a new blogger friend of mine and as I said, she got it right away! Go visit her neat blog called A Day in the Life of Mommysmart. Today there is a very interesting post about our internal alarm clock--very interesting since we happen to be dealing with time here. So, here's my promised award for Monica, for whatever it's worth. You can pick it up and take it with you if you like, Mommysmart, but I'll be displaying it here for you. Good guessing!!

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Mind Exerciser #3

Finally! I get to post another riddle. It’s long overdue; one thing after another has prevented me from keeping up with my promised mind exercisers. I hope I do better in the future, because I thoroughly enjoy doing them. I’m still not able to offer any prizes as I see others are doing for various blog activities, but until I have something worthwhile to give, my “prize” will still be publicity for the winner’s blog, if there is one, and if not, I’d love to tell a little about the winning person, if they let me! Also, I now have a “certificate of achievement” to award to people who are the first to guess right on any of the riddles or puzzles. Winners can pick it up and display it, if they want to, on their own blogs (free advertisement for me, of course) and we’ll all be having fun! However, you are under no obligation to display the certificate—I will anyway.

Bear in mind that most of these puzzles and stories are written by me, so forgive me if there are any flaws. The author of this riddle accepts no responsibility to any injury or damage to the brain caused by the reader’s participation therewith.

Okay. Here goes for this time. Remember the rules, first to guess right is the winner. If you see that someone has answered what you think is right, it’s okay to mention that but take another guess anyway, just in case. I want a winner, because if no one guesses, I think it’s a reflection on the riddle and I don’t want to write defective ones! Answer will be posted on Friday.

There is something that you possess one at a time.
Your mother has seen it more often than you have.
Each time you have one, something goes up and then down while it is with you.
Something else travels in a circle twice by the time it leaves you.

WHAT IS IT?

Note: I do ask that if you make a guess, that you not give any clues that others could use. Just make the guess, please. WILD GUESSES ACCEPTED!

ME2 Response

Well, here is my promised “take” on “The Jackdaw and the Pigeons” fable:

My Moral: A lack of contentment often brings unfavorable repercussions. God has made each one of us as He sees fit (He is the Potter, we are the clay) and He provides for us from His bounty as it pleases Him. Coveting and envy have no real place in the life of His children, and as this little fable teaches, these failings often lead to deceit and sometimes far worse, resulting in lost blessings. In some places this fable is called “The Vain Jackdaw”, this title alerting us to an issue of vanity also. Need I say more? When, if ever, does self-love lead to a good end?

Thanks for the responses! I notice that the two married ladies saw lessons similar to mine. The two younger girls who took a stab at this moral come from a different perspective, which had gone unnoticed by me. They had legitimate words of wisdom concerning the two “groups” in the fable; their lessons relating to the pigeon and jackdaw communities were worth our consideration. If you get a chance, read the responses by Sara and Neesie. Thanks, girls, I am finding that I often get fresh insights from listening to the young.

Mind Exerciser Number Two

I mentioned before that I’ve been a fan of Aesop’s Fables for some time, one of my passions being to rewrite them for children, trying to keep out the brutality or violence which is often featured. As you may already know, they are fun to read and usually come with a moral. It’s been my experience that frequently you will see a lesson other than the moral that’s given and oftentimes a fable can be applied several different ways.

Well, here’s one for you today, adapted just a bit. I see a particular lesson here, and I wonder if there are not several applications. There probably are. Read it and see what you think. If you feel inclined, tell us. There’s no right or wrong on this and no winner. Just a little exercise in thinking. Next Friday, I’ll give my version of the moral, which I’ve already written out on paper. Enjoy!

The Jackdaw and the Pigeons

Once there was a jackdaw who was watching some pigeons in a farmyard and noticed how well they were fed and how well they got along. Filled with envy, he determined that he would disguise himself as one of them, in order to secure a share of the good things they enjoyed. So, he whitened his feathers and slipped in among the pigeons one evening just as it was getting dark. As long as he kept silent he escaped notice, but soon he grew bolder, and feeling very jolly in his new home, he burst into a hearty laugh. His voice betrayed him and at once the pigeons saw through his disguise. They pecked at the poor jackdaw unmercifully and drove him out from among them. Afterwards, he tried to join the other jackdaws again, but his old friends did not recognize him in his white dress and would not allow him to eat with them and drove him out from their society as well.

ME1 - We Have a Winner!

I promised that I would give the answer to Saturday’s riddle today and I’m here to do that and to announce that there is a winner. The answer is “fingers” and even though it was ever so hesitantly, our friend Sara was the first to say it. Mark and Beka got it too (but too late) and I’m proud of them that they figured out the “Let your fingers do the walking” part from the old yellow pages ads. (See line 5.) So, here’s how it goes:

Count on us, if ever need be,
Flexible and useful, so are we.
Always available, if ask you would,
Helped small men and great men who knew we could.
In times past, tramped to find what you need,
Now call on helpers who have much more speed.

Who are we?

Line 1. Some people still resort to counting on their fingers. Sometimes I do.
Line 2. Mine aren’t as flexible as they used to be, but for most people they are.
Line 3. Is there anything more available?
Line 4. Whose fingers haven’t helped them, no matter who they might be? (Unless, of course, there’s a handicap.)
Line 5. I already mentioned that one.
Line 6. Not too many people use the yellow pages anymore. We just let our fingers call on computers to find what we need.

Okay! I promised an “ad” for the winner, so here goes: Sara is a sweet young lady, about to graduate from high school which she does at home. She has a blog over at Xanga which she calls “Princess” (the meaning of her name). She posts hymns and songs, Scriptures, cute pictures, and she tells about some of the goings on in her life. Her blog reflects a young woman of God, seeking to glorify Him. Go visit her whenever you can!

Next week or so, maybe we’ll try something else to work that old soft mass in the skull, hopefully to make it more useful for God.

Mind Exerciser Number One

Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart? Job 38:36

I’ve begun to notice a few bloggers who are adding to the brightening of our days by including fun stuff from time to time. Thanks to those of you who are contributing to our well being in this way.

I recently have had the urge to make my own little offering towards brighter days for folks who might come to visit here. Actually, I need to admit that part of the reason for this desire is that it would be an excuse for me to indulge in what is something of a weakness, or passion, or whatever you might call it: I love puzzles, riddles, mysteries, fables or almost anything that requires “figuring out.” Not only do I like to do them or read them, but also to write or rewrite them. I guess you could say these are favorite pastimes.

So, from time to time, I’m going to post one of these aforementioned items to help exercise your brains a little. Please give it a try—partly for fun and partly because it could lend itself to a sharper mind to better serve your God. Some of these writings will have only one correct answer—some not. Aesop’s Fables have always been favorites. It’s fun to adapt them a bit to teach Biblical principles to children (and to us). Sometimes I want to give that a try also. I’m not sure how often to do this—maybe weekly or bi-weekly. We’ll see how it goes. Maybe I’ll end up being the only one who enjoys it!

Here’s the first one—a riddle. I am looking for one particular answer. The first person who gets the right answer gets. . . . . . . . . . no prize! But I’ll post the answer next Friday and if there’s a “winner”, I’ll give their blog a short “ad.” If they have no blog, that’s okay too. My daughter, Mrs. S, (The High Calling) is disqualified on the riddles—she’s heard too many of them before. Okay, see what you think:

Count on us, if ever need be,
Flexible and useful, so are we.
Always available, if ask you would,
Helped small men and great men who knew we could.
In times past, tramped to find what you need,
Now call on helpers who have much more speed.

WHO ARE WE?

Note: FIRST right guess is “winner.” Try something else if you see your answer there already, just in case. No sense duplicating another answer.