LANGUAGE PUZZLES
What runs, but never walks? 7 brain-teasing riddles to stretch your mind
Published on December 5, 2023
Credit: Kenny Eliason
Who doesn’t love a good challenge? Riddles are a universal form of art, found in cultures all over the world. Often an important part of oral folklore and traditions transmitted from one generation to the next, many themes reappear again and again in different times and places.
Besides keeping your brain active, riddles always are a fun way to engage with others - or, at least, keep the children entertained for a while. Here is a list of some of our favorites. Try and guess them before reading the answer!
What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?
Credit: José Ignacio Pompé
This is the famous Riddle of the Sphinx, a legendary being part woman, part lion, and part bird –only distantly related to the famous Great Sphinx of Giza– that guarded the entrance to the Greek city of Thebes. According to the myth, anyone who failed to answer the riddle was immediately devoured without mercy, so don’t give up easily on this one!
Answer: A human.
What runs, but never walks? Murmurs, but never talks? Has a bed, but never sleeps? Has a mouth, but never eats?
Credit: lucas Favre
Who said that a riddle can’t be beautiful? Flowing with poetic imagery, this riddle carries you through soothing but intriguing scenes. A hint: do not let its apparent depth drown your judgment, the answer is always simpler than it seems. Ok, enough clues, try and guess it for yourself!
Answer: A river.
What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
Credit: Lina Trochez
As with most things in life, once you put your finger on it, it will seem almost dumb. Again, let your body do the thinking for you! The answer is closer than it seems.
Answer: Your left hand.
Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What am I?
Credit: Joss Woodhead
This riddle will have you counting imaginary furniture and figuring out what would fit in a shelter but not a house. It’s not an easy task, but it can be worthwhile. If you need more help, a bridge has one.
Answer: The letter "R".
What has cities, but no houses? Forests, but no trees? Rivers, but no water?
Credit: Ganapathy Kumar
This riddle paints an empty world, a barren land where, if you look closer, things are not where they are supposed to be. If your first instinct is to draw it, you are going in the right direction!
Answer: A map.
What is black and white, and red all over?
Credit: Vincent van Zalinge
This one is a classic, and chances are you already know the answer. But if this is your first time against it, a warning: it’s certainly not one for orthography purists, but pun-lovers will find it clever. Also, no, it’s not a badger in a blender. C’mon!
Answer: A newspaper.
What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
Credit: Wolfgang Hasselmann
Don’t strain yourself too much with this riddle! It’s intended as comic relief at the end of a brain-teasing session. Most riddles require you to think things through metaphor or clever wordplay, but not this one. Picture the scene in your mind, have a laugh, and voilà, you’ll have it!
Answer: Time to fix the fence!