118 Glt:ncairn Folk Riddles. 



The luill bulled me, 

 The cow calved me, 

 The smith made me, 

 And I grew in the wud. 



Ans., The bellows. Here the component parts of bellows — the 

 hide, the iron, and the wood — are all very ino-eniously and accu- 

 rately described. Some may consider the freedom of the language 

 objectionable, but this at least can be said, it does not overstep the 

 canons of the period to which it belongs. 



It seems probable, as already indicated, that recreation was 

 the primary aim of the riddle-maker. Many riddles possess an 

 educative value, however, and a return to folk-riddle methods of 

 instruction might do something- in the direction of genialising 

 present-day school life. 



There was a man who had no eyes. 

 And he went out to view the skies ; 



He saw a tree wi' apples on't. 

 He took nae apples oft 



And he left nae apples on't. 



Ans., The man had one eye, and he took one apple off a tree which 

 had two on it at first. 



Pass now to arithmetic. " I met a man wi' a drove o' sheep. 

 I says, ' Gude mornin' to you wi' your score o' sheep.' He says, 

 ' I havena a score, but if I had as many more, and half as many, 

 and two sheep and a half, I would have a score.' How many had 

 he?" Ans., 7. 



In an arithmetical work by Thomas Dilworth, published 

 towards the close of last century, I find a very similar question to 

 this, only geese take the place of sheep, and the numbers are 

 different. 



A numerous class, less valuable perhaps from an antiquarian 

 point of view, but nevertheless interesting, depend upon some 

 verbal quibble or play upon words more or less cunningly hid 

 away in the text. The following will serve as examples of this 

 class : — 



The Queen o' Sheba had a ship 



An' her daughter sailed in it. 



