The Riddles
from Morris and Boris by Bernard Wiseman
Boris the Bear met Morris the Moose.
“Do you like riddles?” Boris asked.
Morris asked, “How do they taste?” Boris said, “You do not eat riddles.”
Morris asked, “Do you drink them?” Boris said, “You do not eat riddles.
You do not drink riddles. You ask them. Listen—I will ask you a
riddle.”
Boris asked, “What has four feet…”
Morris yelled, “ME!”
“I did not finish,” Boris said. “What has four feet and a tail…”
“ME!” Morris yelled.
“I still did not finish!” Boris cried. “Let me finish!”
Morris put a hoof over his mouth.
Boris asked, “What has four feet and a tail and flies?”
“ME!” Morris yelled. “I have four feet and a tail, and flies come and
sit on me all the time!”
“No, no!” Boris growled. “The answer is: a horse in an airplane!
“Here is another riddle. What kind of comb cannot comb hair?”
“I know!” Morris cried. “A broken comb!”
“NO! NO! NO!” Boris shouted. “The answer is: a honeycomb!”
“What is a honeycomb?” Morris asked.
Boris said, “It is a bee house. Don’t you know anything?”
Morris said, “I know about riddles. You do not eat riddles. You do not
drink riddles. You ASK riddles.”
Boris said, “And you must answer them! Try to answer this riddle. What
kind of bee does not sting?”
“I know!” cried Morris. “A friendly bee!” “NO! NO!” Boris yelled.
Morris cried, “A sleeping bee!” “NO! NO! NO!” Boris shouted. “The answer
is: a beetle. Oh, you don’t know how
to answer riddles. I am not going to ask you any more.”
Morris said, “You know how to answer riddles. Let me ask you riddles.”
“Go ahead,” said Boris. “Ask me riddles.”
Morris asked, “What has four feet and a tail and flies?”
Boris answered, “A horse in an airplane.” “No! No!” Morris cried. “A
moose in an
airplane!”
Boris yelled, “You mean a HORSE!”
Morris said, “I mean a moose. I want a moose to get an airplane ride!”
Then Morris said, “Here is another riddle. What kind of comb cannot comb
hair?”
Boris said, “A honeycomb.”
“No! No! No!” Morris cried. “The answer is: a bee comb.”
Boris asked, “What is a bee comb?”
Morris said, “The comb a bee uses. It cannot comb hair. A bee has no
hair!”
Boris shouted, “Oh, you don’t know anything about riddles! I am going
home!”
A bird asked Morris, “What is he angry about?”
“Riddles,” said Morris. “He does not like them.”
You can join Morris and Boris in many other funny adventures in Morris
Has a Cold and Morris Goes to School, both by Bernard Wiseman. And if
you enjoy riddles, try Ji-Nongo-Nongo Means Riddles by Verna Aardema,
which is a collection of African “riddles,” some funny and some that are
wise observations on life. But if it’s “instant” riddles you want, just
turn the page.
