An ancient riddle is ascribed to the problematical personality of Homer, though it was doubtless originated before his time,—if he had a time.
Homer, the tale goes, met some boys coming home from a fishing trip. On his asking them of their luck, they replied, “What we caught we threw away; what we didn’t catch, we have.”
It seems they referred to fleas, not fish, and his inability to guess this so enraged Homer, that he killed himself.
And here is a free translation of an ancient Arabian riddle.
“The loftiest cedars I can eat,
Yet neither paunch nor mouth have I.
I storm whene’er you give me meat,
Whene’er you give me drink, I die.”
The answer is Fire, and as may be seen, the type of riddle is precisely such as are found in the puzzle columns of today’s papers.
Riddles are frequently mentioned in Ancient Literature,— every country or race indulging in them. Josephus tells us that Solomon and Hiram of Tyre were in the habit of exchanging riddles.