Taffy’s Teasers

• 5 Stars

Riddles have long been a vibrant part of the surviving oral tradition of the British Isles. This is probably because of the sheer challenge of tackling a puzzle presented to you by a loved one. Ideally, three friends are necessary for a riddle to function. Firstly there is the riddler, who has the knowledge; secondly there is the wise listener, who can either solve the riddle or wishes to know the answer. However, for maximum comedy impact (and the oral tradition is a social art) a third person, who fails to solve the riddle, is required.

A touch of teasing

Riddles include a rich element of teasing (thankfully non-malicious): even as a boy growing up in the 1950s in a semi with no television, I recall my father teasing me that if I was to make my way in the world, I had to know how many beans make five. The answer of course is:

A bean and a half
And a half bean
A Bean and a quarter
and a quarter bean
A half a bean
And a whole bean