The Everything Kids Riddles & Brain Teasers Book
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Authors: Kathi Wagner
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THE
EVERYTHING
®
KIDS'
Riddles & Brain
Teasers Book
Hours of challenging fun!
Kathi Wagner and Aubrey Wagner
EDITORIAL
Publishing Director: Gary M. Krebs
Managing Editor: Kate McBride
Copy Chief: Laura MacLaughlin
Acquisitions Editor: Bethany Brown
Development Editor: Julie Gutin
Production Editor: Jamie Wielgus
PRODUCTION
Production Director: Susan Beale
Production Manager: Michelle Roy Kelly
Series Designer: Colleen Cunningham
Layout and Graphics: Colleen Cunningham,
    Rachael Eiben, John Paulhus,
    Daria Perreault, Erin Ring
Cover Layout: Paul Beatrice, Frank Rivera
Copyright ©2004, F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission
from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews
and photocopies made for classroom use.
An Everything
®
Series Book.
Everything
®
is a registered trademark of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-59337-036-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-036-7
eISBN 978-1-59337-036-7
Printed in the United States of America.
J I H G F E D C B A
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
â From a
Declaration of Principles
jointly adopted
by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters.
Cover illustrations by Dana Regan.
Interior illustrations by Kurt Dolber and Barry Littmann.
Puzzles by Beth Blair.
Puzzle Power Software by Centron Software Technologies, Inc.
was used to create some puzzle grids.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, call 1-800-289-0963.
See the entire Everything® series at
www.everything.com
.
To Pop, we miss you!
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Clifford Racine
for taking the time to teach us
what a good laugh is all about.
Contents
Chapter 11:
A Hodgepodge of Fun
Introduction
Y
ou may have come to know riddles and brain teasers as a great way to get a good laugh, or maybe to challenge a friend. You may even like to challenge yourself with these riddles. But did you know that thousands of years ago, people just like you were interested in a good riddle or puzzle, too?
Some were interested for different reasons than others, depending on their needs. For instance, one of the first uses for a riddle was to “secretly” carry a message from one person to anotherâa quiz of sorts that only you knew the answer to, and hopefully the person on the other end would be smart enough to solve or figure out. Unfortunately, not everyone was. For example, one of the most famous riddles of all time was that of Samson from the Bible. As a challenge, Samson tried to trick the Philistines with a riddle about honey. Frustrated and angry, the people decided to solve the riddle of Samson's strength instead. When they discovered the answer, they removed his hair, took away his strength, and defeated him.
Many of the words or expressions in our world are forms of these earlier riddles and brain teasers. Take your name, for example. Did you know that your name has a hidden meaning? The stories behind both our first and last names are usually more than meet the eye. Entire books have been written to explain the original meanings behind any first name. Last names are usually easier to guess, as people used to “sneak” what they did for a living into their last name, such as Smith (for blacksmith or goldsmith) and Wagoner. Or, they would use their father's name and then add the word “son” on the end, as in Johnson and Peterson. And middle names? Well, they hid your family lineage by using your mother's maiden name for your middle name.
Puzzling maybe, but there's more: Do you know which famous author secretly fooled a great number of readers by using his last name spelled backward? Actually, his last name was Geisel, and when he wrote it backward, it became Lesieg . . . but he became famous through his middle name. Do you know what it was? (The answer is at the end of this page.) Authors aren't the only tricksters. Artists and actors, musicians and entertainers also like to challenge us to try to figure out the sometimes-tough riddle of who they are. Or better yet, who they
were
.
Probably the biggest brain teaser of all is trying to solve the puzzle of the mind itself. Understanding how our brains work has been one of the greatest mysteries ever. Today, the workings of the brain are still a riddle or brain teaser in need of a solution, if you are interested. This book would be a wonderful place for you to start warming up for a mental challenge.
Almost everyone loves a good mystery or puzzle, and puzzles are a fun way of exercising your brain and testing your friends' skills as well. Best of all, riddles and brain teasers are there to be enjoyed. So, prepare to be tricked, tested, riddled, and teased until you can't take any moreâand have fun!
Chapter 1
Time for School
Demo version limitation
Chapter 2
It's a Zoo
When the
circus
comes to town Bobby always goes to see it. His favorite part is when the elephants build a pyramid. “Can you believe it?” asks the announcer. “A record
21 ELEPHANTS
!” Amazed, Bobby starts counting: 1 on top, 2 below it, 3 more below them, and so on. If the announcer is right, how many elephants will be on the
bottom
row?