# Can you answer this riddle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551 "2000-02-18T15:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/1 "2000-02-18T15:46:00Z")
Got this riddle from a friend. Neither of us knows the answer. Help, please: He went to the forest and caught it. He sat it down and sought it. But since he couldn’t find it, He went to town and bought it. My friend thought the answer was nothing: He went to the forest and didn’t catch anything. He sat down nothing and didn’t seek it. He couldn’t find it, because it wasn’t anything. So he went to town to not buy something. Unfortunately, that’s wrong! I could have the exact words wrong. I’ll tell you if I do. P.S. And while we’re on the subject of riddles, how is a raven like a writing desk?.. * * * “640K ought to be enough for anybody” - Bill Gates ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/2 "2000-02-18T16:37:00Z")
If you don’t know the correct answer, why are you sure that “nothing” is wrong? The master has already addressed the raven and desk thing:[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/970418.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/970418.html) ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/3 "2000-02-18T16:38:00Z")
That link didn’t work…lets try again: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/970418.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/970418.html) ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/4 "2000-02-18T19:54:00Z")
It’s a Gazebo! ---
**Author:** ![frolix8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@frolix8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frolix8)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/5 "2000-02-18T20:41:00Z")
You have the wording wrong, the last line is something like, He went home with it. It’s an old riddle, I know the answer but I’m going to look for the original wording before I “spoil” the riddle. ---
**Author:** ![frolix8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@frolix8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frolix8)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/6 "2000-02-18T20:46:00Z")
I got it in a forest but didn’t want it. Once I had it, I couldn’t see it. The more I searched for it, the less I liked it. I took it home in my hand because I could not find it. What was it? I think this is the same riddle, very similar anyway. Guesses? (I’ll wait a few hours) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/7 "2000-02-18T20:48:00Z")
a sliver in your finger? * * * Official winner of [Bricker Challenge #5](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/004959.html). ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/8 "2000-02-18T20:49:00Z")
A splinter. (from a gazebo?) ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/9 "2000-02-18T21:08:00Z")
And while we’re at it, Bill Gates never said 640K would be enough for anybody. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yue\_Han](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/eada6e/32.png) [@Yue\_Han](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yue_Han)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/10 "2000-02-18T21:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > How is a raven like a writing desk? Because there is a b in both and an n in neither. Because both are nevar put backwards. Pick one. –John ---
**Author:** ![Feelgood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@Feelgood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feelgood)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/11 "2000-02-18T22:08:00Z")
Darkness? Solitude? ---
**Author:** ![frolix8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@frolix8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frolix8)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/12 "2000-02-18T22:34:00Z")
Splinter/sliver it is. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/13 "2000-02-19T00:35:00Z")
I run, though I have no legs to be seen. I possess no heat, yet I do have steam. I have no voice to let words out, but from far away you can still hear me shout. What am I? We are very little creatures; all of us have different features. One of us in glass is set; one of us you’ll find in jet. Another you may see in tin, and a fourth is boxed within. If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly from you. What are we? Cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind the stars and beneath the hills. Ends life and kills laughter. What is it? What is it that is deaf, dumb and blind and always tells the truth? I am sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but I am nobody’s fool. For there is no language that I cannot speak, though I never went to school. What am I? * * * “Men are like parking spaces, the available ones are handicapped.” ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/14 "2000-02-19T01:02:00Z")
Handy: 1. Train 2. Vowels? 3. I don’t know, death? 4. A mirror. 5. A laugh. * * * I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/15 "2000-02-19T01:54:00Z")
## Sorry. The last line is Home with him he brought it. “640K ought to be enough for anybody” - Bill Gates ---
**Author:** ![prslqspellsmomanddad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@prslqspellsmomanddad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prslqspellsmomanddad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/16 "2000-02-19T05:12:00Z")
an idea ---
**Author:** ![Jo3sh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jo3sh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jo3sh)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/17 "2000-02-19T07:37:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by TJ\_who\_loves\_mathematics: > \*\* > how is a raven like a writing desk?.. > > \*\* Both have inky quills. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/18 "2000-02-19T16:39:00Z")
Well, Surgoshan guessed the handy riddles 1,2,4 and 5, so I’ll submit the answer to 3. 3. Darkness ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/19 "2000-02-19T17:01:00Z")
Ah, Im a fair guy all the riddles & their answers are at:[http://members.tripod.com/duerra/index1.html](http://members.tripod.com/duerra/index1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-answer-this-riddle/7551/20 "2000-02-19T17:38:00Z")
Ah, well, looks like I only got the vowels and the mirror right, but 40% isn’t that bad for guessing off the top of your head, is it? * * * I sold my soul to Satan for a dollar. I got it in the mail.