If you’re having trouble figuring out “what the heck?” with the conundrums below, I can assure you that you’re not alone. There’s more to puzzle out here than meets the eye. Not only are there thirteen related answers to be found, there are also quotes from both Giuseppe Pontiggia and Albert Einstein. Furthermore, if anyone can discover the answer to any of the other thirteen puzzles below…then I can say I’ll REALLY be impressed!
That’s an interesting puzzle indeed, ** Peregrine**.
Because I prefer a more fantastic answer, my guess at a solution would involve either (12), (3) (26) (14) (21) (20), (44) (7), (18), (31), (23) or perhaps (21), (40), (37), (31), (12, (16) from Davey Jones’ Locker.
MonkeyMensch: I am REALLY impressed. Way to turn those “inexplicable enigmas” into explicable enigmas!
I don’t know the solution to your last puzzle there…but perhaps someone will investigate the latest research…and we’ll see where she’ll turn up. In the meantime, I have a possible solution for you for #1:
Once there was a very rich man–and a huge mountain of a man he was. Unfortunately, money didn’t seem to help him find true happiness. Deeply depressed, he went to a local holy priest.
“Oh great mystic,” he said. “I have all the wealth a man could want but I am not happy.”
“You must give up all worldly things and live alone. Move to the Himalayas and reside amongst the highest peaks until you achieve enlightenment.” advised the sage.
So the wealthy man left all his billions of dollars and went into the mountains. Over the years he found a peace and enlightenment that life among the wealthy upper class could not give. During this time he grew huge amounts of hair, and his walking barefoot among the rocks and snow made his feet grow to an enormous size. Occasionally, he may still be seen at night, sneaking down into the tiny villages to get the latest stock quotes.
I’m sure you’ve heard of this very rich individual: J(29), (41), (50), (33), (43), (11), (39), (36)!
The puzzle is actually a form of anacrostic with related undefined answers as opposed to unrelated defined answers. However, if you need some definitions, however cryptic, check out MonkeyMensch’s post.
Meanwhile, I’ve done some more research and it appears that the story I posted was some sort of rural legend–not the answer to that particular puzzle at all. However, I think this new story tells the absolute truth and clears things up completely with regard to this fellow:
Once there was a boy who was born in an odd shape. Though huge and rather hirsute, the lad was constantly made fun of in school. “Hey, he looks like a big gourd” one kid would scream. Others would say “Why, look at that long pumpkin kid! He looks like a giant marrow from the garden.”
The boy may have looked funny, but he was quite the fighter. He’d beat up any kid that made fun of him, but the kids still taunted him as “Cushaw Boy” behind his back.
Finally the boy had had enough and moved to a neighboring village. Because the new village was so reknowned for its music and culture, the boy thought other kids there would be nicer. Alas, this was not the case. “That new boy looks like a big musical instrument!” said one. “Yeah, a big hairy saxaphone.” said another.
Being known as the “Saxaphone Boy” was worse than ever. The young lad beat up all the kids in the new town, and then went into hiding in the mountains. Only glimpses of him were seen in the years that followed, but everyone remembered how violent the boy (and now man) could become. Soon the man became legend.
Even today, the locals alert visiters to caution while climbing high up into the steep hills with this stern warning: “Beware of the (13), (26), (28), - (23), Q, (11), (41), (38), (25)!”