My first riddle on these forums!

[John_and_Yoko]

My journey 'cross the beach did try
the patience of my tortured eye,
my feet did blister. 'Fore me now
--I racked my brain to work out how--
were three stone doorways. Ah, dear whelp!
Now surely you'll receive some help!

Behind the first, to my chagrin,
no personages found therein,
but this strange vision--first a gust
of wind that whistled and did bust
a shelter, opposite the gale! [lee (guessed by Maturins_Daughter)]
I shut the door--my gut did ail.

The second door was no more aid,
Though had I my way, I'd have prayed
For someone, something else than this--
a scape of land so far from bliss
That all I saw within the gloom
Were fiber rope, and near: a loom. [lay (Yeah, I know, bad clue, sorry.... :blush:)]

I nearly didn't touch the third,
And by now could not speak a word.
Beyond this doorway was a plant
--explain how did it this, I can't--
which did the hustle! I took sick,
then slammed the doorway good and quick. [shill (better clue, but no one guessed it)]

And there collaps'd I on the sand,
the things I'd seen too far ungrand
for my poor cranium. But hold!
It came to me now, oh, how bold!
Approached the doors from the wrong end,
Had I! My clothes I sought to rend!

I'd had it backwards, fool was I!
I now wished I did never try
to solve this riddle, on my life!
For just beginning was my strife!
I wished my birth had never been!
A cudgel bashed my brain-pan in!

Answer: Shillelagh (SHILL-LAY-LEE) Guessed by Gaberax!

[Rjeso]

Is the first door a tornado? Is the gale actually Dorothy?

[John_and_Yoko]

Is the first door a tornado? Is the gale actually Dorothy?

Nope.

Here's a hint: each door holds ONE piece of the answer, and what you see behind them are clues to the one piece.

The shelter faced the wind.

Think carefully....

[Maturins_Daughter]

facing away from the wind is alee
facing toward the wind is windward or aweather

hmmm

[John_and_Yoko]

facing away from the wind is alee
facing toward the wind is windward or aweather

hmmm

VERY CLOSE.... :D

In fact, you practically said it!



EDIT: I just realized I said the wrong thing in that clue.... Mea culpa.... :blush:

Should be better now.

[Maturins_Daughter]

so is it alee or leeward or lee?

Is the second clue something to do with weaving or spinning?

Third clue is a plant that dances... a telegraph plant?

[Gaberax]

That all I saw within the gloom
Were fiber rope, and near: a loom. Hemp? :orely:

[John_and_Yoko]

@Maturins_Daughter: "Lee" is correct! :D

The second clue is kind of tricky. My best advice there would be to do a search engine for the clues found therein and see what word has them in its possible definitions.

The one you'd be most likely to know about is the scape of the land.

You might want to try the third clue before the second, actually.... And as far as that goes, try thinking of different definitions of "plant" and "hustle"....

[Maturins_Daughter]

"I'd had it backwards, fool was I!"

This seems to mean that when the three clues must be put together in reverse order than given to make sense.

So if "lee" is the first clue's answer... we may be looking for a final answer that ends with -ly

[John_and_Yoko]

"I'd had it backwards, fool was I!"

This seems to mean that when the three clues must be put together in reverse order than given to make sense.

So if "lee" is the first clue's answer... we may be looking for a final answer that ends with -ly

Maybe, maybe not.

It DOES end in the SOUND "lee," though.... You're on the right track.... :)

[Gaberax]

The second door was no more aid,
Though had I my way, I'd have prayed
For someone, something else than this--
a scape of land so far from bliss
That all I saw within the gloom
Were fiber rope, and near: a loom.

Hmmm, strand is a word meaning a stretch of land, and strands of string make a rope. (although there are no "-strandly" words) Strand?

[Jon]

"Were fiber rope, and near: a loom."


A reference to :The Eyes of the Dragon?

[Jon]

"a scape of land so far from bliss"

Hell?

[John_and_Yoko]

No, no, and no.

I'm beginning to regret my choice of words in that verse because I don't know if anyone can get it from those clues.... :( I just couldn't think of what else I could do that wouldn't give it away entirely.... The clues DO come from various definitions of the same word, though, I assure you....

Maybe try working on the third clue first. Besides, if you have the first and last clues, it might make it easier to find the middle one....

[Maturins_Daughter]

plant:
--put into the ground
--buildings for industrial labor
--place into something
--a living organism lacking the power of locomotion
--an actor situated in the audience whose acting is rehearsed but seems spontaneous to the audience
--place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive
--put firmly in the mind

hustle:
--move furtively and hurriedly
--move energetically or busily
--sell by underhanded activity
--get by trying hard
--a swindle
--urge someone into an action


Nope, no help there :P

[John_and_Yoko]

plant:
--put into the ground
--buildings for industrial labor
--place into something
--a living organism lacking the power of locomotion
--an actor situated in the audience whose acting is rehearsed but seems spontaneous to the audience
--place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive
--put firmly in the mind

hustle:
--move furtively and hurriedly
--move energetically or busily
--sell by underhanded activity
--get by trying hard
--a swindle
--urge someone into an action


Nope, no help there :P

Are you SURRRRRRRRE?

[Gaberax]

Well, with those clues lets say:

conspiratorily?

[John_and_Yoko]

Well, with those clues lets say:

conspiratorily?

Nope.

Here's a hint--each clue has only a single syllable to it.

Also, there's a clue to the answer in its entirety at the end of the riddle....

[Gaberax]

Well, with those clues lets say:

conspiratorily?

Nope.

Here's a hint--each clue has only a single syllable to it.

Also, there's a clue to the answer in its entirety at the end of the riddle....

Yeah, I know. :P

con--a swindle
spi--place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive
???--gloomy landscape; rope and loom
lee--a shelter, opposite the gale! [lee (guessed by Maturins_Daughter)]

Hey, it was worth a shot...

[John_and_Yoko]

Well, with those clues lets say:

conspiratorily?

Nope.

Here's a hint--each clue has only a single syllable to it.

Also, there's a clue to the answer in its entirety at the end of the riddle....

Yeah, I know. :P

con--a swindle
spi--place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive
???--gloomy landscape; rope and loom
lee--a shelter, opposite the gale! [lee (guessed by Maturins_Daughter)]

Hey, it was worth a shot...

Um, did you read my post?

The last clue is a single word, just one syllable, but the "plant" and "hustle" are clues to it....

[Gaberax]

shillelagh?

[John_and_Yoko]

shillelagh?

YES!!! :D

The goose goes to Gaberax, with goodly portions to Maturins_Daughter!

[Gaberax]

***Offers Maturins_Daughter a larger portion of the goose.***

A fine riddle, John_And_Yoko! It really had me thinking. Congratulations on your first riddle. Give us more. ;)

[Maturins_Daughter]

Thanks! But I'd really like to know how "lay" fits the clue... loom and fiber rope? I get the "lay of the land" but what about the rest?

[Gaberax]

Thanks! But I'd really like to know how "lay" fits the clue... loom and fiber rope? I get the "lay of the land" but what about the rest?

Believe me, I scoured for the fiber rope, loom, landscape connection. One of the words that came up was lay (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lay)

Somewhere along the line it all clicked together....

[John_and_Yoko]

***Offers Maturins_Daughter a larger portion of the goose.***

A fine riddle, John_And_Yoko! It really had me thinking. Congratulations on your first riddle. Give us more. ;)

Thank you very much! :D And thanks also for explaining the "lay" clue. I was really concerned that no one was going to get that from the clues I mentioned, and that would have made this a bad riddle....

But congratulations to both you and Maturins_Daughter, and hopefully I will be able to think of some more at some point! :D