Contest 23: Riddles!!

on Late Convert

Peeps wrote:

Enlightened though thou be, while others fear,
In darkness thou deceiv’st for thine own fare.
Yet, lest whom thou mockest should appear,
Shouldst better from the first be true. Beware!

If it were not for the title "Late Convert" I would guess this riddle referred to Shift, who deceived the poor Narnians so he could feast on the squirrels' hard-earned stores of nuts. He was enlightened -- he knew that his donkey-Aslan was a sham, but terrorized the true Narnians with this mockery of the True Lion, and claimed him to be the same as Tash. But if you stretch the meaning of "fare" maybe this could also describe Rishda Tarkaan, or even the conspirator Ginger, and the one mocked could be Tash (or Aslan scaring Ginger witless? I forget who he encountered in the stable).

Since Ginger was converted into a dumb witless cat at the end, I think maybe this riddle fits him better.

Correct of course on Trumpkin the Dwarf.

Late Convert was intended to refer to Rishda Tarkaan. Several clues in the poem point this way: firstly, the fact that it is written in a more Calormene style of speech; secondly, the use of the words 'Enlightened' and 'Beware', which are Rishda's words (not sure if Shift uses them too, but Rishda certainly does). The 'beware' I felt was particularly apposite, since Rishda speaks that word in warning others to believe in Tashlan - "Do you think that there is no real Tashlan in the stable? Do you? Beware, beware" - advice that he ought to have listened to himself.

I was possibly stretching the meaning of 'fare' a little bit, and that is the thing I don't like about this poem - I meant it in the sense of 'profit', 'benefit', 'advantage', which I think the older sense of the word carries, and it comes from the line "those who care neither for Tash nor Aslan but have only an eye to their own profit and such reward as the Tisroc may give them when Narnia is a Calormene province". Although those words were spoken by Ginger, it seems reasonable also to apply them to Rishda, who agrees with the words wholeheartedly.

However, during the course of the night, Rishda comes to realise that Tash is in fact real, and his talk about Tashlan is suddenly dropped in favour of Tash, and he plans a human sacrifice to appease Tash, hence a late conversion to belief in Tash. I was drawing on Farsight's words, "There goes one who has called on gods he does not believe in. How will it be for him if they really have come?" and "Ha! So that is how he hopes to win Tash's pardon for his unbelief." There is no indication that Shift or Ginger had any change of heart, but Rishda did - though too late to be of any use.

The last line is also intended to compare Rishda's attitude with Emeth's, who was true from the first and benefited as a result.

So, I hope you agree that the poem fits Rishda better than Shift or Ginger, but I accept that the poem has its flaws.

Peeps

Where is Copperfox, by the way? We really need him in this poem contest.

Dance

Partnered with Vict’ry in my dance this night,
Wise watchers will know what my steps portend:
Though troubled disorder looms into sight,
Peace shall I bring, so all’s well in the end.


answer by Benisse

on Late Convert

I see your logic now Peeps; of course you are right --Rishda did believe there was something more to this Tash business before the last battle and was trying to appease that god by throwing captives into the stable, so the riddle does fit him best...

Who Said to Whom?

Since this contest was inspired by Limerick Day, I've been doing my best to devise some limericks. I didn't realise they would be this hard. It needs a particular kind of topic that can be taken in a light mood - serious characters just don't fit the genre. Neither does the limerick form seem well suited to riddles. My first limerick was pretty transparent, I fear this one is even less riddly. Nevertheless, perhaps it may prompt someone else to make a better attempt.

Who Said to Whom?
Just a moment, I need my ear trumpet.
What I say, you can like it or lump it.
For you know it is true
I remember when you
Were an egg, yes I do. Crabs and crumpets!

answer by Copperfox

I somehow failed to notice this contest until I was messaged.

The speaker in the previous has to be Trumpkin in his old age, but I can't think whom he would have "remembered as an egg," unless it was Glimfeather.

Now to attempt one of my own.

"DEEP QUESTION"


You above expect to wear them,
But down here we drink or eat them.
We'd be more than glad to share them,
If you'd come down deep to meet them.

Answer by Peepiceek

Yes indeed, Trumpkin to Glimfeather or any of the owls.

Yours must be referring to the rubies, diamonds or other precious stones to be found growing in the land of Bism.

Peeps

Glenburne hasn't been back to respond to my guess on 'Cook's Nightmare', but I just looked up the relevant passage in TSC and I'm pretty sure she must be referring to the giants' cookbook entry on cooking Marshwiggles.

Peeps

on Nose

I agree, Peeps and Glen. Fricasseed marshwiggle sounds singularly unappetizing.

Peepiceek said:

Once a character pops into my head, I just can't get it out till I post... Thought I'd try my hand at a limerick this time. Not that any of these qualify much on the 'riddle' score. They barely count as poetry. I look forward to better attempts from others...

Well, I make use of mine as a hose,
Or for rotating and planting of those
Whose ambiguous kind
May yet be defined
To be animal, as any nose knows.

Click to expand...

This sounds like the talking elephant who tried to plant and water Uncle Andrew (who had fainted) when some of the Narnians thought he was a plant whereas others (like the bulldog) thought he was definitely an animal in The Magician's Nephew.

Sleeper

Correct, of course. It's the She-Elephant in TMN. I think, assuming we are correct in our guess of Glenburne's Cook's Nghtmare and Copperfox's untitled poem, the only puzzle currently remaining unsolved is my Saviour. Any more attempts?

In the meantime, here's one more that came to me in the shower this morning.

Sleeper
Here I lie,
But when I wake
The earth and sky
And sea will quake.



Can the sea be said to 'quake'? I don't know. I've been arguing with myself for an hour or so, but I decided it can, at least in a poem...


Answer by Copperfox

Peepiceek said:

Yours must be referring to the rubies, diamonds or other precious stones to be found growing in the land of Bism.

Peeps

Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I meant.

Your latest must be the giant called Time.

It is indeed.

Beware

Okay here's a new one, "Beware":

My waves can break,
My waves can wake.
When struck, beware!
A chance you take.


Answer by Peepiceek

Well, my guess is that this must have something to do with the Dawn Treader, but not quite sure what. The reference to 'striking' and 'taking a chance' is making me wonder if it has to do with Eustace trying to break the picture in the bedroom. Not sure what 'waking' is about, though. Is there a line about the water splashing out of the picture frame and suddenly wakung the three up, or something like that?

Am I anywhere close to the right lines?

Peeps

Sorry Peeps you are cold. "Beware" has nothing to do with Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Peepiceek said:

Sleeper
Here I lie,
But when I wake
The earth and sky
And sea will quake.

Can the sea be said to 'quake'? I don't know. I've been arguing with myself for an hour or so, but I decided it can, at least in a poem...

Click to expand...

The recent earthquake in Ecuador had its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, so yes I definitely think seas can 'quake.' In fact earthquakes at sea are a cause for tsunamis.

☆ By the way, I just went through this thread to link the answers to their original riddles, so if any of my links are goofed up please either let me know so I can fix them, or if you are the author of that post, feel free to correct my mistakes.

☆ Also: "Saviour," "Dance" and "Beware" are yet unsolved; and the solution to "Stranger" is close, but still not completed. Note: May 12 is the cut-off date to pose riddles before the polls open for voting for favorite riddles...
Only one limerick so far??
-----------
revised: Thanks Peeps there were two limericks at the time I wrote this post. Thanks for correcting me.

Two limericks. I posted both 'Nose' and 'Who Said to Whom?'

Technically my solution to Cook's Nightmare remains a guess, since GB hasn't been back to confirm it yet.

Will keep thinking on Beware.

Peeps

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait....

Could it be the SOUND waves emanating from the bell in TMN ch 4? Those waves broke the ceiling of the palace, and woke Jadis, and striking the bell was warned of as dangerous in the poem.

I'm getting onto Benisse's wavelength now. I shall be looking in TMN ch 6 for the answer to your third entry

Peeps

I'm sure Peepiceek is right, "Beware" is Jadis' manually-operated alarm clock.

Here's another one: titled "Wrong Approach"


You willingly enable self-indulgence
On the advice of trendy, slick professors.
But in real life, the obvious result is:
Already-selfish souls become oppressors.

Solution by Peeps
Fine tuning by Copperfox