h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A man and his son walk along the Nile
When out crawls a ginormous crocodile,
Opens his jaws in a deadly smile
And in an instant grabs the child.

He says to the man;
"I'll give you your child back if you can guess correctly whether or not I'll give you your child back"
The man says
"You will not return the child"
What is the crocodile's response?

"oh my, i hadn't thought of that"
and then he dissapears in a puff of logic?
sorry, i couldn't help that one.
by saying that the croc would not return the child, the two statements contradicted each other. unable to reconcile the two, the croc returned the child and went off to devour a herd of wild cows.

I reckon he gave the kid back anyway and blamed it on a passing urge of generosity. Crocodiles are pretty daft at the best of times, not given to deep logic...

personally, i wouldn't nother to eat the kid. i would have gone for the dad, much tastier. but i also remembered reading a riddle very similar to that one and couldn't help but share my unwelcomed wisdom.

Oh don't worry, it was welcome.
Did your other puzzle by any chance have something to do with a pedestrian crossing? The "puff of logic" sounds quite Adamsesque!

actually it was from uncle john's bathroom reader and it was about some lady kidnapped by terrorists or something.
and of course i am familiar with the mighty puff of logic. at a site like this, are you surprised?

Not in the slightest!

it makes life interesting to say the least. man, i need spell check. i think i have lost all capability to spell. oh sure, it looks nice now but only because i've been staring at the screen willing the letters to go back where they belong. it's the keyboard you see. it keeps rising up to defy me.