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

Got there at long last.
Your post.

Your post Granny Weatherwax

Sorry, RL's hectic at the moment, anybody want to take this turn?

A Lewiss Carroll special


John gave his brother James a box:
About it there were many locks.

James woke and said it gave him pain;
So gave it back to John again.

The box was not with lid supplied,
Yet caused two lids to open wide;

And all these locks had never a key-
What kind of box, then, could it be?

Lids = eyes
Locks = hair
a Pill Box Hat????

You have the first two right. Your answer is original and almost works, but CLDs answer fits a little better. Keep going.

Box about the ears?

Nice work. CLDs answer is thus:

As curly haired James was sleeping in bed,
His brother John gave him a blow on the head.
James opened his eyelids, and spying his brother,
Doubled his fists, and gave him another.
This kind of a box then is not so rare
The lids are the eyelids, the locks are the hair.

Try this for size!
When going around a corner on Roberts Street, motorcyclists travel at the same speed on both sunny and rainy days. However, if it's cloudy but not raining, they usually go faster. Why?

I know that one, but I read it recently, so I won't spoil it for anyone else.

That was a good one FP. I love the riddles that are obvious once you know the answer.

Thanks Unchartered. Lewis Carroll has a few others which aren't quite as clear. I took a shine to that one though.

I think I'm getting somewhere, but my answer doesn't quite fit.

The motorcyclist is only riding his bike on the cloudy but not rainy days. Other days he is walking.

I can understand this with the rain, but I don't know why he would walk on a sunny day.

Am I on the right track?

It is entirely to do with traction.

Maybe it's because the rider can't see properly on sunny days (too bright)and rainy days (too wet) but on cloudy days his vision is better so he goes faster??

Nope on the wrong track completely. Think traction. Think what affects the traction, particularly for motorcycles and work from there.

Haven't got the foggiest - not technically minded (just a girlie)

But I'll try *thinks to herself*

*OK traction - tyres - conditions*

Would it be something similar as Formula One racing - they have to change tyre types depending on coniditions?

There is something on the corner (not on the road) that affects the traction.

Is there a bowling green on the corner?
Reason:
When raining, the road is wet (obviously).
When it is sunny, the groundsman has to water the grass, which overspills on to the road, thus making it wet.
On cloudy days, the grass doesn't need watering, hence it is the only time the road is dry.

Is there a Cafe and on sunny and rainy days it has it's awning down but on cloudy days it doesn't need it.

So on sunny and rainy day's the awning is in the way and has to be avoided (hence the going slower) and on cloudy days there's no obstruction so the rider can go faster!!

Sheep in wolf's clothing has really got it although in the original it is a car-wash - but I am not sure that your answer isnÕt better. Whatever Ð the reasoning is correct
Your post then.

OK but I can't gurantee that it'll be quite as thought provoking as any of the others on here!!

Every day a man leaves his flat on the 11th floor, calls the lift and presses ground, leaves the building and goes to work.
After several hours he re-enters the building, calls the life and presses floor seven, alights at this floor and walks to the 11th floor
Except for rainy days when he travels directly to the 11th floor

Q - why?