The Schools’ Collection

This is a collection of folklore compiled by schoolchildren in Ireland in the 1930s. More information

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  1. Riddles

    CBÉS 0885

    Page 095

    Black and white and is read all over . " Newspaper ".
    As high as a wall as red as blood as white as milk and as sweet as honey . " An apple on a tree ".
    What is the great mistery of Europe.
    " That Hungary don't eat Turkey ".
    Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty got a great fall all the Kings horses and all the Kings men could not put Humpty together again " An Egg ".
    What is a ladder you could not climb .
    " A ladder in a sock ".
    Three legs on the ground a big black stomach, two short ears on the top.
    " A Pot ".
    Queen Victoria built a ship an in this ship her daughter sat an I'll be killed to tell her name an thats three times I've told it.
    " Ann ".
  2. Local Riddles

    CBÉS 0908

    Page 253

    Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
    Humpty Dumpty got a great fall.
    And all the Kings horses and all the Kings men.
    Could not put Humpty Dumpty
    Together again?
    (A broken egg.)
    Chink Chank under the bank.
    Ten drawind four?
    A woman, milking a cow.
    What is it that hangs bears, but never blossoms?
  3. Riddles

    CBÉS 0917

    Page 149

    two little feet, two semi-circles and a circle complete?
    T O B B A C O.
    15. In comes four lets, whips up one leg, up jumps two legs whips up three legs, peggs it after four legs to bring back on leg?
    A dog taking away a leg of mutton.
    16. As I looked over my Grandfathers wall, I saw an old man and his head was bald. His beard was flesh and his mouth was horn, and suck an old man you never saw born?
    A farmyard cock.
    17. Humpty dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty dumpty got a great fall, all the kings' horses, and all the kings' men wouldn't make Humpty dumpty again?
    An egg.
  4. A Collection of Riddles

    CBÉS 1120

    Page 22

    two waters.
    A man and two buckets of water.
    When is a cow the roundest?
    When she is in a barrel.
    Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the kings men couldn’t put Humpty together again.
    An egg.
    Chip, chip, cherry. All the men in Derry couldn’t climb chip, chip, cherry.
    Smoke.
    What goes round the wood all day and sleeps on its own corners at night.
  5. Riddles

    CBÉS 0015

    Page 482

    32. As I was going to the fair of Athy I met nine tailors and their nine wives, these nine wives had nine cats and these nine cats had nine kittens. Tailors, wives, cats and kittens. How many were going to the fair of Athy?
    (One)
    33. Around about the kitchen and sleeps in the corner?
    (Twig)
    34. What's rosier than a pig in the wood?
    (Two pigs)
    35. Why does a duck across the road?
    (To get to the other side)
    36. What is it the more you take from it the bigger it get?
    (A hole in the ground)
    37. Humpty, Dumpty sat on the wall, humpty, dumpty got a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men could'nt put humpty together again?
    (An egg.)
  6. Riddles

    CBÉS 0016

    Page 217

    Q. Little red Nancy with a little red nose the longer she lives the quicker she goes? Ans: A lighted candle.
    Q. Under the fire and over the fire and not (in) touching the fire atall? A cake in an oven.
    Q. Blackie and Whitie went up the hill, Blackie came down but Whitie stood still? A hen laying an egg.
    Q. Auntie Katie stood at the gate flittering, flattering like a hen all her children died of age but she is still alive. An apple tree.
    Q. It opens like a barn door it closes like a trap many a think you thingk of before you think of that? An umberella.
    Q. Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty got a great fall, all the king's horses and all the king's men wouldn't put Humpty D. together again. An Egg.
    Q Black and white and red (read) all over?
    A newspaper.
    Q. As I walked across the garden I met my Uncle Tady I cut off his head (easy) and left body easy.
    A head of cabbage.
    Q As I walked out a dirty gap I met my uncle Tady with pins and needles in his back and he off to Tipperary?
    A hedge-hog.
  7. Local Riddles

    CBÉS 0115

    Page 239

    Question Long legs crooked thighs a little head and no eyes.
    Answer. A Tongs.
    Q. Humpty dumpty sat on the wall, humpty dumpty got a great fall, all the kings horses and all the kings men wouldn't put humpty dumpty together again.
    A. An egg.
    Q. What is the smallest room in the world.?
    A. Mushroom.
    Q. What is it that flies high lies low wears shoes and has none?
    A. A football.
    Q. As I went up stairs I looked out my golden window I saw the dead carrying the living.
    A. A man riding a bicycle.
    Q. Why is a pig in a parlour like a house on fire.?
    A. Because the quicker out the better.
    Q. As white as snow but snow it isn't, as green as grass but grass it isn't, as red as blood but
  8. Riddles

    CBÉS 0143

    Page 458

    as a pan the head of a woman and the whole of a man.
    Ans. An English penny.
    (19) Why does a hen pick the pot?
    Ans. Because she cannot lick it.
    (20) Humpty, Dumpty, sat on a wall,
    Humpty, Dumpty, got a great fall,
    and all the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty, Dumpty, together again.
    Ans. An egg.
    (21) I have a little horse with an iron throat as fast as he gallops he swallows the rope.
    Ans. A spinning wheel.
    (22) Its under (under) the fire and over the fire but it cannot touch the fire.
    Ans. A cake in a oven.
  9. Riddles

    CBÉS 0144

    Page 090

    (1) I have a horse with an iron thro[?] As fast as he gallops he swallows the rope
    Ans: A Spinning wheel
    (2) Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
    Humpty Dumpty got a great fall
    All the King's horses, and
    all the King's men could
  10. Riddles

    CBÉS 0148

    Page 418

    A head of cabbage
    A room full a kitchen full and cannot take a spoonful?
    Smoke
    As I went up the garden I saw the greatest wonder twenty four black birds rooting the ground assunder?
    A man harrowing the ground
    In a garden was laid a beautiful maid as bright and as fair as the morning. The first hour of her life she became a wife and died before she was born?
    Eve
    What is full and holds more?
    A pot of potatoes when you put water in.
    I have a little tub and its full of meat every day but Sunday?
    A thimble
    Twenty four white cows tied to a stall up come the red one and licks them all?
    your tongue and your teeth
    Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty got a great fall, all the King's horses and all the King's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together
  11. Riddles

    CBÉS 0169

    Page 050

    green above the bank and it's fit for a lord or lady.
    Answer: A grave
    14. Twenty sheep went out a gap, twenty more along with that, a shepherd and his dog, how many feet went out the gap.
    Answer: Two
    15. The queen or Morocco built a ship an on the ship her daughter lived an I am ashamed to tell her name an I have it told three times.
    Answer: Ann.
    16. Forty-one white cattle tied to a stall, one red one came out and licked them all.
    Answer: Tongue and teeth.
    17. Humpty-dumpty sat on a wall, humpty-dumpty got a great fall, all the kings horses and all the kings men would not put humpty-dumpty together again.
    Answer: A broken egg.
    18. As I went out the boreen I met my Aunt Noreen, she had steel toes, a burned nose and on my word she would frighten the crows.
    Answer: A shot gun.
    19. What is bought to the table
  12. Riddles

    CBÉS 0200

    Page 142

    chip cherry.
    Ans. Smoke,
    My father gave me seeds to sow the seeds was black and the ground was white riddle me that and Ill give you a pipe.
    Ans. Sewing on paper.
    Whats neither inside the house nor outside the house but is of use to the house.
    Ans. Window.
    Humpty dumpty sat on the wall humpty got a fall ten men ten score wouldn't put humpty dumpty together again.
    Ans. An egg.
    Sitting on my hunkers watching threw any winker watching the dead ? the living.
    Ans. quenching the fire.
    What goes away between two woods and comes back between two waters.
    Ans. A man fetching water in pails.
  13. Riddles

    CBÉS 0268

    Page 098

    A Thimble
    28. What turns without moving
    Milk
    29. What's full and holds more
    A pot of potatoes when you pour water in
    30. Humpty, Dumpty, sat on the wall
    Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king's horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again
    An egg broken
    31. Headed like a thimble tailed like a rat. If you guessed for ever you wouldn't guess that
    A pipe
    32. As round as an apple as plump as a ball. It climbs over churches steeples and all
    The moon
    33. As round as an apple as (plump as a ball) as deep as a cup and all the men in Londonderry wouldn't pull it up
    The shadow of the moon in a well
  14. Riddles

    CBÉS 0271C

    Page 22_001

    Riddles.
    Q. Why does a hen pick a pot?
    A Because she cannot lick it
    Q Why does a cow look over the ditch;
    A Because she can not look under it.
    Q What is deeper than the sea?
    A A tailors thimble
    Q. Humpty-dumpty got on the wall
    Humpty-dumpty got a great fall
    all the kings horses and all kings men could not put Humpty-Dumpty together again.
    A An egg.
    Q Why does a horse look over the wall.
    A Because she can not look under it
  15. Riddles

    CBÉS 0272

    Page 056

    Q. Middy-noddy, round body, three feet and a wooden hat.
    A. A pot.
    Q. What is it, a hard working father, a lazy old mother, twelve little children all like one another?
    A. A clock.
    Q. If a person eats three quarters of an apple, What time is it?
    A. Quarter to eat.
    Q. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
    Humpty Dumpty got a great fall,
    All the King's horses and all the King's men wouldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.
    A. An egg.
    Q. How many sticks goes to a crow's nest?
    A. None, because they are all carried.
    Q. What is always in your mouth and you never eat it?
    A. Your tongue.
    Q. What is the difference between a rainy day and a toothache?
  16. Riddles

    CBÉS 0293

    Page 012

    Why does not a clock strike thirteen?
    Ans., because it has not the face to do so.
    White house east, red house west you should break the white house to get into the red house?
    Ans., an egg.
    Humpty, Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty got a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again?
    Ans., an egg.
    Long legs, crooked thighs, small head, no eyes?
    Ans., a tongs.
    What has eyes but cannot see?
    Ans., a potatoe.
    Little, little daddy with a long red nose the longer he lives the shorter he goes?
    Ans., a candle.
    A hard working father, a lazy mother and twelve black children?
    Ans., a clock.
  17. Riddles

    CBÉS 0370

    Page 008

    Riddle me riddle me randy oh a farmer he had seeds to sow the seeds were black and the ground was white riddle me riddle me right?
    Ans. Pen ink and paper.
    Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty got a great fall all the Kings horses and all the Kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again?
    Ans. An egg.
    Headed like a thimble tailed like a rat you may guess for ever but you'd never guess that?
    Ans. A pipe
    Twenty sheep went out a gap twenty more went after that six and seven twice eleven three and two how much is that?
    Ans. five
    As I went out the slippery gap I picked up some thing of my own it was neither fish flesh feather or bone and it had five fingers of its own ?
    Ans. A glove
    The man who made it never wore it and the man who wore it never saw it?
    Ans. A coffin.
  18. Riddles

    CBÉS 0639

    Page 114

    35. What is in a meadow and can't be cut and what is in the river and can't drown?
    The rays of the sun.
    36. How far does a rabbit go into the wood?
    Half-way.
    37. What is the weight of the moon?
    Four quarters.
    38. Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
    Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
    All the kings horses and all his men
    Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.
    An egg.
    39. What goes up white and comes down red?
    A newspaper.
  19. Riddles

    CBÉS 0697

    Page 211

    see it, still, it is nearer to you than me.? Your eye.
    69. One half dead, and the other half living and a tail wagging? A dog with his head in a pot.
    70. It takes a yard of cloth to make a waistcoat, what will it take to make a coat? A tailor
    71. Riddle mo riddle my Aunty o, my father gave me seed to sow, the seed was black, and the ground was white riddle me that and I'll give you a pint. Ink and white paper.
    72. Humpty - dumpty sat on a wall, humpty - dumpty had a great fall, and all
  20. Riddles

    CBÉS 0736

    Page 055

    When is a gander a goose?
    When he is cooking.
    Black and white and read all over.
    What is it?
    A newspaper.
    Two n's two o's an L and a D put then together and spell them for me?
    London.
    Backwards and forwards spells all the same?
    Hannah.
    What part of a horse goes out on the stable door first?
    His breath.
    Humpty Dumpty on the wall Humpty Dumpty got a great fall all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again?
    An egg.
    How many cows tails would reach