Riddles
Many of these riddles can be found in books by Steve & Marion Isham. Click on title image to see the full cover.
"A true riddle is a description of an object in terms intended to suggest something entirely different." (Archer Taylor, 1951)
Most of Steve & Marion Isham's books contain riddles. Riddle making begins in earliest times and in many cultures. From the Bible, Samson's riddle is the most famous: “Out of the eater something to eat, out of the strong something sweet.” Steve frequently interacts with students over riddles at school events, so the answers are not provided for the riddles below, but having the riddle answer's first letter gives a good hint.
Alphabetically listed by riddle answer.
B
The less it is, the more it is dread. 
A sheet that cannot be folded. 
Four legs. One foot. Many feathers. Can't fly.
Light as a feather, nothing in it. A stong man cannot hold it more than a minute.
A neck but no head.
Can't stand up until his belly is full.
I gave my love a cherry that had no stone. I gave my love a chicken that had no bone. I give my love a baby with no crying. I have my love a story that had no end.
C
Who becomes fat without eating? from an ancient Babylonian tablet
Fifty fill a box, one fills a barn.
Bought by the yard, worn by the foot.
I have both face and hands and move before your eyes. Yet when I go my body stands and when I stand, I lie.
A prison with holes like a net. 
One who made it did not want it. One who bought it didn't use it. One who used it didn't know it.
I stand on one leg with my heart in my head.
Red flesh and heart of stone.
Four stiff standers, four dilly danders, two lookers, two crookers and a wigwag. 
Who are the slowest writers? (a conundrum, not a true riddle)
D
Enters the room without noise, without using the door.
Asks no questions, yet needs to be answered.
How far is it from the East to the West?
A messenger that couldn't speak. A letter that wasn't written. To a house with no foundation.
The more there is, the less you see. 
E
In this box without a lid, golden treasure neatly hid. 
A little house without doors or windows.
Held in a hole, always I roam.
F
Goes round the house yet never comes in.
The more you take, the more you leave behind.
Feed me and I live. Give me water and I die.
Alive without breath, as cold as death. Never thirsty ever drinking, all in mail never clinking.
G
Four fingers, and a thumb. Yet flesh and blood have I none.
Four fingers, one thumb. Neither fish, flesh, fowl nor bone.
H
Out of the eater, something to eat, out of the strong something sweet. from the Bible
Runs all day on its head.
First burned, then beaten, then drowned and pierced with nails.
The more you take, the larger it grows.
Sharper than a thorn.
The strongest thing on earth.
What is that? Over his head and under his hat. (a conundrum, not a true riddle)
J
There was a man of Adam's race. He had a certain dwelling place. 'Twas neither in heaven, earth...nor hell. Tell me where that man did dwell?
K
The master holds me back with care as eagerly I paw the air.
What force or strength cannot get through, I with gentle touch can do.
Looks like a cat, but is not a cat. (conundrum, not a true riddle.)
L
Old as the hills but always new, a carpet dyed with every hue.
Before a circle let appear, twice 25 and 5 in rear. One fifth of eight, attach behind, and you'll see what is on his mind. (a conundrum, not a true riddle.)
M
Goes on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs at noon and 3 legs in the evening. riddle of the sphinx
I know a child born by my mother, natural born as any other that is neither my sister or brother.
Few think of me enough they've got but all can tell when they have not.
Has cities but no houses. Forests but no trees. Rivers but no fish.
A hill full, a hole full. You cannot catch a bowl full.
Use me well and I am everybody. Scratch my back and I am nobody.
From this biscuit large and light, each night a thief will take a bite.
Alive above, alive below, dead between.
Six legs, four ears.
N
A carriage always goes with it. It cannot go without it. It is of no use to the carriage.
O
A beast equal to nothing, added to ten.
As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, each cat had seven kits. Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St Ives?
P
White the field, black the seed.
I go to wash leaving my insides behind.
First to pity, last to help.
R
It has a mouth but does not speak, it has a bed but does not sleep.
Runs smoother than any rhyme, loves to fall, but cannot climb.
When I do not know what it is, it is something. When I know what it is, it is nothing.
Having neither top nor bottom, yet holding flesh, blood and bone.
When first I appear I seem mysterious, yet when I'm explained, I'm nothing serious.
Goes uphill and downhill yet never moves.
Purple, yellow, red, and green. The King cannot reach it, neither can the Queen.
S
Two brothers bear a burden, and by the load hard pressed. Full all through the day and empty when they rest.
You break it if you name it.
Grows in the field without roots.
Runs over fields all day, under the bed sits not alone, with long tongue lolling out awaiting for a bone.
Round as the world, deep as a cup. All the world's oceans could not fill it up.
Long boneless fellow.
My face is smooth and shining bright which mostly I keep out of sight within my house. Here I lie snug, unless in anger, I look out sharp suspecting danger.
Made by both the quick and the dead. Can be seen clearly but cannot be touched.
Has eyes, never sees. Has tongue, never speaks.
Enough for one. Too much for two. Nothing at all for three.
Always giving birth, always dying.
Out and about all day, yet I aways at home stay.
At night they come without being fetched, by day they are lost without being stolen.
Without bridle or saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle, and those I ride because of me though almost blind are made to see.
Thick black blanket for the night. By day the blue one is so bright.
A thousand lights in a dish.
Opens like a barn door, shuts like a trap.
Over flat rock tomato redness slowly spreads.
Enter by three doors, exit by one.
Eyes open mouth shut, eyes shut mouth open.
Higher than a tree, bigger than a house, yet I seem to most men, smaller than a mouse.
I move without wings between silken strings. I leave as you find my substance behind.
There is a thing that nothing is and yet it has a name. It may be either short or tall, it tumbles down whene'er we fall and plays at every game.
Beyond the ocean always reaching, falls on ocean never splashes, drinks from ocean always thirsty, enters ocean never wet.
My warm and friendly touch brings the gift of life.
T
When the beast bellows, it is heard across the land.
Long legs, strong thighs. Two hands, no eyes.
Rolls all day, lolls all night.
One leg, many fingers.
Row quickly with four oars but never comes out of his house.
Has no wings yet carries me over the ocean in a moment.
Cannot walk, but stands on legs.
I never was, I always will be.
V
His head is bent, his neck is long. You saw his belly for a song.
To half a dozen add six. Then five hundred. The whole is clear, bright and lively.
W
Four sisters race to overtake each other.
We're treasured up. We're thrown away. We're made to sting. We're made to play.
I tremble at each breath of air, yet can heaviest burdens bear.
A sharp knife cannot cut it.
A sheet that cannot be folded.
Can fill the sky but never touched or seen.
Softer than porridge, harder than bread.
Two arms, two feet, and as it goes, the feet don't fouch the ground. But all the way along the path, the head goes spinning round.
Enters the room without any noise, without using the door.