25 Riddles by Evan Mantyk (with Answers)

For 30 more riddles click here.

I.
I may not have a large population
Compared to China or the United States,
But more than those two or any nation
I’ve more coastline and freshwater supplies.
What country am I?

II.
On this exact day, the year’s half over,
The cold of winter meets the summer heat;
On this day, Li Shimin rose to power
When his corrupt brothers were soundly beat.
What day and month of the year am I?

III.
I told them to erect pillars with laws
That cherish life, tolerance and being kind
A small penance I know for my past flaws:
A vast war that killed one hundred thousand.
What ancient Indian leader am I?

IV.
The Earth’s final battle ground here unfurled,
According to one ancient prophecy,
It now refers to the end of the world,
It starts with “arm” but ends with no mercy.
What word am I?

V.
This one day is as dark as it is bright;
If you are in the southern hemisphere
And it is getting colder now each night,
Then it must be it’s this day of the year
What day and month of the year am I?

VI.
This word means that something is gone quickly
Like mists floating, or ideas that don’t stick;
If you still don’t know, I’ll give you a hint,
It holds the first name of Mr. Mantyk.
What word am I?

VII.
With the Pharaoh hot on his Hebrew tail,
Moses saw no other option ahead,
The waters raged but the Jews had no sail,
So he parted what sea and onward led?

VIII.
If a man named Saturday, on Sunday
Meets a man named Tuesday for a Brunch
But it gets postponed till they meet Thursday,
Who gets them to agree instead to lunch.
On what day do they eat?

IX.
He defeated the giant named Goliath
And in that battle’s triumphant aftermath,
He composed many famous songs or psalms
And by his star still Hebrew hearts enthralls.
Who is he?

X.
Miss Yellow and Miss White were feeling blue
When they met Miss Orange and Miss Black,
Orange green with envy, White red with shame;
Which secondary color didn’t I name?

XI.
Red was having a good time with Yellow
Until Orange showed up and Red turned pale;
Yellow left, Blue came to say hello.
After Blue left, Green shows up without fail.
What colors are left?

XII.
The crust of the earth may be cool and tough
And its inside may be warm red liquid,
And above it a layer of white, but not fluff,
For it’s not earth that I’ve got in my head.
What is it?

XIII.
I am long, sometimes fat and sometimes thin,
Sometimes bumpy and sometimes very smooth,
And I have many living creatures within,
Float on me and your troubles I will soothe.
What am I?

XIV.
So thin a slice of salty sustenance,
One bite leaves the taste buds in rapt suspense
Oh Earthen fruit, when’ll the next crunch commence?
What am I?

XV.
A part of a book, a hair off a tree,
Come to my hot tub, I’ll make you some tea!
What am I?

XVI.
One angry morning after Seven ate Nine,
Mad Three said, “I don’t know what Five is for,”
And One said, “Zero is getting too out of line,”
When bad feelings multiply, who can keep score?
What is the sum total of the number sounds in this riddle?

XVII.
The two of us ate meals totaling three;
The four of them ate one meal for free;
If all six together each ate one meal more,
Minus one who said his belly was sore,
What then is the total meal eaten score?

XVIII.
I’m a foul creature and I’m feeling down,
And yet my hard mouth never shows a frown;
Maybe I just don’t like the cold weather,
I have heard that down south it is better.
What am I?

XIX.
Fill me up, and I’ll never leak,
Write me your secrets, I’ll never speak;
I don’t claim to have a poet’s mind,
But I always have an extra line.
What am I?

XX.
I am like a really small city;
I often even have my own Subway;
Although I don’t have a street, grass or tree,
I have plenty of walkways,
I don’t have many shops like a mall
Yet my selection is biggest of all.
What am I?

XXI.
I have a bottom but no top;
Near the sea is my great castle
I helped build, now it’s a hassle:
Threats to destroy it never stop.
What am I?

XXII.
The first to make it by sea to Asia,
I sailed right around the Cape of Good Hope
Columbus thought that he had found India,
But it was my Portuguese sail and rope.
Who am I?

XXIII.
I’m the God of War, I fly through the night,
I’m your neighbor but I’m far away,
I’m a tinge of orange, but mostly white,
You cannot see me during the day,
What am I?

XXIV.
I helped bring China over to Japan,
While serving as regent for the Empress:
Buddhism, architecture, tea drinking, dress,
My constitution cemented the plan.
What Japanese figure am I?

XXV.
A uniter and an isolator,
Whose family ruled for hundreds of years,
Until a white man showed up on our shore,
And Japan said we’re not feudal anymore.
What Japanese figure am I?

***ANSWERS***

I. Canada
II. July 2, Li Shimin (Tang Taizong) overthrew his two brothers to become emperor on this day in 626 AD
III. Ashoka Maurya (304-323 BC), third ruler of the Maurya Dynasty of India, who waged a war against the Indian state of Kalinga, killing 100,000. Aftewards he converted to Buddhism and erected pillars with Buddhist influenced laws on them.
IV. Armageddon
V. March 21 (give or take a day). This is the Autumn Equinox in the Southern hemisphere.
VI. Evanescent
VII. The Red Sea
VIII. Sunday
IX. King David
X. Purple or violet
XI. Orange, pink, and green
XII. Pizza
XIII. River
XIV. Potato Chip
XV. Leaf
XVI. Answer: 40
One + Seven + ate (eight) + nine
+ Three + Five + for (four) +
One + Zero + too (two) = 40
XVII. Answer: 3+1+(6-1)=9 meals
XVIII. Duck (or goose)
XIX. Notebook
XX. Wal-Mart
XXI. Bucket
XXII. Vasco da Gama
XXIII. Mars
XXIV. Prince Shotoku (572-622 CE) brought Tang culture to Japan.
XXV. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate

Featured Image: “A Teasing Riddle” by Leopold Egg.