The Golden Fruit

A riddle for you: In a marble hall white as milk, lined with skin as soft as silk. Within a fountain crystal-clear, a golden apple doth appear. No doors there are to this stronghold, yet thieves break in to steal its gold. And another: A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid.

It’s an egg, of course! 

When I was a young girl I wanted to raise chickens so I

ordered 500 baby chickens from a catalog. They came

 and in three days they all died. I was disappointed 

but determined. I ordered 500 more baby chicks and 

would you believe, they all died within 3 days too? 






I gave up on raising chickens but I never did figure out

 what I was doing wrong. I was pretty sure though that

I was either planting them too deep or too close together.
I’m pulling your leg with that old joke--I have kept chickens for fresh eggs since I was about



nineteen years old. It seems like there has always been a flock in my life. A contented \

clucking in the chicken pen, delighted squawking when an egg has been laid, and yes, even 

the noise of a rooster indicate that all is as it should be in life. 


My first chickens were white Leghorns that we bought for a dollar each. They had been 



cage chickens sold when they were past their peak laying time (these were about 18 months
old) and they had no idea of how to roost, scratch or do any other chicken-y kind of thing. 

Their claws were so long they curled back and their combs were huge and floppy. After a 

few weeks in their new home they learned to scratch in the dirt, to nest in boxes and their 

claws quickly wore off to a more reasonable length. They laid lots of eggs, defying the logic

of the commercial breeders that they were not economical to keep.


It wasn’t long before I wanted brown-egg hens, so we added big plump Rhode Island Reds 



that did not lay as well, ate a lot more but were calm and gentle, something that could not

be said for the Leghorns. As years passed we raised many other varieties—Buff Orpingtons, 

Araucanas, Americaunas, Domineckers, Silver-laced Wyandottes, White Rocks, Golden 

Comets and others. I love getting different color eggs; some years our egg basket would be 

filled with white, buff, blue, green, brown, tan and even lightly speckled eggs. Who needs 

to dye eggs at Easter when they come like that straight from the hens?


I have heard many superstitions about eggs and chickens over



the years. For example, did you know that some people will put an egg shell in their
coffee grounds when the coffee is perking? They claim the coffee tastes better
that way. Others will bury egg shells next to certain plants in their gardens
to provide more calcium for the growing vegetables. One lady told me that
witches will use empty egg shells for boats and go sailing around in them, so I
should always break a hole in an egg shell in the shape of a cross, or crush
the shell, to prevent that from happening. 
Finding a double yolk egg means either someone you know is getting
married soon or will be having twins.  It
might also be interpreted as a sign of good luck coming your way, or financial
improvement in your life. An egg with no yolk at all is very bad, however—a
certain bringer of bad luck.



This year we'll be getting baby chicks again, I

 think. Our hens are three or four years old 

and slowing down. What kind will we get? I'm
hoping for some Aracaunas, and maybe a few

Barred Rocks, and some Golden Comets. 

We'll see!













For more chicken riddles, check out this older blog post!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed 
without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Drum(stick) Roll: The Chicken Riddles Answers

So, did you get the answers? Here's one more:

And here are the answers to yesterday's riddles, in order. To see the questions, check out yesterday's post.

1.the other half

2.Hennessee

2.Chickago

4. the outside

5. prove to the possum it could be done

6. to the other side  

7. to lay it on the line

8. it was the chicken’s day off

9. they’d break if they dropped them

10. Thanksgiving!

Now, let's go have some eggs for breakfast--or lunch--or dinner--or even dessert (there's always custard!).


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Just for Fun: Chickens Riddles

Chickens are one of my favorite animals. I’ve had a flock for most of the past 45 years.What I like best about them is that, unlike most animals, you can use their products without hurting the chicken. My hens tend to lead long, safe lives. We like brown-egg hens best, and especially the black-and-white Barred Rocks, or Domineckers, as they’re called around here. There's just something about the contented clucking, the excited squawking after an egg is laid, the rooster's crow first thing in the morning that makes a place feel more like a home.

So here you go: can you solve these riddles? Answers tomorrow!

1. What looks just like half a chicken?
2. Where do hens come from?
3. Where do chicks come from?
4. Which side of a chicken has the most feathers?
5. Why did the chicken cross the road?
6. What do you get if you cross a road with a chicken?
7. Why did the chicken go halfway across the road?
8. Why did the turkey cross the road?
9. Why do hens lay eggs?
10. What’s a chicken’s favorite holiday?

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Rindercella: A Blory Stog

If you have never heard of Spoonerisms then the title of this post is probably yeek to Grou. If you were a Hee Haw fan, however, you probably heard Archie Campbell tell the story and know exactly what I am referring to.

Spoonerisms (named after Dr. William Archibald Spooner) are phrases that exchange the first letters of words to create new words or phrases with entirely different meanings ( for example, "Larry had a little Mamb" certainly conveys a different meaning than "Mary had a little Lamb").

I love spoonerisms. I first heard Rindercella some years ago when a storyteller told it at a story swap. Now I cannot recall the teller's name or even where the story swap was--I'd guess it was at a National Storytelling Conference--but the story amazed me and I decided to learn it.

Rindercella is one of the few stories I memorized because the placement of letters and words is important in this tale. For most of the stories I tell, I learn the story, commit its "bones" or outline to memory, and then tell it in my own words. The telling varies by audience; their comprehension, the amount of time we have, their age all impact how I tell a story. In the case of Rindercella, I tell the story almost exactly the same every time.

Here is my version of Rindercella:

Tonce upon a wime in a coreign fountry, there lived a geautiful birl named Rindercella. She lived with her sticked wetmother and her two sister step-uglies. Poor Rindercella! She had to do all the wirty dork and those two sister step-uglies? All they did was hush their brair.

Now in that same coreign fountry there lived a prandsome hince. That prandsome hince was so lad and sonely that he decided to have a drancy fess ball and invite all the geautiful birls. When those two sister step-uglies heard that, they wanted to go! They said, "Rindercella! Drix our fesses and hush our brair! We want to go to the drancy fess ball!"

Well, after they left, Rindercella just cat down and shried. She was citting there shrying when her gairy fodmother showed up. "Rindercella, why are you citting there shrying?"

"I want to go to the drancy fess ball, but all I have to wear are these rirty dags," said Rincercella.

"Pro noblem," said the gairy fodmother. She turned a cumpkin into a poach and she turned six mite hice into hix mite sorses. Then she said, "You must remember to return at the moke of stridnight!"

Well, off Rindercella went to the drancy fess ball, and when she got there, the first person to see her was that prandsome hince. And he lell in fove with her, um hmm. They danced and danced. Then suddenly, the mock cluck stridnight! And Rindercella, she stan down the rairs!

But when she stan down the rairs, she slopped her dripper. And when the prandsome hince followed her, all he found was that slopped dripper.

The next day, the prandsome hince went all over the coreign fountry looking for the geautiful birl whose foot would fit into that slopped dripper. When he came to the home of the sticked wetmother, well those two sister step-uglies wanted to try it on. But their fig beet fidn't dit it. But when Rindercella tried it on, her fittle leet fid dit it.

Well, to make a strong story lort, Rindercella and the prandsome hince were married and they hived lappily ever after. And the moral of the story is: if you want to catch a prandsome hince, all you have to do is slop your dripper.

(Did this ever drive my spell-check crazy! Or should I say, did this ever spive my drell creck chazy!)

Other stories told Spooner-style:

Pee Little Thrigs

Beeping Sleauty

And closely related to Spoonerisms is a British tale I sometimes tell, Master of All Masters. The version below is from Joseph Jacob's English Fairy Tales.

Master of All Masters

A girl once went to the fair to hire herself for servant. At last a funny-looking old gentleman engaged her, and took her home to his house. When she got there, he told her that he had something to teach her, for that in his house he had his own names for things.

He said to her: “What will you call me?”

“Master or mister, or whatever you please sir,” says she.

He said: “You must call me ’master of all masters.’ And what would you call this?” pointing to his bed.

“Bed or couch, or whatever you please, sir.”

“No, that’s my ’barnacle.’ And what do you call these?” said he pointing to his pantaloons.

“Breeches or trousers, or whatever you please, sir.”

“You must call them ’squibs and crackers.’ And what would you call her?” pointing to the cat.

“Cat or kit, or whatever you please, sir.”

“You must call her ’white-faced simminy.’ And this now,” showing the fire, “what would you call this?”

“Fire or flame, or whatever you please, sir.”

“You must call it ’hot cockalorum,’ and what this?” he went on, pointing to the water.

“Water or wet, or whatever you please, sir.”

“No, ’pondalorum’ is its name. And what do you call all this?” asked he, as he pointed to the house.

“House or cottage, or whatever you please, sir.”

“You must call it ’high topper mountain.’”

That very night the servant woke her master up in a fright and said: “Master of all masters, get out of your barnacle and put on your squibs and crackers. For white-faced simminy has got a spark of hot cockalorum on its tail, and unless you get some pondalorum high topper mountain will be all on hot cockalorum.” .... That’s all.

Is your tonuge completely twisted now? Then try some of these tongue twisters:

The Tongue Twister Database

IndianChild's Tongue Twisters for Kids

Thinks.com tongue twisters

ESL for kids tongue twisters

Have fun! Tee you somorrow.

Whim-Whams and Whimmy-Diddles

Two books that are curiously alike recently came my way.

The first is by James Still, a Kentucky poet who is one of my favorites. Rusties, and Riddles and Gee-Haw Whimmy-Diddles delves into the folkways and folk language of the place he called home. You might have to be from here to understand some of the riddles and word puzzles he poses in this short book. For example:

Pot belly

One dark eye

Poke its ribs

Make it sigh

Care to guess what this is?

Or:

Two lookers

Two hookers

Four down-hangers

And a fly swatter.

As Still explains in his introduction, people found their own entertainment in the days before mass media reached the mountains. Evenings by the fire were occupied with whittling, knitting and sewing, cracking nuts and telling tales and riddles. He describes rusties as "turns of wit, tricks of words, or common pranks." People in the mountains today still delight in pulling each other's legs and "pranking" as my husband calls it. The best never crack a smile as they tell their lies, and so drag the listener right into their verbal traps with great delight.

The Whim-Wham Book by Duncan Emrich is like an extended version of Still's collection. While James Still focused on his Kentucky hills for his book, Emrich's book is composed of material sent to him by children from all over the United States. Written as a follow up to two other titles (The Nonsense Book and The Hodgepodge Book), Emrich explains in the introduction that folklore is not only those things passed down to us by our elders, but also the songs, stories and riddles we make up each day. This book is a collection of both old and contemporary lore.

While Emrich's book is fun and full of zany material, I confess I like Still's collection better. Emrich credits each child who contributed to his book, and the pieces read like children's folklore. While this is entertaining and for a storyteller offers useful filler material, Still's book gives us a look back to colorful, clever language, carefully crafted stories and riddles and references to traditions and ways of life that have passed on.

Here's one from the Whim-Wham Book. Can you guess the answer?

What is this? A deaf man heard what a dumb man said: that a blind man had seen a running rabbit, and that a lame man pursued it, and that a naked man had put it in his pocket and brought it home.

And another:

"Why did the rooster cross the road?

I don't know.

To get the Chinese newspaper. Get it?

No.

I don't either. I get the Evening Star-News."

I have only one thing to say about that. Ouch.

Ready for the answers to the others?

Pot belly: a pot-belly stove.

Two lookers: a cow

What's this? a lie.

Once again--ouch. But a good ouch because I'm smiling.

These books are old-fashioned fun, and provide a gentle mental exercise to boot. For an evening by the fire, these are good companions.

EarthHeart's Review of my CD

Hey friends, if you'd like to read what blogger EarthHeart had to say abut my CD "Mountain Story, Mountain Song" click here.

She won the CD in the Great Chicken Riddle Contest. I will offer more riddle contests in the future, so stay tuned!

And maybe by then my new CD, West Virginia Ghost Stories and Ballads, will be ready...

Thank you for the kind words, EarthHeart.

Chicken Riddles: Answers and Winners!

Okay, chicken lovers, the answers to the riddles:

1. What looks just like half a chicken? The other half, of course.
Mary, Matthew, Aaron, Christopher, Earthheart, Julie--everyone got this one perfect!

2. Where do hens come from? Hennessee
No one got this answer, but I have to give credit to Matthew (henside of an egg) Aaron (Hennsylvania) and EarthHeart (Asp-hen) for creativity, and Christopher and Julie for practicality (from eggs--duh).

3. Where do chicks come from? Chickago
EarthHeart got this answer, but Matthew's response is just as good (Chick-asaw), Aaron's is funny (don't know but they're attracted to nest eggs!), Christopher's is ummm, interesting, and Julie is practical as dirt (got to come from somewhere).

4. Which side of a chicken has the most feathers? the outside
Mary, Matthew, Aaron, Christopher, Earthheart, Julie--everyone who tried, actually.

5. Why did the chicken cross the road? to prove to the possum it could be done
Matthew, EarthHeart and Julie got this one spot on, BUT there were some really good answers to this one that qualify, I think:
Mary ( to get to the other side--makes sense to me), Aaron and Chris (to get away from Colonel Sanders), and Julie's addition of Rosie (the chicken-eating beagle that made a short residence here) has to get extra points.


6. What do you get if you cross a road with a chicken? to the other side
Mary got this answer, but Matthew's is hilarious (a tired chicken), Aaron's is too clever (Road Island Red), Chris--you sound like you've had experience!, EarthHeart is catching Aaron's weird mind, and Julie is being agreeable.

7. Why did the chicken go halfway across the road? to lay it on the line
EarthHeart got this answer, Mary is sympathetic, Matthew is literal (he chickened out), Aaron is close enough (to toe the line), Chris is practical (he got hit--geez!), and Julie is blaming Rosie for the chicken's disappearance.


8. Why did the turkey cross the road? it was the chicken's day off
Mary has a good answer (to keep the chicken company), Matthew is clever(he wasn't chicken), Aaron has hot wings on his mind, Chris got a laugh on his cousin, EarthHeart and Julie agree with Matthew.


9. Why do hens lay eggs? they'd break if they dropped them
EarthHeart got this answer, but Mary had the best answer, I think (can't lay blocks, not in the union), Matthew was practical, Aaron was scientific (is it really true that eggs can only stand two days a year? who knew?), Christopher played with my boys too much when he was young (if they threw them they'd break), and Julie--I don't even want to think where your mind was!


10. What’s a chicken’s favorite holiday? Thanksgiving!
Matthew and Julie got this one, but there were some very clever answers:
Mary (Easter--job security!), Aaron (Fowl-loween), Chris (his birthday because he eats steak, not chicken on his birthday), EarthHeart( 4th of July--eggsplosions).

So who wins? Let's see who got the most right answers; my very unscientific tabulation:

Mary: 3 perfect, 4 really good
Matthew: 4 perfect, 5 really good
Aaron: 2 perfect, 7 really good
Christopher: 2 perfect, 6 really good
EarthHeart: 5 perfect, 4 really good
Julie: 4 perfect, 5 really good

So, since EarthHeart had the most "right" answers, she wins the CD! Please send me your address by email, EarthHeart, to: susannaholstein@yahoo.com and I will mail your CD on Monday.

And thanks to all of you who played! This was just plain fun. I'll have to come up with another contest idea.

(boy did this post drive the spell-check crazy!)

Are you too Chicken for Riddles?

Just for fun: Chickens!

Chickens are one of my favorite animals. I’ve had a flock now for 30 years.What I like best about them is that, unlike most animals, you can use their products without hurting the chicken. My hens tend to lead long, safe lives. We like brown-egg hens best, and especially the black-and-white Barred Rocks, or Domineckers, as they’re called around here.

Now, a contest: Can you answer these riddles? Leave a comment with your answers to be in the running for one of my CDs, Mountain Story, Mountain Song. The commenter with the most correct answers will win the CD!

1. What looks just like half a chicken?

2. Where do hens come from?

3. Where do chicks come from?

4. Which side of a chicken has the most feathers?

5. Why did the chicken cross the road?

6. What do you get if you cross a road with a chicken?

7. Why did the chicken go halfway across the road?

8. Why did the turkey cross the road?

9. Why do hens lay eggs?

10. What’s a chicken’s favorite holiday?

Good luck!

The Devil’s Nine Questions

Child #1
(a variant of Riddles Wisely Expounded)

This is the latest ballad I've learned. The Devil says he has nine questions. What's the ninth one?

You must answer my questions nine
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
Or you’re not God’s, you’re one of mine
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

What is whiter than the milk?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And what is softer than the silk?
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

Snow is whiter than the milk,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And down is softer than the silk,
And I’m the weaver’s bonnie.

What is higher than a tree?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And what is deeper than the sea?
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

Heaven is higher than a tree,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And Hell is deeper than the sea,
And I’m the weaver’s bonnie.

What is louder than a horn?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And what is sharper than a thorn?
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

Thunder is louder than a horn,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And Death is sharper than a thorn,
And I’m the weaver’s bonnie.

What is more innocent than a lamb?
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And what is meaner than womankind?
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

A babe is more innocent than a lamb,
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And the Devil is meaner than womankind,
And I’m the weaver’s bonnie.

You have answered my questions nine
Sing ninety-nine and ninety
And you are God’s, you’re not one of mine
And you’re the weaver’s bonnie.

For more about the Francis James Child and the Child Ballads, or just ballads in general:

Leslie Nelson’s site Contemplator is one of the very best. She offers lyrics, a bit of history and background, and a midi file of the melody. Her site includes Child ballads as well as songs of the sea and American folksongs.


The Book of Old Ballads selected by Beverly Nichols was published in 1934. Like many other out-of-print titles, it is available online on many sites. This site seemed more accessible than most.


Ancient poems, ballads, and songs: Of the peasantry of England, taken down from oral recitation, and transcribed from private manuscripts, rare broadsides and scarce publications by James Henry Dixon. Ah, to be able to own the real thing! However, this rare book is available to us online.


The Child Ballads offers information about recorded versions of a large number of Child ballads.

Chicken Riddles

Chickens are one of my favorite animals. I’ve had a flock almost continuously for over 30 years.What I like best about chickens is that unlike most animals, you can use the product without hurting the chicken.

I like brown-egg hens best, a especially the black-and-white Barred Rocks, or Domineckers, as they’re called around here. When I go looking for new hens, those will be the ones I hope to find. But I'll settle for any brown-egg layer.


Try these chicken riddles—answers below):


What looks just like half a chicken?


Where do hens come from?


Where do chicks come from?


Which side of a chicken has the most feathers?


Why did the chicken cross the road?


What do you get if you cross a road with a chicken?


Why did the chicken go halfway across the road?


Why did the turkey cross the road?


Why do hens lay eggs?


What’s a chicken’s favorite holiday?




(the other half, Hennessee, Chickago, the outside, prove to the possum it could be done, to the other side, to lay it on the line, it was the chicken’s day off, they’d break if they dropped them, Thanksgiving!)