The Everything Kids' Giant Book of Jokes, Riddles, and Brain Teasers - Michael Dahl [46]
Seville you come to the dance?
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Topeka.
Topeka who?
Topeka apples you have to go to the orchard!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Hominy.
Hominy who?
Hominy times do I have to tell you?
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Tarzan.
Tarzan who?
Tarzan stripes!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Moose.
Moose who?
Moose have been a long night!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Disk.
Disk who?
Disk is a holdup, put your hands in the air!
Words to Know
Whimsical: Light or funny. Many things are whimsical. For example, knock-knock jokes are pretty whimsical! Stage-acting with a lot of clowning around is pretty whimsical too.
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Walrus.
Walrus who?
Why do you walrus ask so many questions?
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Garden.
Garden who?
Garden the secret treasure!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Iona.
Iona who?
Iona TV set!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Dozen.
Dozen who?
Dozen anyone know who I am?
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Malcolm.
Malcolm who?
Malcolm it took you so long to answer the door?
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Les.
Les who?
Les-sons to be learned!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Value.
Value who?
Value come to the park with me?
What's So Funny
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Burden.
Burden who?
Burden the tree is singing!
FUN FACT
JUST FOUR
There are thousands of words in the English language, but there are only four that end with “dous.”Can you guess them? They are tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Hallways.
Hallways who?
Hallways running off somewhere!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Irish.
Irish who?
I-rish I had lots of money!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Rex.
Rex who?
Rex-taurant's just down the road!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Disguise.
Disguise who?
Disguise the limit!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Arf.
Arf who?
Arf-a-got!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Oil.
Oil who?
Oil we do is tell knock-knock jokes!
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Tibet.
Tibet who?
Early Tibet, early to rise!
Part Three
RIDDLES & BRAIN TEASERS
YOU MAY HAVE COME TO know riddles and brain teasers as a great way to get a good laugh, or maybe to challenge a friend. You may even like to challenge yourself with these riddles. But did you know that thousands of years ago, people just like you were interested in a good riddle or puzzle, too?
Some were interested for different reasons than others, depending on their needs. For instance, one of the first uses for a riddle was to “secretly” carry a message from one person to another — a quiz of sorts that only you knew the answer to, and hopefully the person on the other end would be smart enough to solve or figure out. Unfortunately, not everyone was. For example, one of the most famous riddles of all time was that of Samson from the Bible. As a challenge, Samson tried to trick the Philistines with a riddle about honey. Frustrated and angry, the people decided to solve the riddle of Samson's strength instead. When they discovered the answer, they removed his hair, took away his strength, and defeated him.
Many of the words or expressions in our world are forms of these earlier riddles and brain teasers. Take your name, for example. Did you know that your name has a hidden meaning? The stories behind both our first and last names are usually more than meet the eye. Entire books have been written to explain the original meanings behind any first name. Last names are usually easier to guess, as people used to “sneak” what they did for a living into their last name, such as Smith (for blacksmith or goldsmith) and Wagoner. Or, they would use their father's name and then add the word “son” on the end, as in Johnson and Peterson. And middle names? Well, they hid your family lineage by using your mother's maiden name for your middle name.
Puzzling maybe, but there's more: Do you know which famous author secretly fooled a great number of readers by using his last name spelled backward? Actually, his last name was Geisel, and when he wrote it backward, it became Lesieg … but he