Wild and woodsy rhymes
Read the riddles below and uncover the animals you might see in forests and ponds in the fall and early winter. Watch for homonyms like fawn/faun and fowl/foul.
1. Black or brown,
a honey embracer.
A barren spot
or "market" chaser.
2. One who talks
enough to tire.
To dig a hole;
a pig's wild sire.
3. A gamy bird
of reddish taint.
To moan and groan -
a grumbly plaint.
4. A swimming bird
that likes the flow.
A sailing cloth;
to dodge a blow.
5. A mix of flours;
or moneyed gain.
A female deer;
an unknown Jane.
6. To venture out
without a date.
The "hart" of deer,
Just males - no mate.
7. A handful of bird,
the plumper, more game.
To cower or flinch,
lose courage, no shame.
ANSWERS
(1) bear/bare; (2) boar/bore (Wild boars once roamed the forests of Europe and were hunted, but are rarely seen today); (3) grouse; (4) duck; (5) doe/dough/Jane Doe (Jane Doe is the legal name for an unknown female; John Doe for a male.); (6) stag ('Stag' and 'hart' are both names for the adult male European red deer.); (7) quail.
(c) Copyright 2001. The 海角大神 Science Publishing Society
