HE WHO LAUGHS, LASTS

When nothing is obvious

RIDDLE #1

Moishe is a member of a local fitness center and is a great swimmer.

One Tuesday, he goes to the center and swims would you believe, 50 laps of the pool! And although he isn't exactly up to Olympic standards, he does the breast stroke for the entire distance!

The pool is 25m long and 12m wide. It is Im deep at the shallow end, and then it slopes to an angle of 45 degrees at the deep end (where it is 3m deep).

THE QUESTION IS:

How much water (in liters) is required to fill the pool?

RIDDLE #2

Martin and Aaron are having an argument.

Martin says it is more correct to say "the herd of sheep is eating hay in the field", whereas Aaron maintains it is more correct to say "the herd of sheep are eating hay in the field".

THE QUESTION IS:

Who is right?

RIDDLE #3

You are refereeing a Jewish baseball game between Northshore Maccabees and the West End All Stars.

Four of the 18 players are called Mendel (1 pitcher on Northshore Maccabees and 3 outfielders on the West End All Stars), and three of the players are called Sidney (2 infielders on the West End All Stars and 1 catcher on the Northshore Maccabees).

In addition, the first baseman on both teams is named Seymour.

THE QUESTION IS:

Can you figure out the name of the referee!

RIDDLE #4

Albert and Ralph are keen tennis players.

One Sunday, they go to their local tennis club at a swank downtown location and play 3 tennis matches in a row.

Then they leave.

Afterwards, over coffee, they realize an amazing thing: They had both lost and won the same number of matches.

THE QUESTION IS:

How could they have won and lost the same number of matches? (Hint: Remember, there is no such thing as a "draw" in a tennis match).

RIDDLE #5

Shoshi is quite a mischievous teenager and is always getting herself into trouble at school.

One week, she is so naughty that as a punishment she is made to carry 100 bags of sand, each weighing at least lOlbs., from the store room of the school to the long jump pit, which is in the field adjacent to a coffee shop.

Needless to say, she found it a great struggle. But after she had taken the first few bags to the pit, she gets an idea.

She soon realizes that she could put something in each bag to make it lighter to carry.

THE QUESTION IS:

What could Shoshi put into each bag?

ANSWERS TO RIDDLES

#1 - No water is needed. The pool must have been full in order to swim 50 laps.

#2 - Neither. It's a flock of sheep, not a herd.

#3 - As you are the referee, it's your own name.

#4 - Albert and Ralph were playing against their girlfriends, not against each other.

#5 - Shoshi put a hole in each sandbag.

[Author Affiliation]

As Told By DAVID MINKOFF

SPECIAL TO THE CHICAGO JEWISH STAR