Long Riddles

Long riddles with answers test your problem solving skills. These lengthy puzzles test your ability to piece together information and find the answer.

The Firing Squad

Pirate Pete had been captured by a Spanish general and sentenced to death by his 50-man firing squad.

Pete cringed, as he knew their reputation for being the worst firing squad in the Spanish military. They were such bad shots that they would often all miss their targets and simply maim their victims, leaving them to bleed to death, as the general’s tradition was to only allow one shot per man to save on ammunition. The thought of a slow painful death made Pete beg for mercy.

“Very well, I have some compassion. You may choose where the men stand when they shoot you and I will add 50 extra men to the squad to ensure someone will at least hit you. Perhaps if they stand closer they will kill you quicker, if you’re lucky,” snickered the general. “Oh, and just so you don’t get any funny ideas, they can’t stand more than 20 ft away, they must be facing you, and you must remain tied to the post in the middle of the yard. And to show I’m not totally heartless, if you aren’t dead by sundown I’ll release you so you can die peacefully outside the compound. I must go now but will return tomorrow and see to it that you are buried in a nice spot, though with 100 men, I doubt there will be much left of you to bury.”

After giving his instructions the general left. Upon his return the next day, he found that Pete had been set free alive and well. “How could this be?” demanded the general. “It was where Pete had us stand,” explained the captain of the squad.

Where did Pete tell them to stand?

Riddle Answer

Unusual Paragraph

The paragraph below is very unusual. How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about it?

“Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill’s manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day’s traffic had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway’s night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration … “

The above passage is taken from the book “Gatsby” written by Ernest Vincent Wright in the late 1930s.

Riddle Answer

Breakfast in Bed

A man was working on a night shift when he suddenly received a telephone call giving him some information causing him to dash home at breakneck speed.

On bursting into his bedroom quite breathless he found his informant was quite correct and his wife was in bed with someone he had never even clapped eyes on before.

However, far from being angry he greeted them both with a friendly smile and a few hours later was bringing his wife breakfast in bed.

What is the reason for this?

Riddle Answer

Car License Plates

Detective Ixolite was investigating a murder. It was a difficult case, and Ixolite was completely stumped until he noticed a message sent to him by the killer cunningly hidden in a newspaper advertisement selling car licence plates.

Detective Ixolite thought about it for a while, and when he had solved the puzzle, immediately arrested the guilty man.

This is the newspaper advert (car licence plates for sale) that Inspector Ixolite saw.

Car License Plates For Sale:
W  05  NWO
H  13  HSR
O  05  EBM
D  08  UNE
U  10  HTY
N  04  BRE
N  16  TTE
I  26  LHC
T  10  AEE
I  26  CNA
X  22  VDA

How did Ixolite know the advert was a clue for him? Solve the code and determine who Ixolite arrested.

Riddle Answer