Riddle #26: The purchase

This one should be fairly easy.

A woman went to a store to make a purchase. She asked the clerk: "How much would 1 cost?"

"That would be 1 dollar," he replied.

"How much would 12 cost?"

"That would be 2 dollars."

"What about 128?"

"That would be 3 dollars."

What was she purchasing?

There are actually two (or maybe more) possible answers. The one I'm thinking of is a common item you probably see every day.

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To see it, read the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

The Sea of Red

No, not the Red Sea -- the Sea of Red. Everyone who lives in Nebraska knows what that is: the phenomenon of football fans and "Big Red Fever." I got to experience that last Saturday at the Nebraska-New Mexico State game. I hadn't been to a game since my college days, and it was fun to be a part of the action again.




After the first score, the fans let go hundreds of red balloons. It's really amazing to watch.

Nebraska fans are some of the most devoted fans in the country. I'm convinced that the noise we made was a factor in our defense. It was fun to be a part of that.





At the same time, Nebraska fans are known for their hospitality towards opposing fans. While on vacation a man from Oklahoma noticed my Nebraska hat and told me about the time he had attended a Nebraska game and had to use the restroom. He approached the long line of red-clad fans with apprehension. But someone noticed the colors he was wearing and shouted, "Here's an Oklahoma fan!."

"It was like the parting of the Red Sea," the Oklahoma fan said. "I've never seen anything like it."

Our new coach, Bo Pelini, has brought back much of the energy and excitement and Nebraska values. He also brought back Coach Ron Brown, who reinstituted the post-game prayer circle. He invites any interested football players, including those from the opposing team, to join him. As you can see, many of them knelt down as Coach Brown led in prayer.


For more Nebraska spirit, check out my videos of the band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrC7BFL8pm8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n3kqxZ8f0M

Riddle #25: The fishing rod

Here's another riddle:

A boy gets on a bus with a fishing rod he just bought at the store. The rod is 5 feet long.

The bus driver says, "I'm sorry, but you can't take that on the bus."

"Why?" the boy asks.

"There's a city ordinance stating that you can't carry packages on the bus that are longer than 4 feet."

"Well, what if I stand it on edge. Then it's five feet high, but not five feet long," the boy says.

"Very funny, fellow. That won't work either. It's still five feet one way, and so you can't take it on the bus."

The boy goes back to the store to return the fishing rod, but the clerk says all sales are final. So he thinks a while and then he finds a way that he can take the fishing rod on the bus legally. He does not alter it in any way. He does not break it, fold it or collapse it. How does he get it on the bus?

NOTE: The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, please see the comments section of this post.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.

Monica's State Fair Artwork

Just a bit of motherly bragging. This year Monica's drawing won "Best of Division" at the state fair. She's standing next to it in the photo -- it's a self-portrait; can you tell? She also got a blue ribbon for her water color painting next to it, which is a painting of a young friend of ours.