Puzzle Post

[Mandle]

A Romantic Tale

Just before sleeping,
I sought out my love:
Two miles for a dove,
I hope noone was peeking...

Upon waking up,
I sought her of course:
Ten miles for a horse,
Why's the distance gone up?

[CaptainD]

I'm guessing this might be referring to

Spoiler

your shadow?  It is will be different lengths at different points in the day due to the position of the sun.

[close]

I'm not sure at all about this one...

Spoiler

Seems like it must be SOMETHING to do with the position of the sun, not sure how the distances relate, or possibly refer to clock positions?

[close]

[cat]

First try:

Spoiler

You are in a litter and someone was carrying you 8 miles while you were asleep.

[close]

Second try:

Spoiler

It's something like a fjord with your love being on the other side. The bird can fly over it, so it's only two miles. The horse has to go around, so it's ten miles.

[close]

[Mandle]

Second try:

Spoiler

It's something like a fjord with your love being on the other side. The bird can fly over it, so it's only two miles. The horse has to go around, so it's ten miles.

[close]

This is mostly correct. But why do YOU have to:

Spoiler

Go around after waking up when you could go over before you slept?

[close]

[cat]

Spoiler

Tides?

[close]

[Mandle]

Spoiler

Tides?

[close]

Hmmmmm...
Not the answer I had in mind but it does make sense so it must be counted as correct.

Well done!

There is another possible answer though...

[CaptainD]

Spoiler

A bridge that retracts at certain hours of the day?

[close]

[Mandle]

Spoiler

A bridge that retracts at certain hours of the day?

[close]

Hmmmm...seems a bit unlikely...Unless living in Myst...But okay: possible

[CaptainD]

Another possibility maybe:

Spoiler

You can go over it when it's frozen but have to walk round it when it's water

[close]

[Mandle]

Another possibility maybe:

Spoiler

You can go over it when it's frozen but have to walk round it when it's water

[close]

YES! This is 100% correct. Now the only part of the puzzle to answer is:

Spoiler

How did the entire lake unfreeze while the main character was sleeping?

[close]

[Cassiebsg]

Spoiler

He's a bear!

[close]

[Mandle]

Spoiler

He's a bear!

[close]

Well done Cassie! The full answer was:

Spoiler

The main character is a bear and so during the start of winter he visits his mate by waking across the frozen lake between their territories. Then he hibernates for the winter. After waking up in spring he must walk all the way around the now unfrozen lake to visit her again.

[close]

For a puzzle I made up on the fly I think it's alright. It has a few flaws in that there are many imaginable alternate solutions (and the fact that I rhymed a word with itself). If presented kinda like it ended up here: as a Q&A session with the teller and with the rule that only the exact right answer will suffice I think it could be a fun one at a puzzle-solving game during a kid's birthday party for example.

NEXT!!!

[CaptainD]

Nice puzzle Mandle