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 Christian Science Publishing Society